Byobu vs Séance

Byobu is a free, GPLv3-licensed text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer for Linux, BSD, and macOS. It runs over tmux or GNU Screen and adds function-key controls, status notifications, profiles, and split-pane layouts. Users can create, rename, reorder, split, zoom, and synchronize windows and panes, then save layouts for restoration or define repeatable window sets in configuration files. Detaching and reattaching preserves windows, processes, and history, with up to 10,000 lines of scrollback per window. A two-line status bar can display CPU, memory, disk, network, battery, load, time, and other indicators, each independently toggleable. The interactive F9 menu changes notifications, keybinding sets, profiles, and backend selection. Byobu defaults to tmux when available but supports GNU Screen and switching through byobu-select-backend. The project requires tmux 1.5 or later and/or GNU Screen. Support is largely volunteer-led through GitHub Issues and StackExchange.

Séance is a free, Linux-only terminal multiplexer for tracking AI coding-agent sessions. It follows Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, and Antigravity CLI sessions, and shows whether each is working, awaiting permission, or idle. Permission requests and task completions can generate desktop notifications with unread tracking. Its panes scroll horizontally, with workspaces, tabs within columns, a command palette, focus-follows-mouse, and session persistence across restarts. The app uses GTK4, libadwaita, and libghostty, and supports X11 and Wayland. The `seance ctl` command connects to a running instance over a Unix domain socket; commands can return JSON, manage workspaces and panes, send input, and read terminal output. The project states that it has no telemetry and is licensed under MIT. Installation options include Arch Linux AUR, a Nix flake, and an x86_64 AppImage. OpenCode remote attach sessions and `--pure` launches are not tracked. Séance is pre-1.0, and only the latest release receives security fixes.