Markdown Rendering in cmux

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- Use when opening Markdown in cmux shows a blank pane or wrong layout. - Use when you need to display a Markdown file in a stable cmux right pane.

Category: General & Miscellaneous
Repo: antigravity-awesome-skills
Path: skills/markdown-rendering/SKILL.md
Updated: 7/12/2026, 11:41:17 PM
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AI Summary

- Use when opening Markdown in cmux shows a blank pane or wrong layout. - Use when you need to display a Markdown file in a stable cmux right pane. It is useful for general automation, multi-purpose workflows, cross-disciplinary tasks, and utility skills. Source: antigravity-awesome-skills (skills/markdown-rendering/SKILL.md).

Markdown Rendering in cmux

When to Use

  • Use when opening Markdown in cmux shows a blank pane or wrong layout.
  • Use when you need to display a Markdown file in a stable cmux right pane.

The Problem

cmux markdown open defaults to spawning a brand-new pane every time, even with --direction right. The common "fix" — moving the new markdown surface into the existing right pane with move-surface — bugs out: the moved viewer renders BLANK. The surface keeps type=markdown and looks healthy, but shows nothing.

So you get stuck: either a stray extra pane, or a blank viewer after moving it.

The Rule

You have exactly two reliable options. Never move-surface a markdown viewer — that is the path that bugs.

Option A — Open it right on the first try

If there is no usable right pane yet, just let cmux create one and leave it where it lands:

cmux markdown open /abs/path/file.md --direction right --focus false

Do NOT then move it. If it spawned where you want it, you're done.

Option B — Close existing right pane(s), then open fresh

If there are other right panes in the way (and they're unused or irrelevant), close them first, then open the markdown fresh as a new right pane:

# 1. find panes in THIS workspace
cmux list-panes --workspace "$CMUX_WORKSPACE_ID"

# 2. close the unused/irrelevant right pane(s) by closing their surfaces
cmux list-pane-surfaces --pane pane:NN
cmux close-surface --surface surface:XX     # repeat per surface in that pane

# 3. THEN open the markdown fresh — it creates its own clean right pane
cmux markdown open /abs/path/file.md --direction right --focus false

Hard Rules

  • Never move-surface a markdown viewer. It renders blank afterward. This is the core bug this skill exists for.
  • Open it correctly the first time (Option A), OR close the conflicting right pane(s) and open a fresh right pane from scratch (Option B).
  • Only close panes that are unused or irrelevant — never close a pane the user is working in.
  • Always anchor to $CMUX_WORKSPACE_ID; never assume the visually focused workspace.
  • Pass --focus false so you don't steal the user's focus.
  • You can't screenshot/read a markdown surface to verify it. If unsure it rendered, ask the user.

Limitations

  • Adapted from davidondrej/skills; verify local paths, tools, credentials, and agent features before acting.
  • For commands, remote access, scheduling, browser automation, or file-changing workflows, get explicit user approval and confirm the target environment first.

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