conky – eirenicon llc

Conky on Wayland (SwayWM)

Mark Rabideau — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:03:29 +0000

Recently, I have been working at understanding, building, and using Wayland/SwayWM as my regular computing environment. Given I continue to be in the ‘early days’ of this adventure, I have had to address several usage ‘worries’. One of my concerns had been fixing and using conky on my desktop, over the years I have become a great fan of Conky.

Now I can report and show, how to make Conky work on SwayWM. I presume it will function on other Wayland desktop systems, as well.

@Unklar provided me with the solution to this dilemma you may read it via this link.

As you will notice, Conky itself has been enhanced to address its ability to run on Wayland. Making this happen involves the addition of one simple command in your conky config section:

out_to_wayland = true,

Here is an image (on my SwayWM desktop) of Conky ‘in action’.

Conky on SwayWM

Remember, like with all of my work, I am able to provide the following assurance(s):

It is almost certainly going to work until it breaks; although I have to admit it may never work and that would be sad.

When/if it does break, you may keep all of the pieces.

If you find my materials helpful, both you & I will be happy, at least for a little while.

My advice is worth every penny you paid for it!

antiX-ManyRoads Conky

Mark Rabideau — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 17:01:22 +0000

I use the following conky on a number of desktops. Enjoy!

Sample Screenshot

#-- Informant Conky
#-- Date       : 26/10/2017
#-- Editor     : Erik Dubois
#-- Version    : v3.0.4
#-- revised by : Mark Rabideau (manyroads)
#-- revision on: 21-29 May 2019

#-- By Addy
#-- https://plus.google.com/+AdhiPambudi
#-- http://addy-dclxvi.deviantart.com/
#-- https://github.com/addy-dclxvi

#-- For commands available check:
#-- http://conky.sourceforge.net/variables.html

##  Begin Window Settings  #####################

own_window yes
own_window_type normal
#--original own_window_type is desktop
own_window_hints undecorated,below,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,sticky
own_window_transparent no

## ARGB can be used for real transparency
## NOTE that a composite manager is required for real transparency.
## This option will not work as desired (in most cases) in conjunction with
## own_window_type normal
own_window_argb_visual yes

## When ARGB visuals are enabled, use this to modify the alpha value
## Use: own_window_type normal
## Use: own_window_transparent no
## Valid range is 0-255, where 0 is 0% opacity, and 255 is 100% opacity.
own_window_argb_value 75
own_window_colour 000000

# Minimum size of text area
minimum_size 180 0

gap_x 5
gap_y 0

alignment middle_right

##  End Window Settings  ###

##  Font Settings  ######################
#-- Use Xft (anti-aliased font and stuff)
use_xft yes
# Requires mono font for spacing reasons
# xftfont Liberation Mono:bold:size=9
xftfont Roboto:size=10

# Alpha of Xft font. Must be a value at or between 1 and 0 ###
xftalpha 1
#-- Force UTF8? requires XFT ###
override_utf8_locale yes

uppercase no
##  End Font Settings  ###

## Color scheme ##
draw_shades no ##yes
default_shade_color black
draw_outline no ## amplifies text if yes
default_outline_color black

## Default Color Quick Choice Options ##################
## fe4515 crimson-orange (Numix theme color)
#color3 fe4515
## Soldier Blue (Flat-remix icon blue color)
#color3 3873d7
## Bright Blue (Flat-remix bold blue)
#color3 0000ff
## Green-Grey (Flat-remix green)
#color3 269687
## Redish-Purple (Flat-remix redish-purple)
#color3 ba174e
## Orange (Flat-remix orange)
#color3 F0544C
## Red (Flat-remix red)
color3 D41919

# Default colors and also border colors
default_color 4d4d4d
default_shade_color black
#default_outline_color white
own_window_colour 000000

## ffffff white
color1 ffffff

## Green
color2 0BFF00

########################

##  End Colour Settings  ###

##  Borders Section  ##
draw_borders yes
#-- Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 0
#-- border margins
#border_inner_margin 2
#border_outer_margin 0
border_margin 2
#-- border width  ##
border_width 1
#-- graph borders  ##
draw_graph_borders yes  ##no
#--default_graph_size 15 40
# border width
border_width 1

# Text alignment, other possible values are commented
#alignment top_left
#alignment top_right
#alignment bottom_left
#alignment bottom_right

##  End Borders Secton  ###

##  Miscellaneous Section  ##
#-- Boolean value, if true, Conky will be forked to background when started.
background no

#-- Adds spaces around certain objects to stop them from moving other things
#-- around, this only helps if you are using a mono font
#-- Options: right, left or none
use_spacer no

#-- Default and Minimum size is 256 - needs more for single commands that
#-- "call" a lot of text IE: bash scripts
#--text_buffer_size 6144

#-- Subtract (file system) buffers from used memory?
no_buffers yes

#-- change GiB to G and MiB to M
short_units yes

#-- Like it says, ot pads the decimals on % values
#-- doesn't seem to work since v1.7.1
pad_percents 2

#-- Imlib2 image cache size, in bytes. Default 4MiB Increase this value if you use
#-- $image lots. Set to 0 to disable the image cache.
imlib_cache_size 0

#-- Use the Xdbe extension? (eliminates flicker)
#-- It is highly recommended to use own window with this one
#-- so double buffer won't be so big.
double_buffer yes

#--   Maximum size of user text buffer, i.e. layout below TEXT line in config file
#--  (default is 16384 bytes)
#-- max_user_text 16384

#-- Desired output unit of all objects displaying a temperature. Parameters are
#-- either "fahrenheit" or "celsius". The default unit is degree Celsius.
#-- temperature_unit Fahrenheit
##  End Miscellaneous Section  ###

update_interval 1

#minimum_size 0 0

TEXT
${font Good Times:size=72}$alignr${color3}${time %H}${color1}:${time %M}${font}${color3}
${font Good Times:32}${voffset 12}$alignr${color1}${time %A},${color3} ${time %d}${color0} ${time %B} ${time %Y}${font}${voffset 2}
${hr}${color3}${voffset 4}
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} USER: ${color1}${execi 5000 whoami}${color3} ${color1}I${color3} MACHINE: ${color1}$nodename${color3} ${color1}I${color3} UPTIME: ${color1}$uptime${color3}
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} DISTRIBUTION: ${color1}${execi 6000 cat /etc/antix-version}${color3}
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} ARCHITECTURE: ${color1}${machine}${color3} ${color1}I${color3} KERNEL: ${color1}${kernel}${color3}
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} ROOT: ${color1}${fs_used /}${color3} / ${color1}${fs_size /}${color3} ${color1}I${color3} HOME: ${color1}${fs_used /home}${color3} / ${color1}${fs_size /home}${color3}
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} SWAP: ${color1}${swap} / ${swapmax}${color3} ${color1}I${color3} SYS TEMP: ${color1}${hwmon temp 1}°C${color3}
${alignr} ${color3} RAM: ${color1}$mem / $memmax${color3} HD: ${color1}${fs_used_perc}%${color3}
${alignr} ${color3}BATTERY: ${color1}${battery_short}${color3}
# Shows Desktop Name
${font Roboto:pixelsize=13}${alignr} DESKTOP SESSION: ${color1}${execi 60000 env | grep '^DESKTOP_SESSION' | cut -d'=' -f2-}${color3}
${color1}${font Good Times:12}CPU ${hr 1}${color3}${font}
${goto 176} ${color3} CPU USE: ${color3}  ${alignr}${cpu cpu0} % of Available
${alignr} ${color3} Core-0: ${color3}${cpugraph 0 10,120 000000 0BFF00 -l}
${alignr} ${color3} Core-1: ${color3}${cpugraph 1 10,120 000000 0BFF00 -l}
${alignr} ${color3} Core-2: ${color3}${cpugraph 2 10,120 000000 0BFF00 -l}
${alignr} ${color3} Core-3: ${color3}${cpugraph 3 10,120 000000 0BFF00 -l}

${color1}${font Good Times:12}Network (${addr wlan0}) [${wireless_link_qual_perc wlan0}%]${font} ${hr 1}
   Down:${color3} ${downspeedf wlan0}kB/s ${alignr}${color1}Up:${color3} ${upspeedf wlan0}kB/s
   ${downspeedgraph wlan0 30,120 000000 0BFF00} $alignr${upspeedgraph wlan0 30,120 000000 0BFF00}

Keybinding Conky

Mark Rabideau — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 13:53:00 +0000

What follows is a copy of the conky I use for Keybindings. You need to modify for your specific keybindings (if they differ from mine).

#---------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# This conky was built by Mark Rabideau (aka. ManyRoads)
# Feel free to use or modify this conky in anyway that suits your fancy.
# No Guarantees are offered, made, expressed or implied.
# Should this break, you may keep all the pieces.
#
#---------------------------------------------------------------------
## Begin Window Settings #####################

own_window yes
own_window_type normal
#--original own_window_type is desktop
own_window_hints undecorated,below,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,sticky
own_window_transparent yes

## ARGB can be used for real transparency
## NOTE that a composite manager is required for real transparency.
## This option will not work as desired (in most cases) in conjunction with
## own_window_type normal
own_window_argb_visual yes

## When ARGB visuals are enabled, use this to modify the alpha value
## Use: own_window_type normal
## Use: own_window_transparent no
## Valid range is 0-255, where 0 is 0% opacity, and 255 is 100% opacity.
own_window_argb_value 0
own_window_colour 000000

minimum_width 400
minimum_height 200
maximum_width 800

gap_x 20
gap_y 0

alignment top_right

## End Window Settings ###

## Font Settings ######################
#-- Use Xft (anti-aliased font and stuff)
use_xft yes
# Requires mono font for spacing reasons
# xftfont Liberation Mono:bold:size=9
xftfont Roboto:size=10

# Alpha of Xft font. Must be a value at or between 1 and 0 ###
xftalpha 1
#-- Force UTF8? requires XFT ###
override_utf8_locale yes

uppercase no
## End Font Settings ###

## Colour Settings ###
draw_shades no ##yes
default_shade_color black

draw_outline no ## amplifies text if yes
default_outline_color black

## Color scheme ##

## fe4515 crimson-orange
default_color fe4515

## ffffff white
color1 ffffff

## Green
color2 0BFF00

########################

## End Colour Settings ###

## Borders Section ##
draw_borders no
#-- Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 5
#-- border margins
border_inner_margin 5
border_outer_margin 0
#-- border width
border_width 2
#-- graph borders
draw_graph_borders yes ##no
#--default_graph_size 15 40
## End Borders Secton ###

## Miscellaneous Section ##
#-- Boolean value, if true, Conky will be forked to background when started.
background yes

#-- Adds spaces around certain objects to stop them from moving other things
#-- around, this only helps if you are using a mono font
#-- Options: right, left or none
use_spacer no

#-- Default and Minimum size is 256 - needs more for single commands that
#-- "call" a lot of text IE: bash scripts
#--text_buffer_size 6144

#-- Subtract (file system) buffers from used memory?
no_buffers yes

#-- change GiB to G and MiB to M
short_units yes

#-- Like it says, ot pads the decimals on % values
#-- doesn't seem to work since v1.7.1
pad_percents 2

#-- Imlib2 image cache size, in bytes. Default 4MiB Increase this value if you use
#-- $image lots. Set to 0 to disable the image cache.
imlib_cache_size 0

#-- Use the Xdbe extension? (eliminates flicker)
#-- It is highly recommended to use own window with this one
#-- so double buffer won't be so big.
double_buffer yes

#-- Maximum size of user text buffer, i.e. layout below TEXT line in config file
#-- (default is 16384 bytes)
#-- max_user_text 16384

#-- Desired output unit of all objects displaying a temperature. Parameters are
#-- either "fahrenheit" or "celsius". The default unit is degree Celsius.
#-- temperature_unit Fahrenheit
## End Miscellaneous Section ###

update_interval 1

minimum_size 400 0

TEXT

${offset 1}${font Good Times:size=12}${color1}antiX Keybindings${hr 2}${font}${color}
$alignr Desktop Menu: ${color1}Super (Left)${color}
$alignr Show desktop: ${color1}Super+D${color}
$alignr Lock screen: ${color1}Super+L${color}
$alignr Synapse (semantic launch & search): ${color1}Super+S${color}
$alignr Open File Manager:${color1}Super+E:${color}
$alignr${color1}Alt+Tab / Alt+Shift+Tab: Next / Previous window${color}

${offset 1}${font Good Times:size=12}${color1}Application Short-cuts${hr 2}${font}${color}
$alignr xfce4-terminal:${color1} Super+T${color}
$alignr Firefox ESR:${color1} Super+B ${color}
$alignr Claws:${color1} Super+M${color}
$alignr Geany:${color1} Alt+G${color}

${offset 1}${font Good Times:size=12}${color1}antiX Short-cuts${hr 2}${font}${color}
$alignr Control Centre:${color1} Alt+T${color}
$alignr Package Management:${color1} Alt+I${color}
$alignr Conky Toggle:${color1} Alt+C${color}

${offset 1}${font Good Times:size=12}${color1}Desktop Keybindings${hr 2}${font}${color}
$alignr Close Window:${color1} Alt-F4${color}
$alignr Client Menu:${color1} Alt-Space${color}
$alignr Drop Window Focus:${color1} Alt-Esc${color}
$alignr Screenshooter:${color1} PrtScr${color}