---
title: waybar-pomodoro-not-showing
type: note
permalink: dotfiles/research/waybar-pomodoro-not-showing
tags:
- waybar
- pomodoro
- debugging
- risk
---

# Waybar Pomodoro Not Showing — Research Findings

## Scope
Investigation of why `custom/pomodoro` does not appear on the Waybar status bar.
Files inspected: `.config/waybar/config`, `.config/waybar/style.css`, `.config/waybar/scripts/pomodoro-preset.sh`.

## Module Wiring (as configured)

### modules-left (config line 5–9)
```json
"modules-left": [
  "backlight",
  "wireplumber",
  "custom/pomodoro",
],
```
`custom/pomodoro` IS present in `modules-left`.

### custom/pomodoro definition (config lines 133–140)
```json
"custom/pomodoro": {
  "format": "{}",
  "return-type": "json",
  "exec": "waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons",
  "on-click": "waybar-module-pomodoro toggle",
  "on-click-right": "$HOME/.config/waybar/scripts/pomodoro-preset.sh",
  "on-click-middle": "waybar-module-pomodoro reset",
},
```

### CSS selector (style.css lines 106–109)
```css
#custom-pomodoro {
    padding: 0 4px;
    color: @red;
}
```
Selector is correct and present.

### Script (scripts/pomodoro-preset.sh)
- Guarded by `command -v waybar-module-pomodoro` check (exits 1 if not installed).
- Sets work/short/long durations via `waybar-module-pomodoro set-*` subcommands.
- Toggle cycles between preset A (50/10/20) and preset B (25/5/15).
- **Script itself is logically correct.**

---

## Root Cause Analysis (ranked by confidence)

### 🔴 #1 — `waybar-module-pomodoro` binary not installed / not on PATH (confidence: ~90%)
- The `exec` command is `waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons` — a **bare binary name**, resolved from PATH at Waybar launch time.
- Waybar inherits the environment of its launcher (Hyprland `exec-once`), which may NOT include the user's shell PATH (`~/.local/bin`, `/usr/local/bin`, etc.).
- `fish/config.fish` adds `/home/alex/dotfiles/.local/bin` to PATH, but that is only set in interactive Fish sessions — **Hyprland's exec-once does not source Fish config**.
- No package manager manifest, AUR package list, or install script mentions `waybar-module-pomodoro`.
- When `exec` fails to start, Waybar hides the module entirely (no fallback text) — the module disappears silently.
- **This is the most likely cause.** Verify with: `which waybar-module-pomodoro` in a non-Fish shell, or check `journalctl --user -u waybar` for "Failed to execute".

### 🟠 #2 — `interval` key absent on custom/pomodoro (confidence: ~65%)
- `custom/pomodoro` has NO `interval` key. For a persistent daemon (`waybar-module-pomodoro` runs and writes JSON to stdout continuously), this is correct — Waybar treats it as a long-lived subprocess.
- BUT if the binary is supposed to be polled (not a persistent daemon), missing `interval` means Waybar will only run it once and never refresh.
- The `return-type: json` combined with no `interval` means Waybar expects the binary to **continuously emit newline-delimited JSON** to stdout. If the binary only emits once and exits, the module will show blank after the first read.
- This is a secondary cause contingent on what `waybar-module-pomodoro` actually does. If it is a daemon that stays alive, #1 is the only blocker; if it exits after one line, `interval` is needed.

### 🟡 #3 — Binary exists but crashes on `--no-work-icons` flag (confidence: ~25%)
- The `--no-work-icons` flag may not be a valid flag for the installed version of `waybar-module-pomodoro`.
- An unrecognized flag causing the binary to exit with a non-zero code would suppress the module.
- Check: `waybar-module-pomodoro --help` or `waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons` manually.

### 🟡 #4 — Config JSON parse failure (confidence: ~15%)
- The config uses tab-indented lines (lines 134–139 use `\t`) while the rest uses spaces — mixed indentation is cosmetically inconsistent but does NOT cause JSON parse errors.
- Waybar's parser accepts JSON5/hjson (trailing commas, `//` comments) — both are used in this config and are fine.
- No structural JSON error was found in the config.

### ⚪ #5 — Hyprland not auto-starting Waybar at all (confidence: ~10%)
- If `exec-once=waybar` in `hyprland.conf` is missing or commented out, the bar won't show at all (not just the pomodoro module). Not specific to this module.

---

## Concrete Edit Points

### Fix #1 (most likely): Ensure binary is installed and PATH is set in Waybar launch environment

**Option A — Install the binary system-wide:**
Install `waybar-module-pomodoro` via your package manager (e.g. `paru -S waybar-module-pomodoro` on Arch) so it is in `/usr/bin` or `/usr/local/bin`, which is always in Waybar's inherited PATH.

**Option B — Use absolute path in config:**
```diff
- "exec": "waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons",
- "on-click": "waybar-module-pomodoro toggle",
- "on-click-middle": "waybar-module-pomodoro reset",
+ "exec": "$HOME/.local/bin/waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons",
+ "on-click": "$HOME/.local/bin/waybar-module-pomodoro toggle",
+ "on-click-middle": "$HOME/.local/bin/waybar-module-pomodoro reset",
```
File: `.config/waybar/config`, lines 136–139.

**Option C — Set PATH in Hyprland env (preferred for Wayland):**
Add to `.config/hypr/hyprland.conf`:
```
env = PATH,$HOME/.local/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
```

### Fix #2 (if binary is a one-shot, not a daemon): Add `interval` key
```diff
"custom/pomodoro": {
  "format": "{}",
  "return-type": "json",
+ "interval": 1,
  "exec": "waybar-module-pomodoro --no-work-icons",
```
File: `.config/waybar/config`, line 134 (insert after `"return-type": "json",`).

---

## Files Involved

| File | Role |
|---|---|
| `.config/waybar/config` | Module registration in `modules-left`, `custom/pomodoro` definition |
| `.config/waybar/style.css` | `#custom-pomodoro` CSS selector (present, correct) |
| `.config/waybar/scripts/pomodoro-preset.sh` | Right-click preset toggler (calls binary) |
| `.config/hypr/hyprland.conf` | Waybar autostart + env block (outside Waybar dir) |
| `waybar-module-pomodoro` binary | External binary — must be installed and on PATH |

---

## Likely Bug Surfaces (Adjacent Risk Areas)

1. **`custom/uptime`** (config line 89–95): Also uses a bare script path `$HOME/.config/waybar/scripts/uptime.sh`. Same PATH-at-launch issue could affect it if shell env is not inherited. The script exists in the repo (`scripts/` dir shows only `pomodoro-preset.sh`) — **`uptime.sh` is missing from the repo**, meaning this module may also be broken.
2. **`custom/music`** (config line 44–52): Uses `playerctl` — same PATH issue; no `playerctl` install evidence in the repo.
3. **`hyprland/workspaces`** (config line 22–28): Defined in config but NOT in any of `modules-left`, `modules-center`, or `modules-right` — it is **a dead definition that never renders**.
4. **`custom/lock`** (config line 127–131): Defined but also absent from all three module lists — another dead definition.
5. **`network`** (config line 60–68): Defined but not in any module list — dead definition.
6. **Trailing comma on line 8** of `modules-left`: Benign in Waybar's parser but would break standard JSON parsers if config is ever processed by tools expecting strict JSON.

## Relations
- related_to [[dotfiles/knowledge]]
