Taking frequent computer breaks can save you from a debilitating repetitive strain injury (RSI). However, if you’re like most people, you probably get caught up in your work and forget to take breaks as often as you should. The Workrave desktop applet can keep you on track.
Workrave is mature software, licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and installable using the default package repositories of most GNU/Linux distributions. You can also download a binary executable for Microsoft Windows or the source code from the Workrave Web site.
If you install Workrave using a package manager, you can probably start it from either the Applications or Add Applet desktop menus. Otherwise, start Workrave from a command line or application launcher prompt by running the workrave command. Workrave starts as a desktop applet in your desktop environment’s panel; if you don’t have a desktop environment or a panel, Workrave can start as a small independent window.