byobu

Here is a comprehensive, scannable cheat sheet for Byobu (using the default tmux backend).

Byobu relies heavily on the Function keys (F1–F12), which makes it much faster than raw tmux once you get the hang of it.

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1. Getting Started & Session Management

Action	Command / Shortcut	Description
Start Byobu	byobu	Starts a new session or attaches to an existing one.
Enable on Login	byobu-enable	Automatically starts Byobu whenever you log into the server.
Disable on Login	byobu-disable	Stops Byobu from launching automatically on login.
Detach Session	F6	Leaves the session running in the background and drops you back to your normal terminal.
Logout & Kill	Ctrl + d (or type exit)	Closes the current shell. If it's the last tab, it kills the session.

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2. Managing Tabs (Windows)

Tabs are the main screens listed along the bottom notification bar.

Action	Shortcut
Create New Tab	F2
Move to Next Tab	F4 or Alt + Right
Move to Previous Tab	F3 or Alt + Left
Rename Current Tab	F8
Move Tab Left (Reorder)	Ctrl + Shift + F3
Move Tab Right (Reorder)	Ctrl + Shift + F4

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3. Managing Splits (Panes)

Splits let you divide a single tab into multiple, simultaneous terminal viewports.

• Split Vertically (Side-by-Side): Ctrl + F2
• Split Horizontally (Top/Bottom): Shift + F2
• Move Focus Between Splits: Shift + Arrow Keys (Up/Down/Left/Right)
• Resize a Split: Alt + Shift + Arrow Keys
• Zoom/Maximize Current Split: Shift + F11 (Press again to minimize back into place)
• Toggle Split Layouts: Shift + F8 (Cycles through preset grid layouts)
• Close Current Split: Ctrl + d (or type exit)

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4. Scrolling, Copying & Searching

Because Byobu hijacks the terminal, standard mouse scrolling can sometimes be tricky. Use View Mode to navigate history.

1. Enter View/Scroll Mode: Press F7. This freezes the screen and lets you scroll up through your terminal history.

2. Navigate History: Use Arrow Keys or Vim keys. Use Page Up / Page Down or Up/Down arrows to look back through your logs. (Vim bindings like G, g, / search also work).

3. Select and Copy Text: Press Spacebar to start. Move your cursor to the start of the text, press Spacebar, move the cursor to highlight your selection, and press Enter to copy it to Byobu's clipboard.

4. Paste Copied Text: Press Alt + Insert. To paste what you just copied into any active Byobu prompt, use **Alt + Insert** (or Ctrl + a then ]).

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5. System Configuration & Help

• Open Configuration Menu: F9 (Allows you to toggle status bar notifications like CPU, RAM, IP address, and change escape keys).
• View Keyboard Shortcuts: Shift + F1 (Opens the built-in quick reference help sheet).
• Reload Configuration: F5 (Useful if you manually edited your .byobu/ config files).