Stop Burning Tokens (and Brain Cells): A CLI Pomodoro Timer for Focused Coding

Source: Dev.to

Overview

While struggling with concentration, I’ve always forced myself to use techniques that help me stay in flow while still leaving room to stretch, grab a snack, or prepare a matcha latte. Giving the brain time to stray away from a problem often helps solve it in the “background.”

Nothing fits this better than the Pomodoro Technique. I used to rely on browser‑based tools, but as my workflow shifted toward the IDE and CLI (especially when “vibecoding” with AI), I kept forgetting to check the browser. I needed something fast, simple, and right in my terminal.

Usage

npm i -g doro-cli   # Requires Node.js
doro                 # Starts the timer

Please check out the repository – I’d love to hear your feedback or see your contributions.

Features

• Distraction‑Free UI – Full‑screen, minimalist design keeps you focused.
• Keyboard‑First – Navigate and control everything from your keyboard.
• Responsive Layout – Adapts to any terminal size, from tiny to wide.
• Color Themes – Switch between modern and calm pastel themes with a keypress.
• Audio Cues – Lightweight, generated 8‑bit sounds for timer events (no media files needed).
• Mouse Support – Optional mouse control for key actions.

Installation

Requires Node.js ≥ 22.

npm install -g doro-cli

Once installed, just run doro in your terminal.

Quick Start (Build from source)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dnim/doro-cli.git
cd doro-cli

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run it!
node dist/cli.js

Alternatives

• openpomodoro-cli – Built in Go, with a slightly different philosophy.
• pomo – A more minimal option; requires cloning the repo to set up.

Do you prefer browser‑based timers, or are you a terminal purist like me? If you have a favorite CLI productivity tool, feel free to share it in the comments!