omm

✨ Overview

omm (stands for "on-my-mind") is a keyboard-driven task manager for the command line.

source video

🤔 Motivation

The fundamental idea behind omm is that while we might have several tasks on our to-do list — each with its own priority — we typically focus on one task at a time. Priorities frequently change, requiring us to switch between tasks. omm lets you visualize this shifting priority order with a very simple list interface that can be managed entirely via the keyboard.

💾 Installation

homebrew:

brew install dhth/tap/omm

go:

go install github.com/dhth/omm@latest

Or get the binaries directly from a release.

💡 Guide

omm offers a guided walkthrough of its features, intended for new users of it. Run it as follows.

omm guide

📋 Updates

Check out the latest features added to omm using:

omm updates

⚡️ Usage

TUI

omm's TUI is comprised of several views: 4 lists (for active and archived tasks, one for task bookmarks, and one for prefix selection), a context pane, a task details pane, and a task entry/update pane.

Active Tasks List

As the name suggests, the active tasks list is for the tasks you're actively working on right now. It allows you to do the following:

• Create/update tasks at a specific position in the priority list
• Add a task at the start/end of the list
• Move a task to the top of the list (indicating that it takes the highest priority at the moment)
• Move task up/down based on changing priorities
• Archive a task
• Permanently delete a task

Archived Tasks List

Once you're done with a task, you can archive it, which puts it in the archived tasks list. It's more for historical reference, but you can also unarchive a task and put it back in the active list, if you need to. You can also permanently delete tasks from here.

Context Pane

For tasks that need more details that you can fit in a one line summary, there is the context pane. You add/update context for a task via a text editor which is chosen based on the following look ups:

• the "--editor" flag
• $OMM_EDITOR
• "editor" property in omm's toml config
• $EDITOR/$VISUAL
• vi (fallback)

Task Details Pane

The Task Details pane lets you see all details for a task in a single scrollable pane.

^ back to top ^

Task Entry Pane

This is where you enter/update a task summary. If you enter a summary in the format prefix: task summary goes here, omm will highlight the prefix for you in the task lists.

Tweaking the TUI

The list colors and the task list title can be changed via CLI flags.

omm \
    --tl-color="#b8bb26" \
    --atl-color="#fb4934" \
    --title="work"

omm offers two modes for the visual density of its lists: "compact" and "spacious", the former being the default. omm can be started with one of the two modes, which can later be switched by pressing "v".

omm --list-density=spacious

This configuration property can also be provided via the environment variable OMM_LIST_DENSITY.

Compact mode:

Spacious mode:

Importing tasks

Multiple tasks can be imported from stdin using the import subcommand.

cat << 'EOF' | omm import
orders: order new ACME rocket skates
traps: draw fake tunnel on the canyon wall
tech: assemble ACME jet-propelled pogo stick
EOF

Tip: Vim users can import tasks into omm by making a visual selection and running :'<,'>!omm import<CR>.

Adding a single task

When an argument is passed to omm, it saves it as a task, instead of opening up the TUI.

omm "Install spring-loaded boxing glove"

Configuration

omm allows you to change the some of its behavior via configuration, which it will consider in the order listed below:

• CLI flags (run omm -h to see details)

• Environment variables (eg. OMM_EDITOR)

• A TOML configuration file (run omm -h to see where this lives; you can change this via the flag --config-path)

  Here's a sample config file:

  db_path      = "~/.local/share/omm/omm-w.db"
  tl_color     = "#b8bb26"
  atl_color    = "#fabd2f"
  title        = "work"
  list_density = "spacious"
  show_context = false
  editor       = "vi -u NONE"

^ back to top ^

Outputting tasks

Tasks can be outputted to stdout using the tasks subcommand.

omm tasks

🤔 Tips

These are some tips to improve your experience of using omm:

• Set up discrete instances of omm if you need to. You can do so by referencing a different config file (which points to a unique database) for each instance, or by directly using --db-path flag. Eg. an omm instance for personal tasks, and another for work. Set up as many omm instances as you need.
• Use omm updates to stay up to date with omm's latest features/changes.

⌨️ Keymaps

General

q/esc/ctrl+c       go back
Q                  quit from anywhere

Active/Archived Tasks List

j/↓                move cursor down
k/↑                move cursor up
h                  go to previous page
l                  go to next page
g                  go to the top
G                  go to the end
tab                move between lists
C                  toggle showing context
d                  toggle Task Details pane
b                  open Task Bookmarks list
B                  open all bookmarks added to current task
c                  update context for a task
ctrl+d             archive/unarchive task
ctrl+x             delete task
ctrl+r             reload task lists
/                  filter list by task prefix
ctrl+p             filter by prefix via the prefix selection list
y                  copy selected task's context to system clipboard
v                  toggle between compact and spacious view

Active Tasks List

q/esc/ctrl+c       quit
o/a                add task below cursor
O                  add task above cursor
I                  add task at the top
A                  add task at the end
u                  update task summary
⏎                  move task to the top
E                  move task to the end
J                  move task one position down
K                  move task one position up

Task Creation/Update Pane

⏎                  submit task summary
ctrl+p             choose/change prefix via the prefix selection list

Task Details Pane

h/←/→/l            move backwards/forwards when in the task details view
y                  copy current task's context to system clipboard
B                  open all bookmarks added to current task

Task Bookmarks List

⏎                  open URL in browser

Acknowledgements

omm stands on the shoulders of giants.

• bubbletea as the TUI framework
• sqlite as the local database
• goreleaser for releasing binaries

^ back to top ^