Workrave

Workrave

Initial release	2002
Stable release	1.10.5 (available from select outlets only; see article) / December 9, 2014
Repository	github.com/rcaelers/workrave
Written in	C++ (Gtkmm)
Operating system	Linux, Cross-platform[1]
Type	Health-related software Repetitive strain injury
License	GNU General Public License
Website	www.workrave.org

Workrave is a free software application intended to prevent computer users from developing or aggravating occupational diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injuries, or myopia.

The software periodically locks the screen while showing an animated character, “Miss Workrave”, walks the user through various stretching exercises,^[2][3][4] urges them to take a coffee break and sets a daily work time limit after which it automatically triggers an action, such as supend the machine.^[5]

The program is cross-platform, and dependent on the GTK+ graphical widget toolkit, and also on other GNOME libraries on Linux.^[1] It is also available for Microsoft Windows.

Workrave Unity Integration on Ubuntu 16.04

Latest stable release

As of December 2014: The official Workrave website implies that the latest stable Workrave release is 1.10, but this is incorrect. In fact, the latest stable release for Linux is 1.10.5,^[6] and the latest stable release for Windows is 1.10.1.^[7] The Windows uninstaller was broken in 1.10 and fixed in 1.10.1.^[8]

Similar software

Similar RSI-prevention utilities include:

• pokoy, works on Linux
• RSIBreak, works on Linux
• AntiRSI, works on Mac OS X
• the "Typing Break" feature in GNOME which can be enabled in the GNOME keyboard preference panel
• 5 Minute Break, works on Windows
• List of repetitive strain injury software

References

1. Workrave: Developer information
2. Ryan Cartwright (2008-05-28). "Workrave : combating RSI the free software way". Free Software Magazine. The Open Company Partners. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
3. David A. Harding (2007-10-03). "Workrave fights repetitive strain injuries". Linux.com. SourceForge, Inc. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
4. Jono Bacon (2004-05-05). "Repetitive software injury". O'Reilly ONLamp Blog. Blog of O'Reilly Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
5. "Frequently Asked Questions". www.workrave.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
6. "Releases - rcaelers/workrave". GitHub. Retrieved 2014-12-19.
7. "Workrave - Browse /workrave at SourceForge.net". SourceForge website. Dice Holdings. Retrieved 2014-12-19.
8. "Workrave 1.10.1 README". Retrieved 2015-03-18.

External links

• Official website
• "Operating Your Body at Peak Performance", a Linux Journal column about xwrits, RSIBreak, and Workrave
• Alexander Todorov (2007-09-06). "Workrave–listen to the sheep". Red Hat Magazine. Red Hat, Inc. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
• "How Open Source Saved My Neck", an InternetNews.com column by Sean Michael Kerner about Workrave