How to show a live clock in your Linux terminal: 5 Easy Methods

Working in the Linux terminal can be immersive, and constantly switching windows to check the time disrupts your workflow. Whether you're a developer, system administrator, or Linux enthusiast, having a live clock directly in your terminal keeps you focused and productive. This comprehensive guide covers five practical methods to display a persistent clock in your Linux or macOS terminal, from simple one-liners to customizable CLI applications.

Why Display a Clock in Your Terminal?

Before diving into the methods, let's understand the benefits:

• Improved productivity: No need to switch windows or check your phone
• Time tracking: Perfect for pomodoro techniques and time-boxing tasks
• Terminal aesthetics: Adds a professional, customized look to your workspace
• Multitasking: Keep track of time while running long processes or scripts

Prerequisites

Most methods work on any Unix-based system (Linux, macOS). You'll need:

• A terminal emulator (GNOME Terminal, iTerm2, Alacritty, etc.)
• Basic command-line knowledge
• Package manager access (apt, dnf, pacman, or homebrew)

Method 1: Using the Watch Command (Simplest Approach)

The watch command executes a program repeatedly at specified intervals, making it perfect for displaying real-time information.

Basic Time Display

watch -n 1 -t date +%T

What this does:

• -n 1: Updates every 1 second
• -t: Removes the header for a cleaner look
• date +%T: Shows time in HH:MM:SS format

Enhanced Format with Date

watch -n 1 -t "date '+%A, %B %d, %Y - %r'"

This displays: "Friday, January 02, 2026 - 02:45:30 PM"

Pros:

• No installation required
• Works on all Unix systems
• Highly customizable with date formatting

Cons:

• Takes over your terminal window
• Cannot type commands while running
• Requires Ctrl+C to exit

Method 2: Background Loop with Title Bar Display

This method runs a background process that updates your terminal's title bar, allowing you to continue working normally.

Implementation

while true; do echo -ne "\033]0;$(date +%T)\007"; sleep 1; done &

Breaking it down:

• while true; do ... done: Creates an infinite loop
• \033]0;...\007: ANSI escape sequence for terminal title
• &: Runs the process in the background

Verify It's Running

jobs

Stop the Clock

kill %1

Replace 1 with the job number if you have multiple background processes.

Persistent Setup

To make this permanent, add to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

# Add live clock to terminal title
(while true; do echo -ne "\033]0;$(date +%T)\007"; sleep 1; done &) 2>/dev/null

Pros:

• Non-intrusive, appears in title bar
• Terminal remains fully functional
• Persistent across sessions when added to shell config

Cons:

• Only visible in terminal title bar
• May not work with all terminal emulators
• Consumes a small amount of background resources

Method 3: Tty-clock (Classic Terminal Clock)

Tty-clock is a popular, minimalist terminal clock application that displays large, digital-style numbers.

Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install tty-clock

Fedora:

sudo dnf install tty-clock

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S tty-clock

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install tty-clock

Basic Usage

tty-clock

Customization Options

Center the clock:

tty-clock -c

Change color (0-7):

tty-clock -C 2

Show seconds:

tty-clock -s

12-hour format:

tty-clock -t

Add a box border:

tty-clock -b

Combine multiple options:

tty-clock -c -s -C 4 -b

Interactive Controls

While tty-clock is running:

• K/J/H/L: Move the clock (vi-style)
• 0-7: Change color
• S: Toggle seconds
• T: Toggle 12/24-hour format
• B: Toggle box border
• Q: Quit

Screensaver Mode

tty-clock -S

Exits when any key is pressed, perfect for screensaver usage.

Pros:

• Visually appealing, large digits
• Highly customizable
• Interactive controls
• Lightweight and fast

Cons:

• Requires installation
• Takes over the terminal window
• Cannot use terminal for other tasks simultaneously

Method 4: Clock-tui (Modern Rust-Based Clock)

Clock-tui is a newer, Rust-powered terminal clock with modern features and smooth rendering.

Installation

First, install Rust and Cargo if not already installed:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Install clock-tui:

cargo install clock-tui

Basic Usage

tclock

Customization

Change color:

tclock -c Red

Available colors: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, White

Adjust size:

tclock -s 2

Combine options:

tclock -s 2 -c Blue

Pros:

• Modern, smooth rendering
• Written in Rust (fast and efficient)
• Customizable colors and sizes
• Active development

Cons:

• Requires Rust toolchain installation
• Takes over terminal window
• Larger installation footprint than tty-clock

Method 5: Custom Bash Script with Loop

For maximum control, create a custom script that runs a clock in a corner of your terminal.

Create the Script

nano ~/bin/termclock.sh

Add the following content:

#!/bin/bash

# Terminal clock that displays in top-right corner
while true; do
    # Save cursor position
    tput sc
    
    # Move to top-right corner
    tput cup 0 $(($(tput cols)-11))
    
    # Display time in green
    echo -e "\e[32m$(date +%r)\e[39m"
    
    # Restore cursor position
    tput rc
    
    sleep 1
done

Make It Executable

chmod +x ~/bin/termclock.sh

Run It

~/bin/termclock.sh &

Auto-start on Terminal Launch

Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

# Start terminal clock in background
~/bin/termclock.sh &

Pros:

• Fully customizable
• Doesn't block terminal usage
• Can be positioned anywhere
• No external dependencies

Cons:

• Requires shell scripting knowledge
• May interfere with full-screen terminal applications
• More complex setup

Comparison Table

Method	Installation	Complexity	Visual Appeal	Terminal Usability
Watch Command	None	Easy	Basic	Blocked
Background Loop	None	Easy	Minimal	Full
Tty-clock	Required	Easy	High	Blocked
Clock-tui	Required	Medium	High	Blocked
Custom Script	None	Medium	Customizable	Full

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Combine with Tmux Status Bar

If you use tmux, add the time to your status bar in ~/.tmux.conf:

set -g status-right '#[fg=yellow]%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'

Use Figlet for ASCII Art Clock

Install figlet:

sudo apt install figlet

Display large ASCII time:

watch -t -n1 "date +%T | figlet -f big"

Color Customization

Most methods support color codes. Common ANSI color codes:

• \e[31m - Red
• \e[32m - Green
• \e[33m - Yellow
• \e[34m - Blue
• \e[35m - Magenta
• \e[36m - Cyan
• \e[39m - Default

Create an Alias

Add to your shell configuration:

alias clock='watch -n 1 -t date +%T'
alias bigclock='tty-clock -c -s -C 2'

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Clock Not Updating

Problem: The clock displays but doesn't update.

Solution: Check if the sleep interval is set correctly. Ensure your system's date command is functioning:

date

Background Process Won't Stop

Problem: Cannot kill the background clock process.

Solution: Find and kill the process:

ps aux | grep "while true"
kill -9 [PID]

Terminal Title Not Showing Clock

Problem: Title bar clock doesn't appear.

Solution: Some terminal emulators don't support ANSI escape sequences. Try a different emulator or use an alternative method.

Tty-clock Not Installing

Problem: Package not found in repository.

Solution: On older distributions, compile from source:

git clone https://github.com/xorg62/tty-clock.git
cd tty-clock
make
sudo make install

Performance Considerations

Running a continuous clock process uses minimal system resources, but here's what to expect:

• CPU Usage: Typically less than 0.1% on modern systems
• Memory: Usually under 2MB for simple loops, 5-10MB for GUI clocks
• Battery Impact: Negligible on laptops

For maximum efficiency, use the background loop method rather than full-screen clock applications.

Security and Privacy Notes

When adding scripts to your shell configuration, always:

1. Review the code before execution
2. Use trusted sources for installation
3. Avoid running clock scripts with sudo privileges
4. Be cautious with scripts that access network time servers

Conclusion

Adding a live clock to your terminal is a simple yet effective way to enhance your command-line experience. Whether you prefer the minimalist approach of the watch command, the visual appeal of tty-clock, or the flexibility of custom scripts, there's a solution for every workflow.

Quick Recommendations:

• For beginners: Start with the watch command
• For aesthetics: Use tty-clock or clock-tui
• For productivity: Implement the background loop in title bar
• For customization: Create your own bash script

Try different methods to find what works best for your setup. Most importantly, enjoy your more efficient and stylish terminal environment!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I display multiple clocks for different timezones?

A: Yes, use the TZ environment variable:

watch -n 1 "echo 'Local: $(date +%T)'; TZ='America/New_York' date '+EST: %T'; TZ='Europe/London' date '+GMT: %T'"

Q: Does this work on Windows?

A: For Windows, use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) or Git Bash. Native cmd.exe and PowerShell have different implementations.

Q: Will this affect my terminal's performance?

A: The impact is negligible. A simple clock loop uses minimal CPU and memory resources.

Q: Can I make the clock persistent across terminal sessions?

A: Yes, add your preferred method to ~/.bashrc (Bash) or ~/.zshrc (Zsh) to auto-start on every new terminal.

Q: How do I change the timezone displayed?

A: Set the TZ environment variable:

TZ='UTC' date