Gran Canaria: GNOME Zeitgeist Tracks What You've Done
"Where are the notes I took online while at the library Tuesday night?" A question such as this might be best answered by the likes of GNOME Zeitgeist.
At the GNOME Users' And Developers' European Conference (GUADEC) track at the Gran Canaria Desktop Summit on July 5, Federico Mena-Quintero, Seif Lotfy and Thorsten Prante presented their Zeitgeist project. The team was working on a new way to make users' files searchable based on their daily usage events and patterns.
Zeitgeist consists of an engine that logs events and an activity journal that presents the logged events as a GUI. While the Zeitgeist engine is logging (per systrace) which applications are running and which files or URLs they're opening, the journal viewer can show a user which document he was viewing while email from his mother came in Monday of last week.
In this way the application can nudge your episodic memory to make event connections and organize your life. Zeitgeist's activity journal is the work of Seif Lotfy, currently a student at Darmstadt University. It shows user events based on date and time, and keeps track of the most commonly opened and collaborated upon files -- resulting in a semantic connection between the two.
Commonly occurring patterns can point to particular work activities. For example, opened source code together with an opened PDF and a bugtracker URL running in the browser can mean software development activity was going on. Thorsten Prante also indicated that Zeitgeist can pull external conditions into the equation. Next to time, GPS location can also be a consideration, so that a question such as "What file was I working on during the train ride from..." can be answered.
The Zeitgeist team clarified that their work isn't an index or desktop search such as Tracker or Beagle. Instead it simply tracks events and evaluates them. However, this doesn't mean that Zeitgeist events can't be combined with Tracker tags.
At the end of their presentation, the Zeitgeist team showed a particular application for their software: parental tracking. The software can close a child's browser or send a warning email to its parents based on detected usage events. While the use case provoked a mixed and even negative response from some, Seif Lotfy emphasized that it was only one of many possible Zeitgeist applications.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome OS Adopting systemd-sysupdate
Gnome OS is about to undergo a major under-the-hood change that promises enhanced security.
-
Endless OS 6 has Arrived
After more than a year since the last update, the latest release of Endless OS is now available for general usage.
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.