How to Install ActivityWatch on Ubuntu Server

ActivityWatch is an open source software that helps you track your computer usage for activity analysis and time tracking. In this tutorial, we will go through the process of installing ActivityWatch on Ubuntu Server.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, make sure you have the following:

• A Ubuntu Server with root privileges.
• A working internet connection.

Step 1: Install the dependencies

ActivityWatch requires the python3-dev and python3-pip packages to be installed. To install them, run the below commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-dev python3-pip -y

Step 2: Install the ActivityWatch Client

Run the below command to install the ActivityWatch client:

pip3 install activitywatch

Once the installation is complete, run the following command to start the ActivityWatch client:

activitywatch start

Step 3: Install the ActivityWatch Server

To install the ActivityWatch server, run the following command:

pip3 install activitywatch[server]

Once the installation is complete, run the following command to start the ActivityWatch server:

activitywatch-backend

Step 4: Verify the installation

Open your web browser and go to the URL http://localhost:5600/. You should now see the ActivityWatch server dashboard. If you can see the dashboard, congratulations! You have successfully installed ActivityWatch on your Ubuntu Server.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have installed the ActivityWatch client and server on a Ubuntu Server machine. With this installed, you can now track and analyze your computer usage to improve productivity.