Catrace

Project Overview

Catrace is a desktop widget system. Plugins decide what a widget displays and how it interacts: a reminder card, a full-screen break alarm, or something else entirely. The cards you see are content inside widgets, not the system notification center. Its core is not about "reminders" but about the window itself: plugins can open, collapse, move, and dress up a widget at any time.

Key Features

• Sedentary reminder: After a full work window without enough rest, a card pops up in the bottom-right; can be changed to full-screen takeover
• Scheduled reminders: Drink water every hour, check data at 3 PM, clock out before leaving — intervals or fixed times both work
• AI assistant progress: When running Claude Code or Codex in the terminal, the widget tells you which step it's on and whether authorization is needed
• Bluetooth earphones: When earphones connect to the computer, music software opens automatically; on disconnect, pauses or wraps up per your settings
• Phone messages: SMS, app notifications, and verification codes forwarded to the computer, landing in a bottom-right widget
• GitHub activity: Know immediately when someone files an issue or stars a repo

Target Audience

• Office users who need sedentary and scheduled reminders
• Users who want to forward phone messages to their computer
• Developers and tech enthusiasts interested in desktop widget systems
• Windows / macOS / Linux users

Quick Start

1. Download the latest version from Releases (Windows / macOS / Linux)
2. Install and launch; can auto-start on boot
3. Plugins need no compilation — install from a folder or zip
4. Install and configure plugins as needed

Core Advantages

• Local-first: No screen capture, no file scanning, no data upload. Busy/idle detection relies only on keyboard/mouse activity and foreground app type; records stay local
• Plugin architecture: Everything is a plugin — install once, use anytime
• Smart busy/idle detection: Doesn't guess how long you plan to sit; only checks if you're actually busy. When watching videos quietly, it listens to system audio and knows you're still using the screen, not resting
• Free and open source: Local-first with public code

System Requirements

• OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Notes

• Busy/idle detection relies only on keyboard/mouse activity and foreground app type; no screen capture or file scanning is involved
• Plugins are installed from folders or zips without compilation