Byobu

Multiplexers•

•Shell

Enhanced wrapper for tmux/screen with pre-configured keybindings and status bar.

Official Website

Features

Enhanced Status BarKeybindingstmux/screen BackendNotifications

Installation

Homebrew

brew install byobu

APT (Debian/Ubuntu)

apt install byobu

DNF (Fedora)

dnf install byobu

Why Use Byobu?

Byobu is a terminal multiplexer that acts as a front-end for tmux or screen. It features intuitive function key operation and convenient default settings ready to use out of the box. It's included in Ubuntu's standard repository, making installation easy.

Ready-to-Use Configuration

Convenient keybindings, beautiful status bar, and system monitoring enabled by default. Comfortable to use without writing config files.

Function Key Operation

Easy to remember function keys: F2 for new window, F3/F4 for window switching. No need for prefix keys.

System Monitoring

Real-time system info display in status bar: CPU, memory, disk, network. Convenient for server monitoring.

Works with tmux/screen

Choose tmux or screen as backend. Same operation feel in either environment.

Basic Usage

Function Key Operation

Byobu's biggest feature is intuitive function key operation. No need to memorize prefix keys like tmux or screen.

Note: Function keys may be captured by the terminal application. In that case, try Shift + Function key or use the Ctrl + a prefix.

Starting and Exiting Byobu

Basic Commands

# Start byobu
byobu

# Start with a session name
byobu -S mysession

# Exit byobu (close all windows)
# Press F6 (detach)
# or exit each window individually

# Start with tmux backend (default)
byobu-tmux

# Start with screen backend
byobu-screen

Selecting Backend

Backend Configuration

# Set backend to tmux
byobu-select-backend tmux

# Set backend to screen
byobu-select-backend screen

# Check current backend
byobu-select-backend

Session Management

Creating, Listing, and Switching Sessions

Session Management

# Create a new session
byobu new -s project1

# List sessions
byobu list-sessions
# or
byobu ls

# Attach to an existing session
byobu attach -t project1
# or
byobu a -t project1

# Create if not exists, otherwise attach
byobu new -A -s mysession

# Kill a session
byobu kill-session -t project1

# Display session list inside byobu
# Ctrl + a, s (tmux backend)
# or Ctrl + a, " (screen backend)

Auto-start on Login

Auto-start Configuration

# Auto-start byobu on login
byobu-enable

# Disable auto-start
byobu-disable

# Display byobu status in prompt
byobu-enable-prompt

# Disable prompt display
byobu-disable-prompt

Window and Pane Operations

Window Operations (Function Keys)

Window Operations

# Create a new window
# F2

# Move to previous window
# F3

# Move to next window
# F4

# Detach from session
# F6

# Display window list and scroll
# F7

# Rename window
# F8

# Open Byobu settings menu
# F9

# Close window
# Ctrl + F6

Pane Operations (Screen Splitting)

Pane Operations

# Horizontal split (top/bottom)
# Shift + F2

# Vertical split (left/right)
# Ctrl + F2

# Move between panes
# Shift + arrow keys
# or Shift + F3/F4

# Resize pane
# Shift + Alt + arrow keys

# Close current pane
# Ctrl + F6

# Rearrange panes
# Ctrl + F5

# Zoom (toggle fullscreen for pane)
# Shift + F11

Operations with Ctrl+a Prefix

Prefix Operations

# Use Ctrl+a prefix if function keys don't work

# Create a new window
# Ctrl + a, c

# Move to next window
# Ctrl + a, n

# Move to previous window
# Ctrl + a, p

# Horizontal split
# Ctrl + a, %

# Vertical split
# Ctrl + a, |

# Move between panes
# Ctrl + a, arrow keys

# Detach
# Ctrl + a, d

Key Bindings Reference

Byobu is operated intuitively with function keys. If function keys don't work, Ctrl + a prefix is also available.

Category	Key	Description
Window	`F2`	Create new window
	`F3`	Previous window
	`F4`	Next window
	`F8`	Rename window
	`Ctrl + F6`	Close window/pane
Pane	`Shift + F2`	Horizontal split
	`Ctrl + F2`	Vertical split
	`Shift + F3/F4`	Move between panes
	`Shift + Alt + arrow`	Resize pane
	`Shift + F11`	Pane zoom
Session	`F6`	Detach
	`Shift + F6`	Detach and logout
Scroll	`F7`	Scroll mode
	`Alt + PageUp/Down`	Page scroll
Settings	`F9`	Settings menu
	`Ctrl + F5`	Reload status line
Other	`F1`	Display help
	`F12`	GNU Screen compatibility mode

Status Bar Customization

Status Display Settings

Byobu's status bar can display system information, time, and more. Open the settings menu with F9 key or configure from the command line.

Status Configuration

# Open status display settings menu
byobu-config

# Or press F9 key to access settings menu

# Available status items:
# - arch: Architecture
# - battery: Battery status
# - cpu_count: CPU count
# - cpu_freq: CPU frequency
# - cpu_temp: CPU temperature
# - date: Date
# - disk: Disk usage
# - hostname: Host name
# - ip_address: IP address
# - load_average: Load average
# - memory: Memory usage
# - network: Network status
# - time: Time
# - uptime: Uptime
# - users: Logged-in users

Enable/Disable Status Items

Status Control

# Enable specific status items
byobu-enable-prompt
byobu-enable

# Toggle status display
# Select "Toggle status notifications" from F9 menu

# Change status bar position (top/bottom)
# Select "Change status bar position" from F9 menu

# Change status line background color
byobu-select-background

Configuration Files

Configuration Directory

Byobu configuration is stored in ~/.byobu/ directory. Write additional tmux settings in .tmux.conf.

Configuration File Structure

~/.byobu/
├── .tmux.conf          # Custom settings for tmux
├── .screenrc           # Custom settings for screen
├── backend             # Backend to use (tmux/screen)
├── color               # Color configuration
├── color.tmux          # Color settings for tmux
├── datetime.tmux       # Date/time format
├── keybindings         # Keybindings configuration
├── keybindings.tmux    # Tmux keybindings
├── profile             # Profile configuration
├── profile.tmux        # Tmux profile
├── status              # Status bar configuration
└── statusrc            # Enable/disable status items

Custom Configuration for tmux

~/.byobu/.tmux.conf

# Enable mouse support
set -g mouse on

# Use Vim keybindings in copy mode
setw -g mode-keys vi

# Remove escape key delay
set -sg escape-time 0

# History size
set -g history-limit 50000

# 256 color support
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

# Vim-style pane navigation (additional config)
bind h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R

# Use intuitive keys for pane splitting
bind | split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
bind - split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Preserve current directory in new windows
bind c new-window -c "#{pane_current_path}"

Customize Keybindings

Keybindings Configuration

# Switch keybinding mode
# Select "Change escape sequence" from F9 menu

# Available modes:
# - f-keys (default): Function keys
# - screen: GNU Screen compatible
# - vim: Vim-style

# Switch to GNU Screen compatibility mode with F12
# F12

Tips

•Use byobu-enable to auto-start byobu on login. Handy for server management.
•If function keys don't work, try Shift + Function key. On macOS, you may need to change function key settings in System Preferences.
•Press F9 to open the settings menu. Customize keybindings and status bar in the GUI-like settings screen.
•If you're familiar with tmux, write additional settings in ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf to leverage your existing configuration.
•Press F7 to enter scroll mode and review past output. Navigate with Vim-style keybindings (j/k).
•The status bar can display CPU, memory, and disk usage. Use it as a system monitoring tool.
•On Ubuntu, install easily with apt install byobu. It's recommended as a default environment for Ubuntu servers.

Comparison with tmux/screen

Feature	Byobu	tmux/screen
Learning curve	Gentle (function keys)	Steep (prefix keys)
Default configuration	Ready to use (beautiful status bar)	Requires customization
System monitoring	Built-in feature	Requires additional setup
Settings GUI	F9 menu	Text files only
Customizability	Standard (can also use tmux/screen config)	Highly customizable
Plugins	tmux plugins available	Rich ecosystem
Documentation	Limited	Abundant

Who Should Use Byobu

- Beginners trying terminal multiplexers for the first time
- People without time to customize settings
- Ubuntu server administrators
- People who want to monitor system while working

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Features

Installation

Why Use Byobu?

Ready-to-Use Configuration

Function Key Operation

System Monitoring

Works with tmux/screen

Basic Usage

Function Key Operation

Starting and Exiting Byobu

Selecting Backend

Session Management

Creating, Listing, and Switching Sessions

Auto-start on Login

Window and Pane Operations

Window Operations (Function Keys)

Pane Operations (Screen Splitting)

Operations with Ctrl+a Prefix

Key Bindings Reference

Status Bar Customization

Status Display Settings

Enable/Disable Status Items

Configuration Files

Configuration Directory

Custom Configuration for tmux

Customize Keybindings

Tips

Comparison with tmux/screen

Who Should Use Byobu

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