This cheat sheet delivers a detailed guide on Byobu keybindings, essential for efficient terminal multiplexing. It covers an extensive range of commands for creating and managing windows, splits, and sessions, from basic navigation to advanced configuration options. Additionally, it includes tailored keybindings for Byobu over SSH, specifically for users on Windows using Putty and macOS using Terminal, to Ubuntu, ensuring accessibility and ease of use across different platforms.
Byobu Keybindings
F1
- Shift-F1: Display this help.
F2
- Shift-F2: Create a horizontal split.
- Ctrl-F2: Create a vertical split.
- Ctrl-Shift-F2: Create new session.
F3/F4
- 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
- Alt-F5: Toggle UTF-8 support, refresh status.
- Shift-F5: Toggle status lines.
- Ctrl-F5: Reconnect ssh/gpg/dbus sockets.
- Ctrl-Shift-F5: Change status bar's color randomly.
F6
- Shift-F6: Detach session and do not logout.
- Alt-F6: Detach all clients but yourself.
- Ctrl-F6: Kill split in focus.
F7
- Alt-PageUp/PageDown: Enter and move through scrollback.
- Shift-F7: Save history to $BYOBU_RUN_DIR/printscreen.
F8
- 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
- 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
No commands specified.
F11
- 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
- Shift-F12: Toggle on/off keybindings.
- Alt-F12: Toggle on/off mouse support.
- Ctrl-Shift-F12: Mondrian squares.
Byobu (over SSH
Windows + Putty to Ubuntu
| Action | Windows + Putty to Ubuntu |
|---|---|
| Help menu | BASH: byobu-config |
| Create new window | CTRL-a c |
| Previous window | CTRL-a p |
| Next window | CTRL-a n |
| Detach | CTRL-a d |
| Window | |
| Retitle window | CTRL-a A |
| Move to window | CTRL-a \<N> |
| Kill windows/close | CTRL-a \ |
| Switch between 2 windows | CTRL-a CTRL-a |
| Pane | |
| Add pane horizontal | CTRL-a % |
| Add pane vertical | CTRL-a | |
| Add pane menu | CTRL-a > |
| Switch panes | CTRL-a TAB |
| Menu to select window | CTRL-a " |
| Scrollback | |
| Scrollback mode | CTRL-a [ |
| Buffer up/down (in scrollback mode) | PAGEUP / PAGEDOWN |
| Scrollback select | SPACE-ARROWS |
| Scrollback copy selected | ENTER / RETURN |
| Paste copied text | CTRL-a ] |
| Close | |
| Close window w/confirm | CTRL-a k |
| Close window/pane | CTRL-d or exit |
MacOS + Terminal to Ubuntu
| Action | MacOS + Terminal to Ubuntu |
|---|---|
| Help menu | FN-F1 |
| Create new window | CTRL-a c or FN-F2 |
| Previous window | CTRL-a p or FN-F3 |
| Next window | CTRL-a n or FN-F4 |
| Detach | CTRL-a d |
| Window | |
| Retitle window | CTRL-a A |
| Move to window | CTRL-a \<N> |
| Kill windows/close | CTRL-a \ |
| Switch between 2 windows | CTRL-a CTRL-a |
| Pane | |
| Add pane horizontal | CTRL-a % |
| Add pane vertical | CTRL-a | |
| Add pane menu | CTRL-a > |
| Switch panes | CTRL-a TAB |
| Menu to select window | CTRL-a " |
| Scrollback | |
| Scrollback mode | CTRL-a [ |
| Buffer up/down (in scrollback mode) | FN-SHIFT-ARROWS |
| Scrollback select | SPACE-ARROWS |
| Scrollback copy selected | ENTER / RETURN |
| Paste copied text | CTRL-a ] |
| Close | |
| Close window w/confirm | CTRL-a-k |
| Close window/pane | CTRL-d or exit |
Source: PackeTsar