# Split Screens — Tile Multiple SSH Sessions

Tempest lets you split any tab into multiple terminal panes so you can watch logs in one half while running commands in the other, or compare two servers side by side without window-juggling.

## Vertical split (left ↔ right)

| Platform        | Shortcut           |
| --------------- | ------------------ |
| macOS           | `⌘ + D`            |
| Windows / Linux | `Ctrl + Shift + D` |

The pane that has focus is split into two equal halves; the new pane opens an empty terminal where you can start a new session or paste a connection string.

## Horizontal split (top ↔ bottom)

Drag a tab into the top, bottom, left, or right edge of any existing pane to dock it there. The drop zones are highlighted as you drag.

## Closing a pane

Closing the underlying SSH / Local Shell session closes its pane. Remaining panes resize automatically.

## Tabs vs. splits — when to use which

* **Tabs**: independent sessions that you switch between (cheap to keep many open).
* **Splits**: sessions you want to watch *simultaneously* (e.g., `tail -f` in one pane, `vim` in the other).

## Tips

* Run a `top` / `htop` / Tempest Monitoring view in one pane and your editor in another to keep an eye on resource usage while you work.
* Combine splits with [SSH Jump Host chains](/connect-to-servers/ssh-jump-host-bastion-chaining.md) to view the bastion's logs and the target's logs at once.


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