POMODORO 1.0
A simple command line implementation of a pomodoro timer.
More information on the `Pomodoro Technique' developed by Francesco Cirillo can be
found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
DEPENDENCIES
To use `pomodoro,' you first need PHP installed on your system. On Mac OSX, PHP is
preinstalled, so there's no need to do anything at this stage. On other *nix systems,
it's simple to get PHP via your distribution's package manager. Windows users using a
Cygwin BASH or tcsh shell can also get PHP through Cygwin Ports.
INSTALLATION
Once you've got PHP up and running, download the `pomodoro' file from SourceForge. Place
the file in whatever directory you want it to live in, and 'cd' to that directory in your
terminal application.
Next, make the file executable:
$ chmod +x pomodoro
Now, test the script to see if it works:
$ ./pomodoro
If the timer begins counting down, you're good to go. If not, then check the path to PHP
given in the file itself to make sure it matches the path to PHP on your own system.
Specifically, in your shell enter the command:
$ whereis php
This will display the path to PHP on your system. Then open the 'pomodoro' file in a text
editor and change the filepath following the characters '#!' on the first line of the file
to match the path given by the 'whereis' command.
Optionally, you may wish to add the directory containing the 'pomodoro' script to your
PATH, which will allow you to start the timer by typing 'pomodoro' into your shell from
any directory, rather than having to first browse to the directory containing the file,
then typing './pomodoro' with a leading './'.
USAGE
Be aware of a few command line options that are available. For example, you can manually
set the length of the "long break" that follows the four work intervals. It's also
possible to tell the script to start at a work interval other than the first. This is
useful if you have to step away for longer than intended during one of the short breaks
and want to resume the timer at the next interval, or if you want to use the timer, but
don't have time for a full session of four work periods.
Like most any command line program, you can also pause the script (and hence the
countdown) by typing Control-Z, and resume it by entering the command 'fg' into the
terminal.
Here is the full usage information from the 'help' screen, which you can display with the
command 'pomodoro -h':
Usage: pomodoro [OPTION]...
`pomodoro' is a simple command line implementation of a pomodoro timer.
More information on the `Pomodoro Technique' developed by Francesco Cirillo can be
found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
Examples:
pomodoro -l=45 # Run the pomodoro timer with a long break of 45 minutes.
pomodoro -p=2 # Start the pomodoro timer at the second 25-minute interval.
pomodoro -p=3 -l=15 # Start the pomodoro timer at the third 25-minute interval
and make the long break 15 minutes.
Basic usage:
-h, --help Display help and usage information
-l, --length=NUMBER Set the length of the long break (default is 30 minutes).
-p, --pomodoro=NUMBER Specify pomodoro interval at which to start (default is 1).
--usage Alias of the `--help' option
-v, --version Display version and license information
Each time a work or break countdown ends, the timer will ring the terminal bell, emitting
a brief sound or visual cue depending on your terminal application's settings. Enjoy!
LICENSE
Pomodoro 1.0
Copyright (C) 2014 Josh Braun.
Pomodoro comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You may redistribute copies of Pomodoro
under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
