abduco

Updated

September 4, 2026

Overview

abduco is a minimal session attach/detach tool: it runs a process under a controlling terminal session you can disconnect from and reattach to later. Lighter than full multiplexers (tmux, screen) — no window manager, just detachable sessions. Often paired with dvtm for tiling inside the session.

Optional package; not installed by default on most distros.

Syntax

abduco [options] [-e key] [-r] name
abduco -A name [command...]
abduco -l

Common Options

Option Description
-A name Attach or create session name
-a name Attach to existing session
-c name command Create session running command
-e key Escape key (default Ctrl-\)
-r Read-only attach
-l List sessions
-n Create but don’t attach
-f Force (see man for attach behavior)
-q Quiet

Exact flags can vary slightly by version — check abduco -h.

Examples with Explanations

Create / attach

abduco -A work
# runs $SHELL by default in a new session if needed

Run a specific command

abduco -c build make -j$(nproc)
abduco -a build

List and reattach

abduco -l
abduco -a work

Detach

Ctrl-\   (default detach key — confirm with man/help)

Or close the SSH client carefully knowing the session survives.

Read-only observe

abduco -r -a work

Pair with dvtm

abduco -A dev dvtm

dvtm provides tiling; abduco provides detach.

vs tmux

# tmux: windows, panes, scripting, ecosystem
tmux new -s work
# abduco: tiny attach/detach
abduco -A work

Notes / Pitfalls

  • Must be installed; rare on enterprise minimal images.
  • Escape key conflicts — rebind with -e if needed.
  • Not a full replacement for tmux scripting/automation.
  • Session socket location depends on build (ABDUCO_SOCKET_DIR / runtime dir).
  • Sharing sessions multi-user needs careful permissions (prefer tmux/socket policies or separate tools).

2026-relevant notes

  • Nice for constrained environments where tmux feels heavy, or for teaching detach basics.
  • For production admin work, tmux or systemd still dominate.
  • Combine with mosh/SSH keepalive for flaky links.

Additional Resources

  • abduco -h, project docs (martanne/abduco)