Retro For Linux

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - a great quote by the famous Italian polymath and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci. While this cannot be true for all spectrums of life, or software for that matter, there's something so refreshingly nice about simple apps. Retro is one such simple application, a free and open-source, Linux-only retro digital clock for the desktop.

Well, the short answer is simplicity and time-keeping. Its default look is quite minimalist and quite gorgeous, especially if you're into the whole retro style of watch displays.

By default, it sports an orange background and black numbers. However, what's unique about this watch app is that it can be customized in a very weird way. And, by weird, we mean CSS. Yes, the app allows you to fully customize the watch's appearance via CSS.

Now, we're not entirely sure how CSS appeals to the day-to-day users who just wanted a retro watch for the desktop. However, maybe you're a web developer and CSS is your thing, in which case, Retro becomes a really interesting little project that allows for a bit of creativity in a fun way.

In terms of functionality, it's pretty much WYSIWYG. The only real customization option in the app's menu is the feature that allows you to enable or disable the display of seconds, and that's about it. Everything else is done via CSS.

Ok, Retro won't light anyone's pants on fire anytime soon. It's not exactly what you would call a must-have app, nor is it impressive in any meaningful way. Nevertheless, if you like the whole aesthetic of the app, and you like CSS and something a bit outside the norm, then give it a shot, what do you have to lose?