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

global.context.unsafe_mode = true

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"

… and this can take a screen cap for you:

gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell.Screenshot --object-path /org/gnome/Shell/Screenshot --method org.gnome.Shell.Screenshot.Screenshot false false /tmp/screencap.png
  • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
    2·
    2 days 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·
      2 days 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·
          2 days 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·
            2 days 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.