Where should I put .tmux.conf to work with byobu?

[GabrielJeffR]

I recently started using Byobu and ran into an issue when trying to install a tmux plugin on Byobu-tmux: the plugin was not working.

I created ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf and configured TPM to run from ~/.byobu/plugins/tpm/tpm, but it didn’t work. I also tried running it from ~/.tmux, but that didn’t work either.

The only way I managed to make it work was by setting my ~/.tmux.conf to be the same as ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf.

So, to get Byobu with the tmux backend working properly, should I use ~/.tmux.conf instead of ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf?

[dustinkirkland]

The Correct Answer: Use ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf ✅

The correct location for your tmux configuration with Byobu is ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf. This file IS loaded by Byobu — here's why and how to make it work with plugins like TPM:

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How Byobu Loads Tmux Config

When you run byobu with tmux backend, it executes:

tmux -f /usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmuxrc

That profile file sources your configs in this order:

1. ~/.byobu/color.tmux
2. ~/.byobu/datetime.tmux
3. ~/.byobu/profile.tmux
4. ~/.byobu/keybindings.tmux
5. ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf ← Your custom config goes here

Source: https://github.com/dustinkirkland/byobu/blob/master/usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmuxrc#L30

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Why TPM Might Not Work in ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf

The issue you're experiencing is likely because:

• TPM and many tmux plugins expect to be initialized from ~/.tmux.conf
• Some plugins have hardcoded paths assuming a standard tmux setup
• When byobu uses the -f flag, tmux doesn't automatically load ~/.tmux.conf

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Solution: Three Options

Option 1: Put Everything in ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf (Recommended)

This is the cleanest approach when using Byobu exclusively:

# ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

# Your custom settings...
set -g mouse on
set -g history-limit 10000

# Initialize TPM (keep this at the very bottom)
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

Option 2: Source ~/.tmux.conf from Byobu Config

If you want to maintain a separate ~/.tmux.conf (e.g., for using vanilla tmux sometimes):

# ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf
source-file ~/.tmux.conf

# ~/.tmux.conf
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

# Your settings...

# Initialize TPM
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

Option 3: Hybrid Approach

Keep plugins in ~/.tmux.conf, add Byobu-specific overrides:

# ~/.tmux.conf - plugins and shared config
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

# ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf - source shared config + byobu-specific settings
source-file ~/.tmux.conf

# Byobu-specific overrides here
# (These will override settings from ~/.tmux.conf)
set -g status-position bottom

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What You Should NOT Do

Don't make ~/.tmux.conf identical to ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf — that's a workaround, not a solution. You're essentially bypassing Byobu's configuration system.

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Summary

✅ Do use ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf as your primary config when using Byobu

✅ Do either:

• Put your plugins and config directly in ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf, OR
• Use source-file ~/.tmux.conf in ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf to load a shared config

❌ Don't try to make ~/.tmux.conf and ~/.byobu/.tmux.conf identical copies

This approach maintains Byobu's custom configuration (status line, keybindings, colors) while still loading your plugins and customizations in the correct order.

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Testing Your Setup

After setting up your config, test it:

# Start byobu
byobu

# Inside byobu, check if plugins loaded
# Press: Ctrl-a then :
# Type: display-message "#{@plugin_list}"

If TPM is loaded correctly, you should see your plugin list.