Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

byobu VS tmux

Compare byobu VS tmux and see what are their differences

byobu logo byobu

Byobu is a GPLv3 open source text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer.

tmux logo tmux

tmux is a terminal multiplexer: it enables a number of terminals (or windows), each running a...
  • byobu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-30
  • tmux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19

byobu features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Byobu provides an enhanced interface for terminal multiplexers, allowing for more intuitive use and management of terminal windows and sessions.
  • Session Management
    It allows for persistent sessions that can be detached and reattached, making it easy to manage long-running processes.
  • Compatibility
    Byobu is compatible with both tmux and screen, giving users the flexibility to choose their preferred backend.
  • Customizable
    It offers a range of configuration options and customizable status displays, allowing users to tailor their environment to their needs.
  • Enhanced Features
    It includes additional widgets and information like CPU load, memory usage, and network statistics directly in the terminal interface.

Possible disadvantages of byobu

  • Learning Curve
    New users may find the initial configuration and command set intimidating if they are not familiar with terminal multiplexers.
  • Overhead
    Byobu adds an additional layer on top of the underlying terminal multiplexer which may not be necessary for users happy with tmux or screen on their own.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues when using Byobu with a large number of windows or sessions.
  • Platform Specific Features
    Certain features or enhancements might be dependent on the underlying operating system, potentially leading to inconsistencies across different platforms.

tmux features and specs

  • Session Management
    tmux allows users to manage multiple terminal sessions from a single window, making it easier to multitask and organize workflows.
  • Persistent Sessions
    Sessions in tmux can persist even after disconnecting from the host. You can detach from a session and reattach later without losing your work.
  • Window and Pane Splitting
    tmux supports splitting windows into multiple panes, allowing users to have different programs or terminal instances side-by-side within the same window.
  • Customization
    Highly customizable with support for configuring key bindings, status lines, color schemes, and more through a configuration file.
  • Scripting and Automation
    Provides extensive scripting capabilities which can be used to automate routine tasks and workflows.
  • Remote Use
    Particularly useful for remote work, as it can be used to manage sessions on remote servers efficiently over SSH.
  • Performance
    Relatively lightweight and performant, consuming minimal system resources.
  • Community and Documentation
    A large and active community providing extensive documentation, tutorials, and plugins to extend functionality.

Possible disadvantages of tmux

  • Learning Curve
    Can be difficult to learn and memorize all the commands and key bindings, especially for new users.
  • Configuration Complexity
    The configuration can be complex and might require significant effort to customize according to individual needs.
  • Compatibility
    Might have compatibility issues with certain terminal emulators or applications, requiring workarounds or special configurations.
  • Resource Limits
    While lightweight, extensive use with many windows and panes can still consume significant system resources, potentially impacting system performance.
  • Copy-Pasting
    Copy-pasting within tmux can be less straightforward compared to using a regular terminal, requiring specific key bindings and knowledge of tmux buffers.
  • Clipboard Integration
    Integration with the system clipboard can require additional configuration and might not work seamlessly out-of-the-box.
  • Frequent Updates
    Frequent updates and changes can sometimes introduce bugs or break existing configurations, requiring users to adapt and troubleshoot.

Analysis of tmux

Overall verdict

  • Yes, tmux is considered a valuable tool by many in the tech community. Its features make it particularly useful for developers, system administrators, and power users who work extensively within the command-line environment.

Why this product is good

  • Tmux is a highly regarded terminal multiplexer that allows users to manage multiple terminal sessions from a single window. It facilitates productive workflows by enabling users to switch between different programs easily, run multiple applications, and keep programs running in the background. Tmux also supports session persistence, which allows users to disconnect from a session and reconnect later without losing their work state. Additionally, it is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet specific user needs, enhancing efficiency and usability.

Recommended for

  • Developers
  • System Administrators
  • Power Users
  • Linux Enthusiasts
  • Anyone who works extensively in the terminal

byobu videos

Remote linux server admin tools: byobu, htop, nethogs, nload, iptraf

More videos:

  • Review - Hollywood Technical Melodrama -- There's an app for that on Ubuntu in Byobu!
  • Demo - Byobu Demonstration

tmux videos

How I Work: Tmux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - You need to know how to use TMUX
  • Review - Getting Started with tmux Part 1 - Overview and Features

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to byobu and tmux)
SSH
20 20%
80% 80
Terminal Tools
19 19%
81% 81
Uptime Monitoring
100 100%
0% 0
Server Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using byobu and tmux. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare byobu and tmux

byobu Reviews

We have no reviews of byobu yet.
Be the first one to post

tmux Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Tmux makes the most of the available space and is simple to use thanks to keybindings that may be used to divide windows and create extra panes. Individual shell instances can also be shared throughout various sessions and utilised for different purposes by different users.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
tilix is a multiplexing terminal, not a tiling window manager. tmux is a terminal multiplexer, not a tiling window manager either. jwm is a lightweight STACKING window manager. I guess you could call tmux a tiling wm for a console only system (along with gnu screen and dvtm), but that’s really stretching your definition, and the other two certainly don’t qualify.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, tmux seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 29 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

byobu mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of byobu yet. Tracking of byobu recommendations started around Mar 2021.

tmux mentions (29)

  • Switching from tmux to Zellij
    If you've used terminal multiplexer in command line, you know tmux is cool! If you haven't, you really should use something like tmux, especially if you SSH into remote servers often! - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Switching Fully to Neovim
    Additionally, I integrate several CLI tools into my work flow, such as lazygit for streamlined Git operations, yazi as a terminal file manager, tmux for session management, and lazydocker for handling Docker containers efficiently. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Turing Pi 2 Home cluster
    This also gave me the chance to learn how to use Tmux. Best tool I've learned in a while. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Easy Access to Terminal Commands in Neovim using FTerm
    Having a common set of tools already set up in different windows or sessions in Tmux or Zellij is obviously an option, but there is a subset of us ( 👋 ) that would rather just have fingertip access to our common tools inside of our editor. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Automating the startup of a dev workflow
    Well, I now use tmux and tmuxinator. I have had many failed tmux attempts over the years, but I'm firmly bedded in now. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing byobu and tmux, you can also consider the following products

Zellij - A terminal workspace with batteries included

wezterm - GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer made with Rust.

mtm - Perhaps the smallest useful terminal multiplexer in the world.

Alacritty - Alacritty is a blazing fast, GPU accelerated terminal emulator.

iTerm2 - A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

GNU Screen - Screen is a full-screen window manager that multiplexes a physical terminal between several...