Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

johnraff · Today 06:48:49

Hi all - I know some of you have been using Conky on Wayland for some time now. For me it's pretty new, but poking around the conky github, and this forum, I tried to get some ideas on what we can reasonably put in the conkys we ship with BunsenLabs and expect them to work on Wayland. It's quite possible I've got some things wrong but I'm going to list what I found here - please jump in with your corrections and additions!

First comment: Conky isn't yet 100% Wayland-ready. Simple things will work, but other things don't.

---

    out_to_wayland = true,

at the top of the config seems to work on both X11 and Wayland. No need for separate conkys if it's just writing some text on the screen. 'out_to_x' is yes by default, and on X11 'out_to_wayland' will be ignored. On Wayland if 'out_to_wayland' is true then it doesn't matter what 'out_to_x' is set to. (Again, to repeat, please correct me if I get any of this stuff wrong.)

Except, sometimes if Wayland display isn't working for some reason, conky will use xwayland instead. But it's not always nice.

---

    own_window = true,

You can have this in your config but on Wayland it will be ignored. All of the own_window... settings are ignored.

On Wayland, Conky behaves, as far as I can tell, like window type "desktop". It's at the bottom of the stack and always sticky so it appears on all workspaces. This means you can't have a conky appear on only one workspace (desktop), and you can't have a conky "on top".

---

${image $HOME/.config/conky/images/BL-Orb-Flame-lt-180x180.png}

Images don't work. Imlib2 throws out an error message. If you turn off both own_window_transparent and own_window_argb_visual then it might sort-of work, using xwayland (test with xprop or xeyes) but it's not nice anyway. It looks as if a fix might come some day but I've no idea when.

---
If you're going to use the same conky on X11 and Wayland, then it's handy to have a hint in the conky. I changed the top line of the BL default conky like this:

conky.text = [[
S Y S T E M  (on ${exec echo $BUNSEN_SESSION_TYPE})
${hr}

so it will show x11 or wayland. In fact it seems to work fine without using the exec echo command, just throwing the environment variable straight in:

S Y S T E M  (on $BUNSEN_SESSION_TYPE)

It seems to work with any of the environment variables shown in 'env' but I haven't checked them all.

---
I've checked over the keybinds that our default conky displays and they all work on Wayland too, so this should be OK for our default conky:

-- BL-Carbon-conky.conf

--[[
## Bunsenlabs User config files
## All default BunsenLabs user config files are located in /usr/share/bunsen/skel.
## The script bl-user-setup copies them to the user $HOME directory on first login.
## See more info with command 'bl-user-setup --help'
]]

--[[ conky configuration
 ------------------------------
 For conky variables and commands use the terminal command:

 man conky

 ------------------------------
 BunsenLabs conky threads

 Index » Scripts, Tutorials & Tips » Conky - Calendars / Clocks / Time
 https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=516

 Open a thread and post conky questions in: Index » GUI & Applications
 https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewforum.php?id=4

 Display your completed conky and codes
 Index » Scripts, Tutorials & Tips » Show us your conky
 https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=512

 ------------------------------
 BunsenLabs conky scripts help
 Openbox Menu/Preferences/Conky/Conky Manager Help

 If there are one or more conkys running, it is possible to kill one conky with
 the following command, IF you used what is between the quotes to start the conky, e.g.:
 pkill -xf "conky -q -c $HOME/.config/conky/BL-Default.conkyrc"
]]


conky.config = {

-- wayland or X (or both)
--    out_to_x = yes,
    out_to_wayland = true,

--  Window Settings
    own_window = true,
    own_window_type = 'normal',
    own_window_transparent = false,
    own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,sticky',
    own_window_colour = '000000',
    own_window_class = 'Conky',
    own_window_title = 'BunsenLabs Default Conky',

-- ARGB can be used for real transparency
    own_window_argb_visual = true, -- Options: true|false

-- NOTE that a composite manager is required for real transparency and ARGB will not
-- work as desired (in most cases) in conjunction with 'own_window_type override'.
-- Use with: own_window_type = 'normal',
-- Use with: own_window_transparent = false,

-- When ARGB visuals are enabled, use the following to modify the alpha value. Valid
-- range is 0-255, where 0 is 0% opacity, and 255 is 100% opacity.
    own_window_argb_value = 0,

--    minimum_width = 0,
--    minimum_height = 0,
--    maximum_width = 0,

-- bl-conkymove, original value for gap_x: 20
	gap_x = 21,-- left | right
-- bl-conkymove, original value for gap_y: 10
	gap_y = 29,-- up | down

    alignment = 'top_right',

--  End Window Settings

--  Font Settings
-- Use Xft (anti-aliased font and stuff)
    use_xft = true,

--font = 'Liberation Mono:bold:size=10',
--font = 'Liberation Sans:size=10',
    font = 'Sans-serif: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 = true,

    uppercase = false,
--  End Font Settings

--  Color Settings
-- Drawing shades affects visibility, depending on the background image.
-- Set to 'draw_shades = false' if you prefer.
    draw_shades = true,
    default_shade_color = '171F1B',

    draw_outline = false,-- amplifies text if true
    default_outline_color = '555555',

    default_color = 'BFBFC2',-- Carbon Dark and Light foreground
--default_color = 'ABB8B8',-- Boron Dark and Light foreground
--default_color = 'BECFCF',-- Dragon Dark foreground
--default_color = '4b8bad', -- Lithium blue
--default_color = '678b8b', -- Helium Beam green
--default_color = '656667', -- Waldorf original colour
--default_color = '7a7a7a', -- Flame  & BunsenLabs Grey
--default_color = '929292', -- BunsenLabs Grey
--default_color = 'C0C0C0', -- BunsenLabs Silver
    color0 = 'B0E0E6',-- PowderBlue
    color1 = '778899',-- LightSlateGray
    color2 = 'D8BFD8',-- Thistle
    color3 = '9ACD32',-- YellowGreen
    color4 = 'FFA07A',-- LightSalmon
    color5 = 'FFDEAD',-- NavajoWhite
    color6 = '00BFFF',-- DeepSkyBlue
    color7 = '5F9EA0',-- CadetBlue
    color8 = 'BDB76B',-- DarkKhaki
    color9 = 'C0C0C0',-- Silver
--  End Color Settings

--  Borders Section
    draw_borders = false,
-- 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 = false,
--default_graph_height = 15,
--default_graph_width = 40,
--  End Borders Section

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

-- 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 = 'none',

-- 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 = true,

-- change GiB to G and MiB to M
    short_units = true,

-- 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 = true,

-- 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',

-- Update interval in seconds
    update_interval = 1,

--  End Miscellaneous Section
};

conky.text = [[
S Y S T E M  (on ${exec echo $BUNSEN_SESSION_TYPE})
${hr}
#Host:${alignr}${nodename}
#Uptime:${alignr}${uptime}
RAM:${alignr}${mem} / ${memmax}
# This version reports the same (incorrect) lower RAM usage as neofetch or htop:
#RAM:${alignr}${legacymem} / ${memmax}
#Swap usage:${alignr}${swap} / ${swapmax}
#Disk usage:${alignr}${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /}
#Root usage:${alignr}${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /}
#Home usage:${alignr}${fs_used /home} / ${fs_size /home}
CPU:${alignr}${cpu cpu0}%
#
# Weather information from openweathermap.org can be displayed in conky by
# using the script $HOME/.config/conky/scripts/bunsenweather.sh. The openweathermap
# service requires registration in order to receive an API Key, which has to be
# added to bunsenweather.sh. For further info see this script and the following thread:
# https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=2060
#
# Calling bunsenweather.sh from conky works by using
# ${execpi <t> /path/to/bunsenweather.sh "yourlocation"}
# where <t> is the update interval. If "yourlocation" is not defined, the script
# sets geolocation based on your IP adress using the website ipinfo.io.
#
#W E A T H E R
#${hr}
#${execpi 600 $HOME/.config/conky/scripts/bunsenweather.sh}

S H O R T C U T    K E Y S
${hr}
Alt + F2${alignr}Run Dialog
Alt + F3${alignr}Alt Menu
Super${alignr}Main Menu
Super + Tab${alignr}Client Menu
Super + t${alignr}Terminal
Super + w${alignr}Web Browser
Super + f${alignr}File Manager
Super + e${alignr}Editor
Super + m${alignr}Media Player
Super + v${alignr}Volume Control
Super + h${alignr}Task Manager
Super + l${alignr}Lock Screen
Super + x${alignr}Logout
PrtSc${alignr}Screenshot

W I N D O W S
${hr}
Alt + Tab${alignr}Switch
Alt + F4${alignr}Close
Alt + F5${alignr}Minimize
Alt + F6${alignr}Toggle Maximize
Super + arrow${alignr}Tile half-screen
Super + Alt + arrow     ${alignr}Tile quarter-screen

]];

Any more hints, warnings, whatever... welcome, welcome

johnraff · Today 07:47:42

Oh yes - because the Wayland conky is at the bottom of everything it's impossible to move it with an Alt+mouse drag. So the "move a conky" utility doesn't work.

Sector11 · Today 13:40:42

X and conky v1.9 - AWESOMENESS!

OK, back on subject.

unklar · Today 16:37:05

^^How right he is.

@johnraff
Sorry, I'm on vacation with my wife and won't be back home until early September. So I don't have “my Linux/Conky setup” to answer your questions.

Generally speaking:
- It's only worth it starting with Conky version 1.22.1, and the package should be conky-all
- Xwayland is required as a compatibility layer

johnraff wrote:

You can have this in your config but on Wayland it will be ignored. All of the own_window... settings are ignored.
On Wayland, Conky behaves, as far as I can tell, like window type "desktop". It's at the bottom of the stack and always sticky so it appears on all workspaces. This means you can't have a conky appear on only one workspace (desktop), and you can't have a conky "on top".

I have good experiences with utility, override; dock made.

Images don't work. neutral Imlib2 throws out an error message. If you turn off both own_window_transparent and own_window_argb_visual then it might sort-of work, using xwayland (test with xprop or xeyes) but it's not nice anyway. It looks as if a fix might come some day but I've no idea when.

Images work when out_to_wayland = true is commented out or set to false.

#1 Today 06:48:49

Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#2 Today 07:47:42

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#3 Today 13:40:42

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#4 Today 16:37:05

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

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