Install Keito for Linux

Keito for Linux puts the timer in your system tray, so you can start and stop work without keeping a browser tab open.

Download Keito for Linux

On a Mac? See Install Keito for Mac. Using Windows? See Install Keito for Windows.

The download is a 64-bit .deb package for Debian-based distributions. It is the same app as the Mac and Windows builds, connected to the same workspace.

Requirements

  • A Debian-based 64-bit distribution: Ubuntu 22.04 or newer, Debian 12, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, Zorin, elementary OS, or another derivative with glibc 2.35 or newer.
  • A desktop environment with a system tray. KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE and Budgie work as they are. GNOME needs one extension, covered below.
  • No manual dependencies. apt pulls in the tray and keyring libraries for you.

Keito does not ship an RPM, an AppImage or a Flatpak yet, so Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE and Arch are not supported. On those distributions use app.keito.ai in a browser, which has every feature the desktop app has apart from the tray timer.

Install from the desktop

Download the package with the button above, then open it. Most distributions hand .deb files to a graphical installer: GNOME Software on Ubuntu, Discover on KDE, or GDebi on Mint. Click Install and enter your password when asked. Installing a system package needs root, which is why the prompt appears.

Install from the terminal

This command always fetches the current release. The file name has no version in it, so the command keeps working after every update:

curl -fL -o keito-desktop.deb \
  https://github.com/osodevops/keito-desktop-releases/releases/latest/download/keito-desktop_amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./keito-desktop.deb

Use apt install rather than dpkg -i: apt resolves the two recommended packages, libayatana-appindicator3-1 for the tray icon and gnome-keyring for storing your sign-in. dpkg leaves them unresolved.

To confirm what was installed:

apt list --installed keito-desktop

Show the tray icon on GNOME

GNOME removed tray-icon support from its shell, so Keito needs an extension there. This applies to stock GNOME on Ubuntu, Fedora Workstation and Debian with GNOME. KDE, Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE and Budgie need nothing.

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

Log out and back in, then enable AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support in the Extensions app. The Keito icon then appears with the other tray icons.

Sign in

Launch Keito from your applications menu. It opens in the tray rather than as a window on the desktop; click the tray icon to show it.

Sign in with the same account you use at app.keito.ai. Sign-in opens in your default browser and returns to the app automatically. This works on both X11 and Wayland.

The icon turns green while a timer is running, and stays green when you close the window. Your current project and elapsed time also appear in the tray menu.

Updates

Keito checks for updates and tells you when one is ready. Installing it replaces the system package, so your desktop asks for your password once, the same as the original install.

If you would rather update by hand, or you manage machines centrally, re-run the install command above. It is always the current release.

Uninstall Keito

sudo apt remove keito-desktop

Removing the app does not delete your Keito workspace or any tracked time; that all lives in your account.

Your local settings and saved sign-in stay in ~/.config/Keito so a reinstall picks up where you left off. Delete that directory if you want them gone too:

rm -rf ~/.config/Keito

Troubleshooting

No tray icon. On GNOME, install the AppIndicator extension above and log out and back in. On other desktops, check that the tray area is not hidden or collapsed; some panels hide icons behind an arrow.

Asked to sign in again after every restart. Keito stores your sign-in in the system keyring. If no keyring is unlocked at login, it keeps the session in memory only and the app tells you so on the sign-in screen. Install and unlock gnome-keyring (or KWallet on KDE) to keep the session between restarts.

Idle detection does nothing under Wayland. The system call Keito uses to detect an idle machine returns zero on native Wayland, so the away-from-keyboard prompt cannot fire there. Everything else works. Keito runs under XWayland by default, where idle detection does work.

The installer complains about dependencies. You almost certainly ran dpkg -i. Run sudo apt --fix-broken install, then install again with sudo apt install ./keito-desktop.deb.

Frequently asked questions

Which Linux distributions does Keito support?

Debian-based 64-bit distributions with glibc 2.35 or newer: Ubuntu 22.04 and later, Debian 12, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS and similar derivatives. There is no RPM, AppImage or Flatpak yet, so Fedora, openSUSE and Arch users should use the web app.

Does the Linux app need root?

Only to install, update or remove the package, because it is a system package under /opt/Keito. Running and using Keito never asks for elevation.

Is the Linux app the same as the Mac and Windows apps?

Yes. They are built from the same code and connect to the same workspace. The differences are where the timer lives and the platform conventions around it, such as which library draws the tray icon.

Does it work on Wayland?

Yes. Sign-in, the tray icon and timers all work on Wayland, confirmed on KDE Plasma. The one exception is idle detection, which needs a system call Wayland does not expose.