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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

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Wayland - How Best to Log My Own Desktop Activities (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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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"

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[–] eshep@social.trom.tf 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

@null_dot
Haven't ever done this in wayland, but in X, I always used to xdotool to grab the title of the active window. I'd guess you could do the same using one of the wayland alternatives like ydotool, wlrctl, dotool, or whatever else is out there. And something like grim to grab an image of the window.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

Thanks for these suggestions.

I think xdotool kinda does "gnome magic" including simulating key presses to gnome.

It looks like ydotool and dotool only simulate key presses to gnome, which can't achieve my aims.

I couldn't figure out how to install wlrctl, but other attempts with other avenues have led me to believe that anything that starts with wlr is wlroots and gnome doesn't implement those endpoints of the wayland api.

grim also doesn't work with debian / gnome / mutter / wayland it appears.