A simple GUI countdown timer for your pomodoro sessions.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique:
"The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. These intervals are named pomodoros, the plural in English of the Italian word pomodoro (tomato), after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student. The method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility."
$ ./pom-timer.py
I suggest creating a desktop icon (see the icon.png file) and point
the icon to launcher.sh. The launcher script will start the GUI timer.
When I start the timer, I like to minimize it. When the time is up, a sound file is played and the timer's window appears on your screen (even if it was minimized).
Help:
$ ./pom_timer.py -h
Jabba's Pomodoro Timer v0.1.1
Usage: ./pom_timer.py [parameter]
Parameters:
-h, --help this help
-p, --play play the sound and quit (for testing the volume)
<minutes> If not specified, then the default value is 25.
Tested under Manjaro and Ubuntu 18.04 with Python 3.
Install the following packages with your package manager:
- wmctrl
- xdotool
- mplayer
The GUI is based on Tkinter. For Python 3 I had to install it too
(Manjaro: sudo pacman -S tk, Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3-tk).
I found a basic GUI counter at daniweb.com that I extended.
I heard about the Pomodoro technique in this project: pomodoro.py. The sound file is borrowed from here.
I prefer managing my TODO list on a sheet of paper. I collect the tasks to do and I leave a margin on the right side. I use this timer for a session: I start the counter and minimize the timer, so it doesn't cause any stress or distraction. When the time is up, I draw a small circle on the margin next to the task. The circle represents a tomato, a finished session.
(This README file was written in two pomodoro sessions).