CORE COOLDOWN

A portable break timer for Windows that reminds you to rest.
Because your time and your body belong to you - not to your screen.

Download latest release

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💡 Why does this exist?

Repetitive strain injury and eye strain are not personal failings. They are the predictable result of systems that treat human attention as an extractable resource. Every person at a screen deserves a tool that gently interrupts the grind - one that serves them, not a subscription model, not an analytics dashboard, not a corporate wellness KPI.

Core Cooldown is a single portable .exe. No installer, no account, no telemetry, no data leaving your machine. Drop it in a folder and run it. It reminds you to rest. That's it.

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🧭 Philosophy

Core Cooldown exists because rest is not a luxury. It is a fundamental need that no productivity framework, no employer, and no software platform should gatekeep behind a paywall or a subscription.

This application:

• Collects nothing. No analytics, no telemetry, no usage tracking, no crash reports phoned home. Your break habits are your own business.
• Costs nothing. Not "free tier with limitations." Not "free for personal use." Free, unconditionally, for everyone.
• Requires nothing. No account, no email, no app store, no internet connection after download. It runs on your machine and answers to you alone.
• Owns nothing. Released under CC0 - the most complete relinquishment of rights possible under law. There is no owner. There are no restrictions. The code belongs to the commons.

Tools for human wellbeing should never be enclosed, never be scarce, and never serve a master other than the person using them.

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📸 Screenshots

_{Dashboard - Focus timer with countdown ring, status pill, pomodoro dots, and quick controls}

_{Statistics - Daily summary, compliance rate, streaks, and 7-day history chart}

_{Settings - 18 grouped configuration cards with live preview}

_{Break Screen - Always-on-top break overlay with breathing guide and activity suggestions}

_{Mini Mode - Compact floating timer, click-through until hovered}

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✨ Features

⏱️ Timer & Breaks

	Feature	Description
🔄	Configurable intervals	Work sessions from 5-120 min, breaks from 1-60 min
🔔	Pre-break warnings	Toast notification + optional sound alert before each break
🛡️	Break enforcement	Always-on-top break window with optional fullscreen mode
🖥️	Multi-monitor	Fullscreen break overlay spans all connected monitors
🔒	Strict mode	Removes skip and cancel buttons entirely
⏩	Early end	Optionally allow ending a break after 50% completion
😴	Snooze	Delay breaks by a configurable duration (with limits)
⚡	Immediate breaks	Skip pre-break notification, go straight into break
🎯	Manual break	Start a break anytime from the dashboard or tray menu

🍅 Pomodoro Mode

A full Pomodoro timer built in. Alternates short breaks with a longer recovery break after a configurable number of focus sessions.

• Short breaks before long - 1-10 short breaks then one long break (default: 3 + 1)
• Long break duration - independently configurable (5-60 min, default: 15 min)
• Custom titles and messages - personalize the long break screen
• Cycle indicator - dashboard shows dot progress through the current cycle
• Reset on skip - optionally restart the cycle when skipping a break

👁️ Microbreaks (20-20-20 Rule)

Quick eye rest reminders between full breaks. The 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

• Independent timer - runs alongside the main break timer
• Configurable frequency - 5-60 minutes (default: 20)
• Configurable duration - 10-60 seconds (default: 20)
• Subtle overlay - non-blocking overlay with activity suggestion
• Sound notification - optional audio cue
• Pauses during breaks - no microbreak interruptions during main breaks

🌬️ Breathing Guide

A visual breathing exercise during breaks. The breathing text pulses with the rhythm - scaling up on inhale, holding on hold, scaling down on exhale - with a color gradient that interpolates between your accent and break colors.

Pattern	Timing
Box	4s in · 4s hold · 4s out · 4s hold
Relaxing	4s in · 7s hold · 8s out
Energizing	6s in · 2s hold · 6s out · 2s hold
Calm	4s in · 4s hold · 6s out
Deep	5s in · 5s out

💤 Idle Detection & Smart Breaks

	Feature	Description
💤	Idle auto-pause	Detects inactivity via Windows API and pauses the timer
▶️	Auto-resume	Timer resumes automatically when you return
🌿	Smart breaks	Recognizes natural breaks (stepping away) and optionally counts them toward your daily goal
⚙️	Configurable thresholds	Idle timeout (30-600s) and smart break threshold (2-15 min) are independently adjustable

🎬 Presentation Mode

Detects fullscreen applications (presentations, video calls, games) and defers breaks until you exit.

• Auto-detection - monitors for fullscreen windows
• Microbreak deferral - optionally defer microbreaks too
• Toast notification - alerts you when a break is deferred
• Queued breaks - deferred breaks trigger when the fullscreen app closes

🤸 Break Activities

Each break shows a randomized suggestion from a curated library of 71 activities across four categories:

Category	Examples
👁️ Eyes	Palming, distance focusing, figure-eights, warm compress visualization, peripheral awareness
🤸 Stretch	Neck rolls, wrist flexion, shoulder blade squeezes, chest openers, spinal twists, hip flexors
🌬️ Breathing	Box breathing, 4-7-8 technique, alternate nostril, diaphragmatic, resonance breathing
🏃 Movement	Calf raises, wall push-ups, balance exercises, gentle squats, toe touches, desk yoga

Activities cycle every 30 seconds and never repeat consecutively.

Activity Manager - customize your break experience from settings:

• Custom activities - add your own with category assignment
• Favorites - star activities to increase their appearance frequency (3x weight)
• Enable/disable - toggle any built-in or custom activity
• Momentum scroll - iOS-style drag scrolling with elastic overscroll in the activity list

🏆 Goals & Streaks

	Feature	Description
🎯	Daily goal	Set a target number of breaks per day (1-30, shown on dashboard)
🎉	Celebrations	Confetti animation on milestones and goal completion
🔥	Streak tracking	Current and best consecutive-day streaks
🔔	Streak notifications	Toast notification on streak milestones

🌑 Screen Dimming

A gentle pre-break nudge that gradually dims your screen before the break starts.

• Configurable timing - start dimming 3-60 seconds before break
• Adjustable intensity - maximum opacity from 10% to 70%
• Smooth transition - gradual linear fade, not a sudden jump

📅 Working Hours Schedule

A per-day schedule with multiple time ranges per day. The timer only runs during your configured hours - outside those hours, it pauses automatically.

• Monday through Sunday - each day independently togglable
• Multiple ranges per day - for split shifts or non-contiguous work blocks
• Weekend defaults - Saturday and Sunday disabled by default

📊 Statistics & History

	Metric	Description
✅	Today's summary	Breaks completed, skipped, snoozed, and total break time
🌿	Natural breaks	Separately tracked idle breaks (with optional stat inclusion)
📈	Compliance rate	Ratio of completed to total scheduled breaks
🔥	Streak tracking	Current and best consecutive-day streaks
📉	7-day chart	Canvas-rendered bar chart showing daily break history

All statistics stored locally in a plain JSON file next to the executable.

🔊 Sound Effects

Synthesized notification sounds via Web Audio API - no bundled audio files, no network requests.

8 presets: Bell · Chime · Soft · Digital · Harp · Bowl · Rain · Whistle

Sounds play on break start, pre-break warning, and break completion. Volume configurable 0-100%.

⌨️ Global Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + Shift + P	Pause / resume timer
Ctrl + Shift + B	Start break now
Ctrl + Shift + S	Show / hide main window

Works system-wide, even when Core Cooldown is not focused.

🔵 System Tray

• Dynamic icon - 32x32 progress arc rendered in real-time (orange = focus, purple = break, dimmed = paused)
• Countdown tooltip - hover over tray icon to see time remaining
• Context menu - pause/resume, start break, toggle mini mode, show/hide, quit

📌 Mini Mode

A compact floating timer (200x50px) that sits on top of your other windows.

• Click-through - completely transparent to mouse events, never blocks what's underneath
• Hover to grab - hover for a configurable number of seconds and it becomes draggable
• Double-click - opens the main window
• Togglable - enable/disable from the tray menu

🎨 Appearance & Customization

Setting	Range
UI zoom	50-200% with live preview
Accent color	Full color picker (SL pad + hue bar) for the main UI accent
Break color	Separate color for the break screen ring and breathing guide
Countdown font	Google Fonts selector for timer display
Background blobs	Animated gradient blobs with film grain overlay
Break title & message	Fully customizable text shown during breaks

🔔 Notifications

Native Windows toast notifications for:

• Pre-break warnings (configurable seconds before break)
• Break completion
• Streak milestones
• Daily goal achievement
• Break deferral (presentation mode)

🪟 Window Behavior

• Frameless window with custom titlebar and drag region
• Transparent background with frosted glass effects (backdrop-blur)
• Window position persistence - main and mini windows remember position between launches
• Animated view transitions - directional fly/scale/fade transitions (700ms, cubicOut easing)
• Momentum scroll - iOS-style drag scrolling with elastic overscroll in settings

♿ Accessibility

Core Cooldown targets WCAG 2.2 Level AAA conformance - the highest level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. A break timer for preventing repetitive strain injury should be usable by everyone, including those who already live with disabilities.

Why AAA? Most applications stop at AA. We went further because the people who benefit most from a break timer - those with repetitive strain injuries, chronic pain, or vision impairments - are the same people who need the strongest accessibility support. AAA isn't a checkbox. It's the right thing to do.

Contrast & Visual Design

	Feature	Standard	Description
🎨	Enhanced text contrast	AAA 7:1	All body text meets 7:1 contrast ratio against dark backgrounds. Secondary text #a8a8a8 on #000 = 7.28:1.
🔤	Large text contrast	AAA 4.5:1	Headings and large text (18px+) meet 4.5:1 minimum. Timer countdown, break titles validated.
🎯	Non-text contrast	AA 3:1	UI components (toggles, steppers, rings, chart bars, color swatches) all meet 3:1 against adjacent colors.
🖥️	Windows High Contrast	AAA	forced-colors: active maps all theme tokens to system colors. Full usability in all Windows contrast themes.
🐢	Reduced motion	AAA	prefers-reduced-motion disables all CSS animations, JS Web Animations API effects, and momentum scroll. Zero functionality loss.

Keyboard & Navigation

	Feature	Standard	Description
⌨️	Full keyboard access	AAA 2.1.3	Every control operable via keyboard alone - no exceptions. Arrow keys for color pickers, steppers, radio groups. Tab/Shift+Tab cycles all interactive elements.
🔍	Visible focus indicators	AAA 2.4.13	2px solid white outline with dark shadow fallback on every interactive element. No hidden or suppressed focus rings.
⏭️	Skip navigation	AA 2.4.1	Skip-to-content link bypasses the titlebar on Tab.
🏠	Focus management	AA 2.4.3	View transitions auto-focus the new view's heading. Break screen traps focus. Dropdown focus returns to trigger on close.
🏷️	Heading structure	AAA 2.4.10	Semantic h1 > h2 hierarchy across all views. Settings sections use h2 with aria-labelledby.

Screen Readers & Assistive Technology

	Feature	Standard	Description
🗣️	Live regions	AA 4.1.3	aria-live announces timer state, breathing phase, break activities, status changes, and celebration events.
📊	Semantic roles	AA 4.1.2	progressbar on timer rings, switch on toggles, tablist/tab/tabpanel on stats view, radiogroup/radio on breathing patterns, alertdialog on overlays.
📋	Data tables	A 1.3.1	Screen-reader-only data tables behind the 7-day chart provide the same information non-visually.
🏷️	Accessible names	AA 4.1.2	Every toggle, stepper, button, swatch, and form control has a descriptive aria-label or visible label. Sound presets use aria-pressed.
📝	Page titles	AAA 2.4.2	Dynamic document.title updates per view ("Core Cooldown - Dashboard", "- Settings", etc.).

Target Sizes & Interaction

	Feature	Standard	Description
👆	44px touch targets	AAA 2.5.8	All interactive elements (buttons, toggles, steppers, color swatches, titlebar controls) have minimum 44x44px hit areas. Visual size may be smaller - the clickable area extends invisibly.
🎯	Celebration persistence	-	Milestone/goal popups stay visible on hover or focus, with keyboard-accessible dismiss buttons and Escape key support.
⏱️	Hold-to-repeat	-	Stepper +/- buttons support press-and-hold for continuous increment, with keyboard Enter/Space triggering the same behavior.

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📦 Portability

Core Cooldown is fully portable. The executable carries everything it needs and stores everything it creates right next to itself:

anywhere-you-want/
├── core-cooldown.exe     <- the application
├── config.json           <- your settings (auto-created on first run)
├── stats.json            <- your break history (auto-created on first run)
└── data/                 <- WebView2 runtime data (auto-created on first run)

• No installer
• No registry entries
• No writes to %APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA%, or any system directory
• Move the folder anywhere - USB stick, shared drive, different machine
• Nothing to uninstall - delete the folder and it's gone, zero traces

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🚀 Installation

1.  Download core-cooldown.exe from the Releases page
2.  Put it in any folder you like
3.  Run it

That's it. No elevated permissions. No runtime dependencies. The first launch may take a moment while Windows initializes the WebView2 runtime.

Download latest release

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🔧 Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+) and npm
• Rust toolchain (rustup) with the x86_64-pc-windows-gnu target
• MinGW-w64 - the GNU toolchain for Windows (provides linker, windres, dlltool)

Setup

git clone https://git.lashman.live/lashman/core-cooldown.git
cd core-cooldown
npm install

Linker Configuration

Create or edit src-tauri/.cargo/config.toml to point to your MinGW installation:

[build]
target = "x86_64-pc-windows-gnu"

[target.x86_64-pc-windows-gnu]
linker = "C:/path/to/mingw64/bin/gcc.exe"
ar = "C:/path/to/mingw64/bin/ar.exe"

Development

# Launch with hot-reload
npm run tauri dev

# Rust check (no full build)
cd src-tauri && cargo check

# Frontend only (no Tauri shell)
npm run dev

Release Build

npm run tauri build

Output: src-tauri/target/x86_64-pc-windows-gnu/release/core-cooldown.exe

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🏗️ Architecture

A split-architecture desktop app: Rust backend for system integration and timer logic, Svelte frontend rendered in a native WebView.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        System Tray                           │
│              (dynamic icon · tooltip · menu)                 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│   ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐      │
│   │ Main Window │    │ Break Window│    │ Mini Window │      │
│   │  (WebView)  │    │  (WebView)  │    │  (WebView)  │      │
│   └──────┬──────┘    └──────┬──────┘    └──────┬──────┘      │
│          │                  │                  │             │
│          └─────────┬────────┴──────────────────┘             │
│                    │  Tauri IPC                              │
│          ┌─────────┴─────────┐                               │
│          │   Rust Backend    │                               │
│          │                   │                               │
│          │  TimerManager     │  state machine (1 tick/sec)   │
│          │  Config           │  JSON persistence (portable)  │
│          │  Stats            │  break history tracking       │
│          │  IdleDetector     │  GetLastInputInfo polling     │
│          │  GlobalShortcuts  │  Ctrl+Shift+P/B/S             │
│          │  TrayIcon         │  RGBA ring rendering          │
│          │  Notifications    │  Windows toast                │
│          └───────────────────┘                               │
│                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Backend modules (Rust)

Module	Responsibility
lib.rs	Tauri app builder, command registration, tray setup, timer tick thread, window management, global shortcuts, screen dim events, microbreak events, presentation mode detection
config.rs	Config struct (75 fields) with serde serialization, validation (clamping all values to safe ranges), portable file I/O
timer.rs	Timer state machine (Running / Paused / BreakActive), idle detection via Windows API, working hours enforcement, pomodoro cycle tracking, microbreak scheduling, presentation mode deferral
stats.rs	Daily break statistics, streak calculation, daily goal tracking, history queries, weekly summaries
main.rs	Entry point, WebView2 Runtime detection
msvc_compat.rs	MSVC CRT compatibility stubs for static WebView2Loader linking on MinGW

Frontend layers (Svelte 5 + TypeScript)

Layer	Files
Views	Dashboard, BreakScreen, Settings, StatsView
Windows	BreakWindow (standalone break modal), MiniTimer (floating mini mode)
Overlays	BreakOverlay (break enforcement), MicrobreakOverlay (eye break), DimOverlay (screen dimming), Celebration (confetti)
Components	TimerRing, Titlebar, ToggleSwitch, Stepper, ColorPicker, FontSelector, TimeSpinner, BackgroundBlobs, BreathingGuide, ActivityManager
Stores	timer.ts (reactive timer state from IPC events), config.ts (config with debounced auto-save)
Utilities	sounds.ts (Web Audio synthesis), activities.ts (71 break activities), animate.ts (motion library: fadeIn, scaleIn, inView, pressable, glowHover, dragScroll)

IPC contract

Commands (frontend -> backend): get_config · save_config · update_pending_config · reset_config · toggle_timer · start_break_now · cancel_break · snooze · get_timer_state · set_view · get_stats · get_daily_history · get_weekly_summary · set_auto_start · get_auto_start_status · get_cursor_position · save_window_position

Events (backend -> frontend): timer-tick · break-started · break-ended · prebreak-warning · config-changed · natural-break-detected · screen-dim-update · microbreak-started · microbreak-ended · milestone-reached · daily-goal-met · break-deferred

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⚙️ Configuration Reference

All settings stored in config.json next to the executable. The settings panel exposes every option with live validation, but the file is plain JSON and can be edited by hand.

Full configuration schema (71 keys)

Timer

Key	Type	Default	Description
break_duration	u32	5	Duration of each break (1-60 min)
break_frequency	u32	25	Interval between breaks (5-120 min)
auto_start	bool	true	Start timer on launch

Pomodoro

Key	Type	Default	Description
pomodoro_enabled	bool	false	Enable Pomodoro mode
pomodoro_short_breaks	u32	3	Short breaks before long (1-10)
pomodoro_long_break_duration	u32	15	Long break duration (5-60 min)
pomodoro_long_break_title	string	"Long break"	Long break title
pomodoro_long_break_message	string	"Great work!..."	Long break message
pomodoro_reset_on_skip	bool	false	Reset cycle when skipping

Microbreaks

Key	Type	Default	Description
microbreak_enabled	bool	false	Enable 20-20-20 eye breaks
microbreak_frequency	u32	20	Microbreak interval (5-60 min)
microbreak_duration	u32	20	Microbreak duration (10-60 sec)
microbreak_sound_enabled	bool	true	Play sound on microbreak
microbreak_show_activity	bool	true	Show activity during microbreak
microbreak_pause_during_break	bool	true	No microbreaks during main breaks

Break Screen

Key	Type	Default	Description
break_title	string	"Rest your eyes"	Title shown on break screen
break_message	string	"Look away..."	Message shown during breaks
fullscreen_mode	bool	true	Use fullscreen break window
multi_monitor_break	bool	true	Show overlay on all monitors
show_break_activities	bool	true	Show activity suggestions

Activities

Key	Type	Default	Description
custom_activities	array	[]	User-created activities
disabled_builtin_activities	array	[]	Disabled built-in activities
favorite_builtin_activities	array	[]	Favorited built-in activities
favorite_weight	u32	3	How much more often favorites appear

Breathing Guide

Key	Type	Default	Description
breathing_guide_enabled	bool	true	Show breathing guide during breaks
breathing_pattern	string	"box"	Breathing pattern (box/relaxing/energizing/calm/deep)

Behavior

Key	Type	Default	Description
strict_mode	bool	false	Remove skip/cancel buttons
allow_end_early	bool	true	Allow ending break after 50%
immediately_start_breaks	bool	false	Skip pre-break notification
snooze_duration	u32	5	Snooze delay (1-30 min)
snooze_limit	u32	3	Max snoozes per cycle (0-5)

Alerts

Key	Type	Default	Description
notification_enabled	bool	true	Enable toast notifications
notification_before_break	u32	30	Pre-break warning (0-300 sec)
screen_dim_enabled	bool	false	Gradually dim screen before breaks
screen_dim_seconds	u32	10	Start dimming N seconds before break
screen_dim_max_opacity	f32	0.3	Maximum dim intensity (10-70%)

Sound

Key	Type	Default	Description
sound_enabled	bool	true	Play notification sounds
sound_volume	u32	70	Volume (0-100%)
sound_preset	string	"bell"	Sound preset

Idle & Smart Breaks

Key	Type	Default	Description
idle_detection_enabled	bool	true	Enable idle auto-pause
idle_timeout	u32	120	Idle threshold (30-600 sec)
smart_breaks_enabled	bool	true	Detect natural breaks
smart_break_threshold	u32	300	Natural break threshold (120-900 sec)
smart_break_count_stats	bool	false	Count natural breaks in stats

Presentation Mode

Key	Type	Default	Description
presentation_mode_enabled	bool	true	Defer breaks during fullscreen apps
presentation_mode_defer_microbreaks	bool	true	Also defer microbreaks
presentation_mode_notification	bool	true	Show toast when break deferred

Goals & Streaks

Key	Type	Default	Description
daily_goal_enabled	bool	true	Track daily break target
daily_goal_breaks	u32	8	Target breaks per day (1-30)
milestone_celebrations	bool	true	Confetti on milestones
streak_notifications	bool	true	Toast on streak milestones

Appearance

Key	Type	Default	Description
ui_zoom	u32	100	Interface zoom (50-200%)
accent_color	string	"#ff4d00"	Main accent color
break_color	string	"#7c6aef"	Break screen ring color
countdown_font	string	""	Google Font for countdown
background_blobs_enabled	bool	false	Animated background blobs

Working Hours

Key	Type	Default	Description
working_hours_enabled	bool	false	Restrict timer to schedule
working_hours_schedule	array	Mon-Fri 09-18	Per-day time ranges

Mini Mode

Key	Type	Default	Description
mini_click_through	bool	true	Mini mode click-through
mini_hover_threshold	f32	3.0	Hover delay before drag (1-10 sec)

General

Key	Type	Default	Description
auto_start_on_login	bool	false	Launch on Windows startup

Window Position (internal)

Key	Type	Default	Description
main_window_x	i32?	null	Main window X position
main_window_y	i32?	null	Main window Y position
main_window_width	u32?	null	Main window width
main_window_height	u32?	null	Main window height
mini_window_x	i32?	null	Mini window X position
mini_window_y	i32?	null	Mini window Y position

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📚 Dependencies

Rust crates

Crate	Purpose
tauri 2	Application shell, IPC, multi-window, system tray
tauri-plugin-shell 2	Shell integration
tauri-plugin-notification 2	Windows toast notifications
tauri-plugin-global-shortcut 2	System-wide keyboard shortcuts
serde / serde_json	Config and stats serialization
chrono	Date/time handling for schedules and statistics
anyhow	Error handling
winapi	Windows idle detection (GetLastInputInfo), WebView2 check dialog

JavaScript packages

Package	Purpose
@tauri-apps/api	Frontend IPC bindings
svelte 5	Reactive UI framework (runes: $state, $derived, $effect)
tailwindcss 4	Utility-first CSS
vite 6	Build tool and dev server
motion	Animation library
typescript 5	Type safety

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🤝 Contributing

This project belongs to no one and everyone. If you find it useful and want to make it better, you are welcome.

No contribution agreements to sign. No corporate CLAs. No licensing traps. Everything here is in the public domain. Your contributions will be too - freely given, freely shared, freely built upon by anyone who needs them.

Some ways to help:

• Report bugs or rough edges
• Suggest new break activities (especially with physiotherapy or ergonomics knowledge)
• Improve accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AAA foundation is in place - help us maintain it)
• Port idle detection to macOS/Linux
• Translate the interface
• Share it with someone who needs it

The best software is built through mutual aid - people helping people because it's the right thing to do, not because there's a profit motive attached.

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📜 License

CC0 1.0 Universal - Public Domain Dedication

To the extent possible under law, the author has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work. Published from the commons, for the commons.

Copy, modify, distribute, perform - even commercially - all without asking permission. No attribution required (though always appreciated).

See LICENSE for the full legal text.

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_{Built with care. Shared without conditions.
Rest well.}