I was tracking billable hours using Google Forms (yes, really). Every time I switched tasks, I had to manually fill out the project name, start time, end time, and description. After forgetting to log hours several times and losing money, I decided there had to be a better way.
tmpo is a CLI time tracker that gets out of your way:
- Automatically detects project names from git repos or .tmporc config files - All data stored locally in SQLite (no cloud, no login) - Simple commands: tmpo start, tmpo stop, tmpo stats - Export to CSV/JSON for invoicing - Cross-platform (macOS, Linux, Windows)
Built with Go for speed and easy cross-compilation. The entire project consists of ~5k lines of code.
Example workflow: cd ~/projects/client-website tmpo start "Fixing authentication bug" # ... work happens ... tmpo stop tmpo stats --today
It detects "client-website" from the git repo and logs everything locally.
The thing I'm most proud of: zero configuration required. It just works. But if you need per-project hourly rates for billing, you can add a .tmporc file.
GitHub: <https://github.com/DylanDevelops/tmpo>
I'm working on getting it on Homebrew, but you can also install it via pre-built binaries or build it from source.
Would love feedback on: 1. What features would make this actually useful for you? 2. Is the auto-detection too "magical" or is it helpful? 3. Any concerns about the approach?
Thanks for reading!
runtimepanic•1mo ago
dylandevelops•1mo ago
I'm thrilled that the Unix-y approach resonates with you, as that is exactly what I am aiming for!
And yes, you have hit the main tradeoff that I have and am currently struggling with. The auto-detection works great for "I'm in X project, working on X," but it doesn't work well for the exact cases you mentioned.
Right now, this is how I handle these types of scenarios:
1. Context switches in the same repo: I use the description field to differentiate: `tmpo start "Refactoring auth module"` `tmpo start "Fixing CSS bugs"`
2. "Non-directory work" (meetings, research, etc): I use `tmpo manual` to create entries after the fact. `tmpo manual` (opens interactive prompt for project/time/description) To be honest, I am still working on solving this problem. I optimized for what I think is most "solo dev working in project directories" because that is my workflow; however, I'd love to get more feedback and contributors to help make it work for others!A feature I am also working on currently is a category/phase system that can significantly improve tagging time entries.
What is your current workflow? Do you switch contexts within the same repo often, or is the non-directory work the bigger pain point?