I’m self employed. I need to record how much time I spend on whatever task for whatever client.

Sounds simple, but I’m terrible at it. I always get to the end of the day without having recorded anything and not knowing what I’ve actually done.

Basically, I’d like to create a text log of the active window title, and take a screen cap.

I’d like to do this periodically as in every 15 minutes or so.

For the text log I just haven’t been able to achieve this at all.

For the screen caps I can use flameshot to take a screenshot from the CLI, but it makes a sound and shows an animation which is sub-optimal.

Any suggestions of where to look much appreciated.

Edit: I’m not asking for a time tracking app. I want something to log the active window title and take a screen cap so I can figure out what I was doing and write it in my time tracking app.

Edit: I’m narrowing in on a solution.

Firstly, a lot of previously available solutions don’t work because of recently implemented security features in gnome.

You need to enter unsafe mode by entering this:

global.context.unsafe_mode = true

in the looking glass tool which you can access by running lg in the alt + f2 dialog

thereafter, this can grab the active window title for you:

gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "global.display.focus_window.title"
  • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    Maybe ask chatgpt whether xdotool is compatible with wayland.

    I get that you’re trying to help but, this is not the way.

      • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        This might shock you but… I have actually spent some time looking into this.

        The tools you’ve suggested aren’t compatible with Wayland. It seems that alternatives don’t really exist, or cause the problems I mentioned in my post.

        Additionally, I have a few decades experience with Linux and while I’m not some amazing Linux guru I do know what a bash script is and how to “link two programs together”.

        Finally, like everyone on the planet I also know what chatgpt is and might even consider using it to create a bash script if I knew what tools were compatible with Wayland.

        • BCsven@lemmy.ca
          11·
          1 day ago

          No worries, the post made it sound like you had not tries searching. So I assumed your were a new person that had put in no effort yet. My mistake

            • BCsven@lemmy.ca
              11·
              22 hours ago

              Lol, this is why the Linux community gets a bad rap. Somebody tries to be helpful and the community gets hostile. Hope you have a good rest of your week dude.

              • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
                21·
                18 hours ago

                It’s funny you say that. I was thinking exactly the same thing about your comments.

                I’ve asked for help, you posted a chatgpt response, and now you’ve claimed eleventy times that I seem like I don’t know where to start or don’t seem like the type to search things.

                “OP should’ve googled it first” is one of the hallmarks of toxic communities.