Byobu vs WMUX

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.

WMUX is a terminal multiplexer that keeps local terminal workspaces alive when a terminal client disconnects. Its persistent server manages sessions, windows, panes, terminal state, layouts, options, commands, paste buffers, jobs, and clients. That scope is intended for shells, servers, logs, builds, agents, and project work. Users can split panes left or right, or top or bottom, navigate among them, and zoom a pane. WMUX creates a default configuration file on first use, with commands to inspect its path, contents, and effective configuration. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; Windows uses native platform mechanisms without a POSIX emulation layer. The software is free and MIT-licensed. Windows ARM64 builds and package-manager repositories are not currently provided. Release archives have SHA-256 sidecar files, and GitHub attestations can be used to verify build provenance. Its v1 binaries are not Authenticode-signed or Apple-notarized, so Windows SmartScreen or macOS Gatekeeper may show a trust prompt.