tmux no server running on /tmp/tmux-*/default - Windows msys2 terminal

Question

I'm new to tmux and have been trying to get a .tmux.conf that suits me and build a script to setup a session. At some point I started getting this error

no server running on /tmp/tmux-1065767/default

This message only appears when there is no active session and I run a command like tmux ls.

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I have tried to follow solutions like this one but I am on a Windows 8 machine and the *nix commands aren't working and I have failed to find equivalents. The relevant section from that link being to get the PID with ps and use kill -SIGUSR1 to start a server running on /tmp/tmux-*/default:

% ps aux | grep -w [t]mux
root     14799  0.2  0.0  36020   488 ?        Ss   May08  51:30 tmux
% kill -USR1 14799
% tmux ls
<list of tmux sessions>

If you know equivalent commands to the above for Windows 8, in a msys2 or Git Bash terminal, I would be very grateful.

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In case my .tmux.conf or setup script are an issue I have included them below.

Config file:

# allow names to stick
set-option -g allow-rename off

# use the lovely fish
set-option -g default-shell /usr/bin/fish
set -g default-command /usr/bin/fish

# modify the status bar
set -g status-bg colour233
set -g status-fg colour40
set-option -g status-position top

# new prefix
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-Space

# don't punish slow release of control when moving windows
bind C-n next-window
bind C-p previous-window

# alt close windows
bind X confirm kill-window

# split panes using v and s
bind v split-window -h
bind s split-window -v
unbind '"'
unbind %

# reload config file
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf

# hopefully help tmux believe in colourful vim
set -g default-terminal "xterm-256color"

# switch panes using Alt-arrow without prefix
bind -n M-Left select-pane -L
bind -n M-Right select-pane -R
bind -n M-Up select-pane -U
bind -n M-Down select-pane -D

# clear pane title
bind ] select-pane -T ''

Setup script:

#! /bin/bash
# For setting up BrokenFlows' default tmux work space

# for checking if the session exists
desired="dfws"
existing=`tmux ls | grep -o $desired`

if [ "$existing" == "$desired" ] # don't wind up if it's already there
then
    tmux attach-session -t $desired
else
    # if it wasn't there then setup as below

    tmux new-session -s $desired -d # name "DeFault WorkSpace" and detach
# called from cli but affecting most recent session:
    tmux rename-window "home" 

    # split window 0
    tmux split-window -v -p 38 # set bottom to 38% height
    tmux split-window -h -p 60 # set right to 60% width
    tmux split-window -h -p 51 # set right to 51% width

    # setup commands in window 0
    tmux clock-mode -t 0.1 # time in the bottom left pane
    tmux send-keys -t 0.2 'cpu' Enter # % cpu in bottom middle pane
    tmux send-keys -t 0.3 'mem' Enter # MByte mem in bottom right pane

    # open to-do list in window 1
    tmux new-window -n "vim" 
    tmux send-keys -t "vim" 'vim ~/Desktop/Today.taskpaper' Enter

    # go to home window and pane
    tmux select-window -t 0
    tmux select-pane -t 0

    # name panes in window 0
    sleep 2
    tmux set pane-border-status top
    tmux set pane-border-format "#T"
    tmux select-pane -t 0 -T ""
    tmux select-pane -t 0 -T ''
    tmux select-pane -t 1 -T 'Time'
    tmux select-pane -t 2 -T '% CPU'
    tmux select-pane -t 3 -T 'MByte Memory'

    # attach to session now it is set up
    tmux attach-session -d
fi

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I would like to be able to get back to the default behavior where the "no server running" output is replaced by a proper response to commands such as tmux ls.

I expect this requires equivalent commands to ps and kill -SIGUSR1 [PID] on Windows 8, in a msys2 or Git Bash terminal.

Answer 1

Sending SIGUSR1 to tmux is only useful if the tmux server is already running but something has deleted its socket from /tmp. Are you sure this is the case?

If there is no tmux server running, you just need to start a new one with "tmux new".