Pomodoro Timers

Overview

If you use the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break), you have two good options on Linux Mint Cinnamon:

1. The native option: the Cinnamon Pomodoro applet, which lives in your panel.
2. The standalone option: Solanum, a minimal timer in its own window.

A note for Mint users: You will see “GNOME Pomodoro” recommended often online. It works, but it pulls in GNOME-specific dependencies that do not integrate as cleanly with Cinnamon. The two options below fit Mint better.

---

1. The Cinnamon “Pomodoro Timer” Applet

On Cinnamon, the most lightweight way to run a Pomodoro timer is a panel applet rather than a separate application. It sits next to your clock, tracks your sessions, and pops up a native notification when it is time for a break.

How to Install the Applet

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click on Applets.
3. Click the Download tab at the top (click “Yes” to update your cache if prompted).
4. Search for Pomodoro Timer and click the download arrow next to it.
5. Go back to the Manage tab, find “Pomodoro Timer” in the list, and click the (+) button at the bottom to add it to your panel.

Once added, you can right-click the tomato icon in your panel and select “Configure” to change work durations, short breaks, long breaks, and even trigger custom shell scripts when a session ends.

---

2. Solanum (Standalone App)

If you prefer a dedicated timer window rather than a panel applet, Solanum is a minimal, distraction-free option.

How to Install Solanum

Install it via Flatpak:

flatpak install flathub org.gnome.Solanum

Once installed, you can find Solanum in your standard application menu. It features a clean ring timer that visually represents your progress through work and break cycles.