Four Pomodoro tools tested
Catch Up

The simple Pomodoro technique seeks to improve time management skills and make inroads into Agile programming. We look at four tools that can help your concentration.
Whether you're at work, in the library, or in your home office – distractions are numerous, and many users have difficulty concentrating on completing their tasks. This problem is aggravated by the fact that complex projects can overwhelm people, leaving them stumped. Projects such as "I'm going to write my thesis" or "I'll debug my compiler this evening" quickly collapse in the face of procrastination. Enter the Pomodoro technique [1], which has helped people focus since the 1980s.
To begin, the user needs to consider exactly what the problem is, then divide it into smaller chunks. The idea is to be able to process each step in a maximum of 25 minutes. The inventor of the technology, Francesco Cirillo, emphasizes that no special tools are necessary for this. Besides pen and paper, he only used one tomato-shaped egg timer, which explains the name of the technique (pomodoro = tomato). Once the timer starts, the user needs to block out any distractions for 25 minutes. Once the task has been completed, you can cross it off the list. Each Pomodoro phase is followed by a short five-minute break, during which users can recharge their creative energies. After four Pomodori (i.e., every two hours), you earn an extended break (15 minutes).
One important aspect is that users learn to protect themselves against external distractions. If they wander off or the phone rings, they make a note of these interruptions and record them for later processing. Another successful part of the learning process is that users become increasingly adept at assessing the time required for a subtask. Anyone facing a mountain of work will benefit from defining achievable milestones. This approach is also used in Scrum [2] and Agile programming [3]; thus, it is not surprising that Pomodoro tools for the desktop or smartphone seek to replace the simple kitchen timer – even if the ticking of the clock helps your concentration, according to the inventor.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.