Mouse-mode pane resizing versus Ctrl-b prefix navigation for reliable switching in limited-terminal SSH sessions

Choosing between mouse-driven pane control and Ctrl-b prefix-key navigation in tmux involves balancing direct interaction against consistent key-map availability. The mouse option, when set to on, permits resizing and window selection via drag gestures, but may capture input events that interfere with command-mode shortcuts. In terminal sessions without full graphical support, such as SSH connections lacking true-color capability, mouse behavior can degrade to partial or unpredictable operation. The mouse setting defined in ~/.tmux.conf applies persistently across sessions, whereas prefix-key navigation requires no configuration and functions immediately on default installations. These contrasting behaviors raise questions about reliability when switching between local and remote environments, and about how runtime toggling interacts with existing copy-mode selections.

In what terminal configurations does mouse mode reliably support pane resizing without interfering with command-mode actions? How does the persistent mouse setting in ~/.tmux.conf affect pane navigation consistency when moving between environments with differing terminal capabilities? Can runtime toggling of the mouse option be performed without corrupting existing copy-mode selections or terminal state?