Terminal multiple countdown timer app for Bash / Zsh

Question

I'm looking for an app to organize my daily tasks in different countdown timers similar to the one found at www.timeanddate.com/timer/

Features I'm looking for would be:

• runs in terminal bash or zsh
• multiple independent countdown timers
• plays a sound or notification display once a timer runs out

Please note that timetracking is not an important feature, just the countdown is enough.

Thank you.

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Solution 1

You can combine tmux or screen with termdown.

Termdown is an ncurses timer.

http://www.slashgeek.net/2016/10/25/termdown-cli-countdown-timer-stopwatch/ shows how termdown works.

tmux and screen allow you to run multiple countdowns at once.

I'd make scripts like

~/.bin/pomodoro:
#!/bin/sh
termdown 25:00 && mplayer /path/to/sound.mp3

~/.bin/5minbreak:
#!/bin/sh
termdown 05:00 && mplayer /path/to/break.mp3

And, I'll execute pomodoro in a tmux or screen window. That way, I can create multiple countdowns.

Do you want notifications? You can combine notification commands with termdown, too.

I'd set up multiple tmux windows for specific timers in advance.

Solution 2

From terminal use the "at" command to set your timer, "at" is very flexible for it can be used with both absolute and relative time (for more info: man at):

at now + 1 minute <<<'notify-send ALARM'

"notify-send" will place a notification on your desktop
(feel free to replace it with i.e. "aplay" to make a sound instead of a notification).

Solution 3

There is a bash script here in Ask Ubuntu called multi-timer

multi-timer Progress bar display

Features

• Retains configuration between uses.
• Up to 19 timers run sequentially in a set.
• Progress bar for each timer.
• Set of timers can be run multiple times.
• Progress bar for set.
• Progress bar for all sets.
• Optional prompt to start each timer and/or set.
• Optional pop-up message when each timer and/or set ends.
• Optional alarm when each timer and/or set ends.
• Optional lock screen when each timer OR set OR all sets end.
• Optional interface to Sysmonitor Indicator so Systray shows countdowns.
• Optional close progress bar display when all sets of timers end.

Visit the link above for screenshots and bash code.

Comments

[somethis]

Great answer, I like the simplicity. Is there any way to display the time left (like a countdown), too?

[thom]

no, not with "at". if you would like to have a shell-window constantly open to be able to check the countdown time, you're probably better of with a while loop and the sleep command.

[wjandrea]

This doesn't need to be a function, so it should be a script. But if you do want to leave it as a function, you should run it in a subshell to prevent affecting the variables in the interactive shell.

[Dreamcat4]

Hey there @crocket. Have just found termdown today. If you look at my answer I have now updated it to include the running termdown for that functionality. Just a bit more creature comforts for a more pleasant user experience.

[Paul Rougieux]

A superuser question superuser.com/questions/611538/… gives a basic loop N=100; while [[ $((--N)) > 0 ]]; do echo $N && sleep 1 ; done many more elaborate answers under that question.

[somethis]

Thank you, just discovered your answer and love the solution!

[somethis]

Can anyone confirm this solution?

[WinEunuuchs2Unix]

@somethis I wrote the script. It's been working every Wednesday night for two years. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

[somethis]

Nice, thank you! Runs perfectly and I marked it as a solution to the question. Very nice script, carefully crafted.