ManicTime for Linux records computer usage, applications, window titles, and supported browser URLs and documents. View the recorded timelines and tag time in connected Cloud or Server. The Linux app has a tray icon and an Away window for tagging away time, but no local Day view. On Wayland, available tracking depends on the desktop environment; see ManicTime on Wayland.
Browser URLs
To include visited URLs in the Documents timeline, install and enable the matching ManicTime browser extension. For Chrome and supported Chromium-based browsers, use the ManicTime URL Tracker for Chrome. The Chrome extension also works in Chromium, Brave, and Microsoft Edge, including their Flatpak versions. The Firefox extension also supports Zen, Waterfox, LibreWolf, and Floorp. If ManicTime records the browser application but not its URLs, check that the extension is active.
Files and Git context
Many GTK applications add each file that they open to a list of recent files. Examples are GNOME Text Editor, gedit, Mousepad, LibreOffice, and GIMP. ManicTime reads these lists, also for Flatpak applications. ManicTime compares the window title with the recent files of the same application. When the title contains one of these file names, ManicTime records that file with its full path. KDE applications do not write these lists.
When a document tracker supplies a full file path, ManicTime can detect its Git repository and branch. This information is sent with the tracked document and can be viewed in Cloud or Server. A document without a full local path will not have Git context.
Workspaces
ManicTime records the name of the workspace of the active window as the virtual desktop. ManicTime records only names that you set. Default names such as 1, Workspace 2 or Desktop 3 are not recorded.
ManicTime records workspace names on:
- X11 desktops, for example Xfce, MATE, Cinnamon, i3, and KDE or GNOME on X11
- KDE on Wayland. If you use more than one KDE activity, ManicTime records
<activity> / <desktop>, or only the activity name when the desktop has a default name. - Hyprland and Sway
On GNOME Wayland and COSMIC, ManicTime does not record workspace names.
Tagging away time
ManicTime marks time as Away after a period without keyboard or mouse input. To change the Away settings, open the tray menu and choose Preferences:
- Time is marked as Away after N minutes of inactivity: set the period, from 1 to 120 minutes.
- Show Away window after inactivity: when this option is on, the Away window opens when you come back. Use it to tag the time that you were away. If you turned off the Away window, select this option to show it again.
Preferences also has Check for updates. An option is disabled when your Cloud or Server client settings control it.
An application that prevents sleep, for example a browser that plays a video or a video call, keeps you Active. This is controlled by the Don't go away if any application is preventing sleep setting. The setting is on by default. An administrator can change it in Client settings on Cloud or Server.
ManicTime records a screen lock in the Computer usage timeline. It detects the screen lock on GNOME, KDE, COSMIC, Xfce, and Hyprland 0.41 and later.
Screenshots
If an administrator manages your client through Cloud or Server, the screenshot format can be set to JPEG, PNG, or WebP in Client settings. The selected format applies to newly captured screenshots. For capture requirements on Wayland, see Screenshot tracking.