# alternate-screen

Source: https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/

> This option configures whether programs running inside the pane may use the terminal alternate screen feature, which allows the smcup and rmcupterminfo(5) capabilities.

option tmux3.2a

This option configures whether programs running inside the pane may use the terminal alternate screen feature, which allows the smcup and rmcupterminfo(5) capabilities.

* Scope

  window, pane

* Type

  Flag (on or off)

* Default

  `on`

* Set

  [`set-option`](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/manual/set-option/) `-w alternate-screen value`

* Read

  [`show-options`](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/manual/show-options/) `-w alternate-screen`

## Description[#](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/#description)

This option configures whether programs running inside the pane may use the terminal alternate screen feature, which allows the *smcup* and *rmcup*[terminfo(5)]() capabilities. The alternate screen feature preserves the contents of the window when an interactive application starts and restores it on exit, so that any output visible before the application starts reappears unchanged after it exits.

## Releases[#](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/#releases)

* [tmux 3.7c](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.7c/catalog/options/alternate-screen/) : present
* [tmux 3.2a](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/) : present

## Source[#](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/#source)

* Defined in

  [`options-table.c:771`](https://github.com/tmux/tmux/blob/3b929f332aafa7f1080eacc31feb11ffbb1d1841/options-table.c#L771)

* C source reference

  [`options_table`](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/reference/c-variable-options_table/)

* CLI Manual

  [Original manual entry](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/manual/full/#options-alternate-screen)

## Used by[#](https://libtmux.org/en/tmux/3.2a/catalog/options/alternate-screen/#used-by)

Library documentation that names this option.

* Rust

  [`options.generated.ALTERNATE_SCREEN`](https://libtmux.org/en/rs/latest/reference/options-generated-alternate_screen/)

* Go

  [`tmux.GlobalWindowScope.SetAlternateScreen`](https://libtmux.org/en/go/latest/reference/tmux-globalwindowscope-setalternatescreen/), [`tmux.Pane.SetAlternateScreen`](https://libtmux.org/en/go/latest/reference/tmux-pane-setalternatescreen/), [`tmux.PaneOptionValues.AlternateScreen`](https://libtmux.org/en/go/latest/reference/tmux-paneoptionvalues-alternatescreen/), [`tmux.Window.SetAlternateScreen`](https://libtmux.org/en/go/latest/reference/tmux-window-setalternatescreen/), [`tmux.WindowOptionValues.AlternateScreen`](https://libtmux.org/en/go/latest/reference/tmux-windowoptionvalues-alternatescreen/)