Update 11/10/2009
This page is now purely for archive purposes, the SitQuietly Linux timer and a web based timer can now be found at http://sitquietly.quietwatercourse.co.uk/.
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SitQuietly is a simple meditation timer program for GNU/Linux and the Gnome desktop, written in Python.
It allows you to specify an introductory period for your meditation in seconds and a sitting period in minutes. The program will play a bell at the end of the intro period, then again at the end of your sitting. You can find the main window illustrated below.
Features
- Supports settling / earthing & centering period and main sitting.
- Pleasant bell sound at the conclusion of each period.
- Graphical display of time elapsed.
- Online help.
Requirements
- Gnome 2.16 or greater
- Gstreamer 0.10 or greater
- Python 2.4 or greater (including Glade)
- Yelp (for the online help)
If you have at least Ubuntu GNU/Linux 6.10, then you meet the above easily.
Installation
Sitquietly will hopefully soon be available in the Ubuntu universe repository, and you will be able to install it in the same manner as any other Ubuntu package. In the meantime…
The easy way
- Download the Ubuntu .deb below.
- Navigate to it in the Ubuntu file manager
- Double click the file, it will open in the package installer
- Click on the Install button
The hard way
- Download the Ubuntu .deb below.
- Open shell and navigate to the folder you downloaded the .deb to.
- Enter the command “sudo dpkg -i sitquietly_1.0-1_i386.deb” and enter your password.
- Sitquietly should appear in Applications -> Accessories
Downloads
For downloads, please go here.
Copyright and distribution
SitQuietly is Copyright 2007 Richard Barker and has been released under the GNU General Public License V2.0.
It is interesting to me that you programmed this in Python, as I have been interested in learning Python for some time now. I haven’t been very disciplined in making that happen. How long have you been using Python, and is it something you also do for your job?
Hi Mike,
My job is IT Support in a call centre, I used to be a network admin, and programming was part of it.
I’d toyed with Python before but never really bothered too much, when I had the idea for Sitquietly, it gave me the chance to learn it. Python really is a pleasure to use, and being used so strongly in Ubuntu made the choice even easier.
I think you really need a project in order to learn a programming language. I’ve learned more through the process of writing this app than I have from just playing with code fragments.
Now I want to get it submitted to Ubuntu Universe, which will be a whole new adventure!
Very useful tool, Thank you
Hey! I found this software a few months ago and I now use it every day! But I just recently upgraded to 64-bit and the package you posted won’t install. So I compiled a 64-bit package and uploaded it to my blog. You can get it at http://blog.sampleswizz.com/?p=25 . Thanks again for the great software!
Found this program while searching for meditation software for Linux. I can get pretty obsessive when it comes to editing those config files and every now and then I need to sit back and relax for a minute… and just breathe… lol. Thanks for putting this together for us. Coincidentally I’ve also been trying to learn python, working through countless tutorials, etc. Maybe I’ll mess with your program a little bit
I really want to thank you for this beautiful little program. Perfect!