Why This Terminal Calendar App Made Me Say Goodbye to Google Calendar

In my recent quest to embrace command-line utilities, I’ve shifted my focus from graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to terminal-based applications. This journey began with the discovery of Yazi, a terminal file manager that has made my workflows much more efficient. Inspired by this experience, I decided to replace my conventional Google Calendar with Calcurse, a text-based calendar app designed for the terminal. While my transition hasn’t been flawless, it’s exceeded my expectations in many respects.

Understanding Calcurse

Calcurse is an open-source command-line calendar and scheduling tool that allows users to manage their events, appointments, and tasks directly within a terminal environment. The user interface features a three-pane layout: the left section displays appointments, the top right shows a monthly calendar, and the bottom right contains a To-Do list. This layout operates entirely via keyboard shortcuts, which enhances efficiency.

Calcurse functions by storing all data in plain text files, which come with several useful features. Users can manage recurring appointments, mark all-day events, and import or export data in the standard iCalendar (ICS) format. Additionally, attachments for notes can be added to events, and users can set custom reminders or execute scripts upon saving or loading data through “hooks, ”making version control of the calendar a possibility.

How to Set Up and Use Calcurse

Getting started with Calcurse is straightforward. Most Linux distributions feature it in their package managers. For instance, on Debian or Ubuntu, you can install it by running:

sudo apt install calcurse

If you’re using a Mac, installation is also simple via Homebrew with the command:

brew install calcurse

After installation, you can launch Calcurse by entering calcurse in your terminal. The first execution will automatically create a directory called “~/.calcurse/” where all data files are stored.

You will encounter the tri-pane user interface upon startup. Navigate between the three sections using the Tab key, and use the arrow keys or h /j /k /l keys for in-pane navigation, similar to Vim commands. An on-screen help menu displays all available commands for reference.

To add an event in Calcurse, simply place your cursor in the Appointments pane and press a. You’ll be prompted for the start and end times; if both are left blank, the event is created as an all-day appointment. Next, you can add a description like “Team Meeting” or “Dental Appointment.” If the event recurs, you can set the recurrence frequency to daily, weekly, or monthly. Custom reminders can be configured to trigger notifications within Calcurse or issue external commands, such as sending emails or desktop alerts.

Removing events is equally intuitive. Navigate to the desired entry and press d. Calcurse will request confirmation prior to deletion. If you are dealing with recurring events, you can decide whether to delete just that instance or the entire series.

Editing entries follows a similar process; select the item to change and press e. For appointments, you can modify the timing, description, recurrence, or reminders. When it comes to tasks, you can update the text or priority level. Leaving a field empty retains its current value, allowing for simple adjustments that make it quick and efficient. Once you confirm your updates, the changes are reflected immediately without the need to delete and recreate the entry.

Because Calcurse stores all events and tasks in plain text files, backing up or placing these files under version control is a straightforward process. Users can also personalize aspects such as color schemes, keybindings, and notification settings through the Settings menu or by directly editing configuration files.

Additionally, Calcurse includes an experimental CalDAV synchronization mode via the calcurse-caldav script. This feature enables integration with online services like Google Calendar using OAuth2 credentials, although setting it up requires creating a Google API project and installing supplementary Python libraries.

Comparing Calcurse and Google Calendar

Transitioning from Google Calendar to Calcurse involves several trade-offs, yet it offers unexpected benefits. Google Calendar boasts a plethora of features, including color-coded events, drag-and-drop functionality, map integration, and several viewing options such as agenda, week, and month layouts.

In contrast, Calcurse is text-based and remarkably lightweight. It launches almost instantaneously in the terminal, consumes minimal system resources, and operates fully via keyboard commands. While its visual layout is confined to three panes and a status bar, Calcurse specializes in speed and simplicity, offering a highly efficient approach to daily scheduling.

Google Calendar outshines Calcurse in collaborative features, including real-time collaboration, guest invitations, file attachments, Gmail integration, and public holiday calendars. Yet, Calcurse adeptly covers the essential features needed for effective scheduling—allowing simple text appointments, recurring events, and customizable reminders that may activate commands or emails, along with options for iCalendar import and export.

One of Calcurse’s strengths lies in its customization capabilities; practically every aspect can be scripted or automated, from keybindings to hooks for executing shell commands on save or load. This facilitates easy integration with additional tools, and allows users to keep their calendar version-controlled or synchronize it with CalDAV servers using external scripts.

While Calcurse stores your calendar information locally by default, synchronization is achievable through the CalDAV script, which maintains a database at “~/.calcurse/caldav/sync.db.” This mechanism keeps track of event statuses, compares local entries with online ones, downloads new items from Google Calendar, uploads local changes, and removes deleted events.

Features I Miss from Google Calendar

No switch comes without its downsides, and moving away from Google Calendar has highlighted features I genuinely miss. The most significant drawback is the mobile notifications and synchronization; with Google Calendar, I received timely reminders on my phone and could access my calendar from anywhere. Calcurse lacks this functionality, requiring manual checks on my laptop unless I set up one of the synchronization options.

Another significant gap is the ability to send invites and share calendars. Google Calendar made it easy to invite colleagues or family members to events and share an entire calendar. Calcurse currently has no built-in sharing features; to inform someone about an event, I must copy the information manually. I also appreciated Google’s seamless integrations with Gmail and Maps, which added to the usability.

While Calcurse has its merits, the deeply embedded nature of Google Calendar in many workflows makes it a challenging application to let go of entirely. For those who still wish to retain some Google Calendar functionality, consider leveraging efficient Chrome extensions that can enhance its capabilities. Moreover, exploring features that optimize Google Calendar for business use can provide added value.

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