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Byobu is a suite of enhancements to tmux, as a command line
tool providing live system status, dynamic window management,
and some convenient keybindings:
F1 * Used by X11 *
Shift-F1 Display this help
F2 Create a new window
Shift-F2 Create a horizontal split
Ctrl-F2 Create a vertical split
Ctrl-Shift-F2 Create a new session
F3/F4 Move focus among windows
Alt-Left/Right Move focus among windows
Alt-Up/Down Move focus among sessions
Shift-Left/Right/Up/Down Move focus among splits
Shift-F3/F4 Move focus among splits
Ctrl-F3/F4 Move a split
Ctrl-Shift-F3/F4 Move a window
Shift-Alt-Left/Right/Up/Down Resize a split
F5 Reload profile, refresh status
Alt-F5 Toggle UTF-8 support, refresh status
Shift-F5 Toggle through status lines
Ctrl-F5 Reconnect ssh/gpg/dbus sockets
Ctrl-Shift-F5 Change status bar's color randomly
F6 Detach session and then logout
Shift-F6 Detach session and do not logout
Alt-F6 Detach all clients but yourself
Ctrl-F6 Kill split in focus
F7 Enter scrollback history
Alt-PageUp/PageDown Enter and move through scrollback
Shift-F7 Save history to $BYOBU_RUN_DIR/printscreen
F8 Rename the current window
Ctrl-F8 Rename the current session
Shift-F8 Toggle through split arrangements
Alt-Shift-F8 Restore a split-pane layout
Ctrl-Shift-F8 Save the current split-pane layout
F9 Launch byobu-config window
Ctrl-F9 Enter command and run in all windows
Shift-F9 Enter command and run in all splits
Alt-F9 Toggle sending keyboard input to all splits
F10 * Used by X11 *
F11 * Used by X11 *
Alt-F11 Expand split to a full window
Shift-F11 Zoom into a split, zoom out of a split
Ctrl-F11 Join window into a vertical split
F12 Escape sequence
Shift-F12 Toggle on/off Byobu's keybindings
Alt-F12 Toggle on/off Byobu's mouse support
Ctrl-Shift-F12 Mondrian squares
/usr/share/doc/byobu/help.tmux.txt (END)
official site:
http://byobu.co
10 min video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NawuGmcvKus
@oriolrius
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I usually have two nested byobu sessions, then I don't know how to send FX key commands to the second sessions. I tried with ctrl+a+a and the FX key but it doesn't work, any idea? thanks.

@greenlaw110
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How do disable the function keys in the current session?

@didibus
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didibus commented Jan 30, 2019

To quit (exit) Scrollback mode after pressing F7, try the following:

  • ESC
  • q
  • Ctrl-c
  • ENTER

@oneindelijk
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I usually have two nested byobu sessions, then I don't know how to send FX key commands to the second sessions. I tried with ctrl+a+a and the FX key but it doesn't work, any idea? thanks.

Try maybe with Shift-F12 to turn off the byobu in focus' keybindings ?
I suppose then the underlying byobu would receive them ?

If I end up in a nested session, for example a local byobu-session and one in an ssh session, I open a new ssh-session and do a byobu detach (either by firing up byobu and pressing Ctrl-a D or running byobu -d)

@McFlat
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McFlat commented Aug 3, 2019

these keybindings are no longer working for me, doesn't matter if backend is tmux or screen, using debian stretch from a macbook

these do work for me

F7 to enter scrollback
Ctrl+U and Ctrl+D (half page up and down)
Ctrl+B and Ctrl+F (full page up and down)

@sdeastham
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I almost always have to rely on Ctrl-a + [?] commands, as I don't seem to be able to use the function key shortcuts. Is there a list anywhere showing how to execute these commands using Ctrl-a rather than function keys?

@trailstrider
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Most important question: After entering the Mondrian squares game.... how do you actually play it? Doesn't seem to work. Also, doesn't seem like an actual Mondrian squares game. Inquiring minds really want to know. How else are we supposed to waste time? ;-)

@dmp1ce
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dmp1ce commented Apr 15, 2020

@sdeastham Ctrl-a + ? gives a list of current bindings. Use / to search through the many commands.

@sdeastham
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@dmp1ce Thanks for this! It also led me to the excellent menu resulting from Ctrl+>, which I recommend to anyone (like me) who can never remember exactly how to shift their panes around...

@dedguy21
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dedguy21 commented Feb 20, 2021

I am not able to Toggle f-keys on and off. I need to press F6 during kernel to save config, but everything I do detaches the session. I've tried shift+F12, and then ctrl+a+! Shift+F12. How can I Toggle off F-keys so I can use F6 key without detaching a session?

Byobu tmux as backend.

@neduz
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neduz commented Mar 23, 2023

I am not able to Toggle f-keys on and off. I need to press F6 during kernel to save config, but everything I do detaches the session. I've tried shift+F12, and then ctrl+a+! Shift+F12. How can I Toggle off F-keys so I can use F6 key without detaching a session?

Byobu tmux as backend.

For some reasons, from some terminals Shift + F12 works for me, in others it doesn't but F6 does work, so yes, very annoying. I had a look in the list of defined keybindings: ctrl+a : list-keys. There is reveals how the S-F12 works and you can "emulate it":
with ctrl+a,: you switch to command mode in tmux
and then you enter:
source-file /usr/share/byobu/keybindings/f-keys.tmux.disable

To later re-enable shortcuts (they are handy!)
ctrl+a : source-file /usr/share/byobu/keybindings/f-keys.tmux

@dedguy21
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dedguy21 commented Mar 23, 2023

Thanks for the reply, and it might be useful for someone, but this got me to using actual tmux, and now I'm not sure why I didn't just start off that way. Soo much documentation, and plugins out there from for tmux community that it's a lot easier to use actually...and best part, no F-key issues.

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