# tmate-io/tmate

Instant Terminal Sharing

Repository: https://github.com/tmate-io/tmate
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tmate
Homepage: https://tmate.io/
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-07-29T06:22:06+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 66/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 95, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4830, "days_push": 35, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6116, forks 336 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:36.103329+00:00)

## What it is
tmate is a fork of the tmux terminal multiplexer that adds instant terminal sharing over the network. It generates a shareable SSH connection string so multiple people can join the same terminal session for pair programming, debugging, or remote assistance.

## Use cases
- share my terminal with a teammate for instant pair programming
- let someone remotely access my terminal session without opening firewall ports
- collaboratively debug a problem on a server from two locations
- give temporary SSH access to a machine via a generated link
- run a live terminal demo that others can watch or interact with
- get remote help from a friend inside my own shell environment

## When to choose
- You need zero-setup, instant terminal sharing with a simple connection string
- You want tmux's multiplexer features combined with session sharing in one tool
- You need remote pair programming or support over SSH without VPNs or port forwarding

## When to avoid
- You need GUI screen sharing with video, audio, or mouse control
- You don't want sessions relayed through hosted servers and aren't prepared to self-host the relay
- You only need a plain terminal multiplexer without any sharing capability

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: cli, terminal-ui, ssh, developer-tools
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: bsd, cli, cross-platform, c
- tags: terminal-sharing, pair-programming, tmux, remote-access, terminal-multiplexer, collaboration, screen-sharing, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- tmate-io/tmate (main) score 66

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:36.103329+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:48:10.161514+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/tmate-io/tmate (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:36.103329+00:00, sha d2764591f56e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.