One of the strengths of Linux is the vast number of small, niche utilities that are made available under an open source license.
One of the most basic utilities supplied with any operating system is a clock utility. The clock typically resides in the taskbar /menubar, showing the current system time. Nothing very exciting there.
In this article we pick the finest terminal-based clocks. Most of them offer a TUI, with the remaining few running from the command-line. They are all small, well-crafted, unobtrusive utilities that are released under an open source license.
Hopefully, there will be something of interest for anyone who wants more functionality offered by the standard clock featured in desktop environments. Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart.
Let’s explore the 15 clock utilities at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the tool in action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources. GUI-based clocks are covered in a separate roundup.
| Terminal-Based Clocks | |
|---|---|
| sigye | Much more sophisticated than the typical tray |
| Peaclock | Customizable clock, timer, and stopwatch for the terminal |
| ClockTemp | Inspired by tty-clock that displays the time, date, temperature and more |
| tty-clock | Terminal digital clock |
| talking-clock | Highly configurable talking clock |
| shalarm | Bash script that functions like an alarm clock |
| arttime | Stylish time manager with timers and visual flair |
| mongoclock | Humongous clock for the terminal |
| clock-tui | Clock app in terminal which supports local clock, timer and stopwatch |
| clock-rs | Customisable digital time display with themes, colours, and calendar |
| TetroTime | Clock, timer, and stopwatch that renders time using falling tetromino shapes |
| Tenki | Animated weather effects bring forecasts to life in your terminal |
| worldclock-tty | Track local times across the globe from one polished terminal view |
| stardial | Space-anime themed terminal clock |
| Clox | Geeky clock for terminal enthusiasts |
This article has been updated to reflect the changes outlined in our recent announcement.
 Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.