Create Simple Countdown Timer for Debian with Xfce

Case: You use Debian with Xfce Desktop Environment, you need a simple countdown timer and no package convinces you.

Requisites: Packages libnotify and pulseaudio are installed.

Steps:

• Open a text editor and copy this code:
  
  
  

  #!/bin/bash

  
  hour=$1

  min=$2

  sec=$3

  
  while [ $hour -ge 0 ]; do

           while [ $min -ge 0 ]; do

                   while [ $sec -ge 0 ]; do

                           echo -ne "$hour:$min:$sec\r"

                           let "sec=sec-1"

                           sleep 1

                   done

                   sec=59

                   let "min=min-1"

           done

           min=59

           let "hour=hour-1"

  done

  
  notify-send --urgency CRITICAL "Countdown is over!"

  paplay /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/alarm-clock-elapsed.oga

  
  
  
  
• Customize the message by editing "Countdown is over!" (don't remove the ") and the sound by changing the audio file path (/usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/alarm-clock-elapsed.oga).
  
  
• Save the file with an easy name, e.g. countdownApp.
  
  
• You can run the file by opening a terminal, going to the directory file and running ./file_name <hours> <minutes> <seconds> :
  
  
  
  
  
• If you want to run it from any directory, put the file in /usr/local/bin and run it without ./ :
  
  
  
  

Results: The countdown timer will start showing the time moving:

 

And it will notify you when it's over with a message and a sound: