XWRITS(1) Version 2.6.1 (28 May 1998) XWRITS(1)
NAME
xwrits - reminds you to take wrist breaks
SYNOPSIS
xwrits [-display display] [typetime=time] [breaktime=time]
[other options]
DESCRIPTION
Xwrits reminds you to take wrist breaks for prevention or
management of repetitive stress injuries. When you should
take a break, it pops up an X window, the warning window.
You click on the warning window, then take a break. The
window changes appearance while you take the break. It
changes again when your break is over. Then you click on the
window and resume typing. Xwrits hides itself until you
should take another break.
Xwrits's graphics are brightly colored pictures of a wrist
and hand. The hand clenches and spreads ``as if in pain'' on
the warning window, slumps relaxed during the break, and
points forward valiantly when the break is over. It is
trapped behind bars while the keyboard is locked. Other
gestures are included: see +finger below.
Xwrits normally works on the honor system: you can type
while you should be taking a break. However, an option makes
it actively prevent you from typing by locking the screen.
See +lock below.
A simple timing method is used to determine when you should
next take a break, sort of like an alarm clock. The typetime
option changes the amount of time between breaks. Default is
55 minutes. Xwrits does notice when you leave your
workstation idle, however (see +idle below).
ESCALATION
It is easy to put the warning window aside ``for 5 minutes''
and ignore it for fifty. Xwrits can escalate its activity
over time, making it harder to ignore.
This is done with the after delay-time option. All options
following after only apply after you have ignored the
warning window for delay-time. In other words, xwrits's
behavior escalates after delay-time. For instance, with this
command line,
xwrits flashtime=:2 after 10 flashtime=.03
the warning window will begin flashing very quickly if it is
ignored for 10 minutes.
Any options specified preceding an after option also apply
following it. You may explicitly cancel such options,
however. For example:
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XWRITS(1) Version 2.6.1 (28 May 1998) XWRITS(1)xwrits +finger after 10 -finger
You may have more than one after option. This creates a
series of escalations.
OPTIONS
All options may be abbreviated to their unique prefixes.
Some may be abbreviated further, in which case the smallest
legal abbreviation is shown [in brackets]. Time arguments
are expressed in the form minutes:seconds.fraction, where
any of the parts may be left off. ``2'' is 2 minutes,
``:2'' is 2 seconds. Options are processed from left to
right.
Many options are listed as +option (-option). A + turns the
given behavior on; - turns it off. Only the on behavior is
described. Off is the default for each toggle option except
idle. You can leave off the + sign if you like: ``xwrits
+finger'' and ``xwrits finger'' are equivalent. Non-toggle
options may be specified with arguments after an equal sign
or with an argument following in the list. That is, ``xwrits
breaktime=2'' and ``xwrits -breaktime 2'' are equivalent.
-display display
Which display to run on.
typetime=time [t]
The amount of time between breaks. Default is 55
minutes.
breaktime=time [b]
The amount of time a break lasts. Default is 5 minutes.
after[=delay-time]
See above. The default for delay-time is 15 minutes.
+beep (-beep)
Xwrits will beep when the break should begin and again
when it is over.
+breakclock (-breakclock) [bc]
A clock will appear in the resting window showing how
many minutes remain in the wrist break.
+clock (-clock)
A clock will appear in the warning window showing how
many minutes you've put off the wrist break.
+finger (-finger) [f]
The warning window will be rude to you.
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XWRITS(1) Version 2.6.1 (28 May 1998) XWRITS(1)
flashtime=time
The amount of time between flashes of the warning
window. Default is 2 seconds.
+flipoff (-flipoff)
Synonym for +finger.
+iconified (-iconified)
The warning window will initially appear as an icon.
+idle[=check-time] (-idle) [i]
When idle is on, xwrits will monitor your typing and
adjust its actions accordingly. For instance, no
warning window will appear if you leave your
workstation unattended. Also, if you stop typing while
a warning window is active, but forget to click the
warning window, xwrits will automatically start your
wrist break after waiting for a while. You can set this
waiting time with the optional check-time argument; by
default, it's a third of the break's length. idle is on
by default.
+lock[=jump-time] (-lock)
Xwrits will lock your screen until your break is over.
You can prematurely disable the lock and get a normal
warning window by typing your password (see password
below). The jump-time argument specifies how fast the
screensaver will move; default is 4 seconds. If the
keyboard has been grabbed by another application when
the lock is attempted, the lock will fail and a normal
warning window will appear instead.
maxhands=num
No more than num warning windows will appear on your
screen simultaneously. Normally, there will be only one
warning window, but see +multiply below. Num cannot be
less than 1, or more than 137. Default is 25.
mono (-mono)
Xwrits will display its graphics in black and white.
This may be useful if you live in a world with a
limited colormap.
+multiply[=breed-time] (-multiply) [m]
A new warning window will be created every breed-time.
Default for breed-time is 2.3 seconds.
+noiconify (-noiconify)
The warning window will not allow itself to be
iconified.
password=password
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XWRITS(1) Version 2.6.1 (28 May 1998) XWRITS(1)
The password you type to unlock a locked screen (see
+lock above). Xwrits does not protect this password
from intruders. Therefore, do not use your login
password or any other password you must keep secure.
Default is ``quit''.
+top[=top-time] (-top)
The warning window will raise itself to the top of the
window stack every top-time. Default for top-time is 2
seconds.
version
Prints the version number and some quickie warranty
information and exits.
EXAMPLES
Here is the way I run xwrits:
xwrits typetime=40 finger after 15 clock multiply=5:1.4
This looks pretty spectacular:
xwrits t=0 b=:2 f fla=.5 m=.3 max=100 -i
Whee!!
AUTHOR
Eddie Kohler, eddietwo@lcs.mit.edu
http://www.pdos.lcs.mit.edu/~eddietwo/
http://www.lcdf.org/~eddietwo/xwrits/
The xwrits home page (for distributions and so forth).
Idea for idle processing code from xautolock(1) by Stefan De
Troch and Michel Eyckmans
BUGS
Xwrits does not use the X resource database at all.
More options might be nice. So might more careful screen
locking and password protection and user-specifiable
pictures. I would like to include rude finger gestures from
other cultures, but I'm not sure how to render them.
Please send any bugs, comments, or suggestions to me.
Yes the misspelling is intentional.
Yes it's my left wrist.
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