Getting started: your first session

The Vesper model: sessions, tabs, and panes

Understanding Vesper's hierarchy is key to mastering it:

Session

The top-level container that runs in the background. You can detach from a session and re-attach later.

Tab

A single workspace within a session. You can have multiple tabs for different contexts (e.g., one for your backend, one for your frontend).

Pane

A view within a tab that contains a shell. A tab can be split into multiple panes.

The prefix key

Vesper uses a prefix key for all commands to avoid conflicts with your shell or other programs. The default prefix is Ctrl+a. To run a command, you press the prefix, release it, and then press the command key.

Building your first layout

Let's create a simple 3-pane layout for a web development project.

1. Start Vesper: In your terminal, run vesper.
2. Split vertically: Press Ctrl+a, then v. You now have two panes side-by-side.
3. Split horizontally: Press Ctrl+a, then l to move to the right pane. Now press Ctrl+a, then h. You now have one large pane on the left and two smaller panes on the right.
4. Run your commands: Navigate between the panes (Ctrl+a + `h/j/k/l`) and start your processes: your code editor in the large pane, your dev server in the top-right, and your test runner in the bottom-right.

The superpower: detaching and re-attaching

Now that your workspace is running, you can safely detach from it. Press Ctrl+a, then d. You'll be returned to your original shell, but all your processes are still running in the background. To return to your session exactly as you left it, simply run:

vesper attach