Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

hhh · 2026-08-28 20:42:34

Sector11 wrote:

I've never tries wayland or xwayland and I'm liking it less each day.
X works - why fix it?

Counterpoint, I just setup forky with labwc and stuff on a VM and it's glorious. So easy to get working, Wayland runs great (on my Intel laptop).

johnraff · 2026-08-29 06:32:23

^Yes I think both labwc and conky have had a lot of improvements between Trixie and Forky. I'm tempted to try some backporting but don't want to break my main machine.

unklar · 2026-09-01 07:44:27

apt policy conky-all
conky-all:
  Installiert:           1.24.2+dfsg-1
  Installationskandidat: 1.24.2+dfsg-1
  Versionstabelle:
 *** 1.24.2+dfsg-1 500
        500 https://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

There is news from the terminal when running this version of Conky:

[2026-09-01 09:04:30.042] [info ] [src/conky.cc:2038] 'TESTwayland' modified, reloading
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.050] [warn ] [src/lua/setting.cc:218] 'own_window_transparent' is deprecated and will be removed in a future release: Use own_window_colour with alpha instead (e.g. '#00000000').
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.053] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:695] window type - utility
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.053] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:814] drawing to created window 0x400002
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.058] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to double buffer
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.059] [warn ] [src/lua/setting.cc:218] 'own_window_argb_value' is deprecated and will be removed in a future release: Use own_window_colour with alpha instead (e.g. '#80000000').
[2026-09-01 09:04:31.059] [warn ] [src/lua/setting.cc:74] setting 'own_window_argb_visual' has been removed: ARGB is now always enabled when available. Control opacity with `own_window_colour` (e.g. '#8000').

ARGB is now always enabled when available.

Sorry, forget, on

labwc -v
labwc 0.20.2 (+xwayland +nls +rsvg +libsfdo) wlroots-0.20.2

Last edited by unklar (2026-09-01 07:52:23)

johnraff · 2026-09-01 08:21:12

^Many thanks!
This confirms some of the things I was reading on the conky github about transparency.

Do you get any new problems with this conky?
Any nice improvements?

unklar · 2026-09-01 16:17:08

johnraff wrote:

^Many thanks!
This confirms some of the things I was reading on the conky github about transparency.
Do you get any new problems with this conky?
Any nice improvements?

I can't put it that simply.

- In previous posts, I've already mentioned that version 1.22.1 was the best version so far (regarding xwayland with images/graphics and Lua, because it wasn't possible before).

- Native Wayland still doesn't display the above and I have to disable it in Conky.

- With the current version 1.24.2, I'm no longer so sure about "the best".

I've tried a few things. See for yourself. The changes and announcements of version 1.24.2 have been applied.

conky.config = {

--Begin Window Settings
	out_to_x = false,  --<----
	out_to_wayland = true,
	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = 'desktop',--normal',  --<----
--own_window_transparent = true,
--own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated',  --<----
	own_window_colour = '#886721',--13310123',--18413411',--000000',
	own_window_class = 'conky',
--own_window_title = 'Bunsen Labs Branding Conky',
--own_window_argb_value = 0,

	minimum_width = 440, minimum_height = 100,
	maximum_width = 00, --454,

	gap_x = 10,-- l|r
	gap_y = 50,-- u|d

	alignment = 'bottom_right',

--  End Window Settings
--  Font Settings

	use_xft = true,
	font = 'Monospace:size=10',
	xftalpha = 1,
	override_utf8_locale = true,

--  End Font Settings
--  Colour Settings
	draw_shades = false,
	default_shade_color = '000000',
	draw_outline = false,
	default_outline_color = '000000',

	default_color = '#ffffff',--678b8b',-- Beam green
	color0 = 'B0E0E6',-- PowderBlue
	color1 = '778899',-- LightSlateGray
	color2 = 'D8BFD8',-- Thistle
	color3 = 'ed2323',-- bunsenred --9ACD32',-- YellowGreen
	color4 = 'FFA07A',-- LightSalmon
	color5 = 'FFDEAD',-- NavajoWhite
	color6 = '00BFFF',-- DeepSkyBlue
	color7 = '5F9EA0',-- CadetBlue
	color8 = 'BDB76B',-- DarkKhaki
	color9 = 'C0C0C0',-- Silver

--  End Colour Settings
--  Borders Section
	draw_blended = true, --or false --<====
	draw_borders = false,
	stippled_borders = 5,
	border_inner_margin = 5,
	border_outer_margin = 0,
	border_width = 2,

--  End Borders Section
--  Miscellaneous Section

	background = true,
	use_spacer = 'none',
	no_buffers = true,
	imlib_cache_size = 0,
	double_buffer = true,

--  End Miscellaneous Section  

	update_interval = 2,

};

conky.text = [[
${color3}${font birdman:bold:size=13}F E E D${color}${font}
${rss http://forums.bunsenlabs.org/extern.php?action=feed&type=rss 1 item_titles 6}
#${image $HOME/.config/conky/images/bunsenlabs-text-flame-grey.png}
#${color0}${execpi 360 .config/conky/scripts/BL-atomfeed.py -col1 color0 -col2 blue -bullet »  -lines 15}
#${execpi 600 $HOME/.config/conky/scripts/BL-atomfeed.py -col1 color0 -col2 color3 -bullet ø  -lines 6}
#${voffset 20}${color black}${execpi 360 .config/conky/scripts/BL-atomfeed.py -col1 black -col2 color2 -bullet « -lines 12 -wrap 80}
]];

I got the alpha values from here: https://encycolorpedia.de/584315

previous/old configuration

Finally, your observation regarding the position in labwc and the variables 'normal' and 'desktop'.

johnraff · 2026-09-02 04:17:11

^more good data!

BTW does conky 1.24.2 still output its window id to the terminal like this?

drawing to created window 0x12345678

Even though (I think) that id has no meaning on Wayland, conky reports it whether running on xwayland or native wayland.
On xwayland it's useful though, because you can do some operations on an xwayland conky with wmctrl, like raise it to the top. Get it to the top with focus, and then labwc actions like SendToDesktop can be invoked using wtype or wlrctl to emulate a keypress. This works in bl-conky-session to launch an xwayland conky on a specified desktop. https://github.com/BunsenLabs/bunsen-ut … ssion#L191

Those screenshots - sorry, but I'm not quite sure which one is telling me what. Are they all using conky 2.24.2? What exactly changed beween "previous/old configuration"? I see the right-hand one has transparency.

And also I'm not clear what the 'normal' and 'desktop' own_window_type configs are doing. Again, both shots on 2.24.2?

unklar · 2026-09-02 08:45:43

johnraff wrote:

BTW does conky 1.24.2 still output its window id to the terminal like this?
drawing to created window 0x12345678

Yes.
But only in x11 (xwayland) mode.
Up Version 1.23.2 xwayland

conky: 'testconkyrc' modified, reloading...
conky: desktop window (0x400) is root window
conky: window type - utility
conky: drawing to created window (0x400002)
conky: drawing to double buffer     <------
conky: FOUND: wayland
conky: FOUND: x11
conky: FOUND: file

wayland

conky: 'testconkyrc' modified, reloading...
conky: drawing to single buffer     <----
conky: FOUND: wayland
conky: FOUND: x11
conky: FOUND: file

Version 1.24.2 xwayland

[2026-09-02 10:03:30.415] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:582] window type - override
[2026-09-02 10:03:30.415] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:814] drawing to created window 0x400002
[2026-09-02 10:03:30.428] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to double buffer    <-----
[2026-09-02 10:03:30.465] [info ] [src/conky.cc:1898] 'unknown' wayland session running

wayland

[2026-09-02 10:06:44.713] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to single buffer    <-----
[2026-09-02 10:06:44.742] [info ] [src/conky.cc:1898] 'unknown' wayland session running

Those screenshots - sorry, but I'm not quite sure which one is telling me what. Are they all using conky 2.24.2? What exactly changed beween "previous/old configuration"? I see the right-hand one has transparency.
And also I'm not clear what the 'normal' and 'desktop' own_window_type configs are doing. Again, both shots on 2.24.2?

Sorry, I should have made that clearer.
All images are from version 1.24.2

The excerpts on the left = Wayland with the changed notes

--Begin Window Settings
	out_to_x = false,  --<----
	out_to_wayland = true,
	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = 'desktop',--normal',  --<----
--own_window_transparent = true,
--own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated',  --<----
	own_window_colour = '#886721',--13310123',--18413411',--000000',
	own_window_class = 'conky',
--own_window_title = 'Bunsen Labs Branding Conky',
--own_window_argb_value = 0,

I thought it was clear in the configuration visible in mousepad.

The right image, "previous/old configuration", shows xwayland as before. So, in xwayland (probably) only for transparency

--out_to_wayland = true,
	own_window = true,
--own_window_transparent = false, --true,
	own_window_type = 'override',--desktop',
--own_window_argb_visual = true,
--own_window_argb_value = 80,

The two complete desktops below confirm your experience with "desktop" in Wayland, which only adheres to the "alignment" with this variable.

Last edited by unklar (2026-09-02 09:00:27)

johnraff · 2026-09-02 09:55:35

OK now I get it, thanks.

No output ID on native Wayland makes sense, and having it would serve no useful purpose anyway.

BTW I found that with 1.22.1 on xwayland sometimes even "alignment" isn't correct. On native wayland positioning seems OK though.

unklar · Yesterday 08:02:00

^A few more (illogical) tests with version 1.24.2 on labwc/siduction.

I used a slightly stripped-down configuration of the Carbon-Default-Conky.

-- BL-Carbon-x11.conf

conky.config = {

-- wayland or X
-- out_to_x = true,
--out_to_wayland = true,

--  Window Settings
    own_window = true,
    own_window_type = 'desktop',--utility',
--own_window_transparent = true,
    own_window_hints = 'undecorated',
--own_window_colour = '#000000',
    own_window_class = 'Conky',
    own_window_title = 'BunsenLabs Default Conky',

    alignment = 'top_right',
--    minimum_width = 0,
--    minimum_height = 0,
--    maximum_width = 0,

    gap_x = 350,-- left | right
    gap_y = 80,-- up | down

--  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 = true,--false,
-- Stippled borders?
    stippled_borders = 0,
-- 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,

    double_buffer = true,

-- Update interval in seconds
    update_interval = 1,

};

conky.text = [[
S Y S T E M-x11 ${alignr}${font Sans-serif:size=9}conky v${conky_version}${font}    ${execpi 600 inxi -S | tail -n 1 | head -n 3 | awk '{print $2}'}
${hr}
#Host:${alignr}${nodename}
LINUX:${alignr}${kernel}
RAM:${alignr}${legacymem} / ${memmax}
# This version reports the same (incorrect) lower RAM usage as neofetch or htop:
#RAM:${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}%

${image ~/.config/conky/images/flame-256-2b454f.png -p 170,70 -s 70x70}${goto 60}

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

]];

Please note that in the way-config only 'out-to-wayland = true,' is NOT commented out and the image/icon/logo below is commented out (otherwise the conky will not appear).

It is illogical that the terminal output also indicates x11 for way-config:

unklar@debian-lab:~/.config/conky$ conky -c BL-Carbon-way.conf &
[1] 3659
unklar@debian-lab:~/.config/conky$ [2026-09-03 09:26:10.713] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:683] window type - desktop
[2026-09-03 09:26:10.713] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:814] drawing to created window 0x600002
[2026-09-03 09:26:10.724] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to double buffer
[2026-09-03 09:26:10.726] [info ] [src/conky.cc:2496] forked to background, pid is 3661

[2026-09-03 09:26:10.785] [info ] [src/conky.cc:1898] 'unknown' wayland session running

And no, there is no mix-up. This was tested against other configs not from BL. That's correct:

[2026-09-02 10:06:44.713] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to single buffer
[2026-09-02 10:06:44.742] [info ] [src/conky.cc:1898] 'unknown' wayland session running

Otherwise, it's correct; 'way' appears on ALL desktops in the specified position and cannot be moved with the mouse.

'x11' with the logo appears only on the currently active desktop in the set position and can be moved with the mouse.

Last edited by unklar (Yesterday 08:40:54)

unklar · Yesterday 08:35:58

Last test with Lua scripts for now. I used this one:

There is another warning:

conky: WARNING: cairo_xlib_surface_create is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Use conky_surface() instead.See: https://github.com/brndnmtthws/conky/wiki/Lua:-Evaluation

 [2026-09-03 10:08:44.101] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:683] window type - desktop
[2026-09-03 10:08:44.102] [info ] [src/output/x11.cc:814] drawing to created window 0x600002
[2026-09-03 10:08:44.112] [info ] [src/lua/x11-settings.cc:67] drawing to double buffer
[2026-09-03 10:08:44.123] [warn ] [src/core.cc:459] invalid CPU number 'cpu0', falling back to CPU 1
[2026-09-03 10:08:44.145] [info ] [src/conky.cc:1898] 'unknown' wayland session running
conky: WARNING: cairo_xlib_surface_create is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Use conky_surface() instead.See: https://github.com/brndnmtthws/conky/wiki/Lua:-Evaluation

And now it gets interesting. A visit to the wiki-Lua-Evaluation page makes it clear that in the future, ALL known Lua-scripts that use "cairo_xlib_surface_create" will no longer work.

It's a good thing I'm as old as @Sector11.
That's equivalent to the syntax change from 1.9 to 1.10.
Thanks, brndnmtthws, for this strategically excellent work.

Sector11 · Yesterday 15:36:50

OFF TOPIC (sort of) - but still with conky.

unklar wrote:

It's a good thing I'm as old as @Sector11.
That's equivalent to the syntax change from 1.9 to 1.10.
Thanks, brndnmtthws, for this strategically excellent work.

YUP! It's a good thing I'm as old as @unklar

[2026-09-03 10:08:44.123] [warn ] [src/core.cc:459] invalid CPU number 'cpu0', falling back to CPU 1

NO! He did away with "CPU Average"?
Intel 4 core: Core0 Core1 Core2 Core3
AMD 4 core: CPU1 CPU2 CPU3 CPU4

conky always used: CPU 0 for the average:
INTEL: CPU0(A) CPU1 CPU2 CPU3 CPU4
AMD: CPU0(A) CPU1 CPU2 CPU3 CPU4

And then this:

unklar wrote:

And now it gets interesting. A visit to the wiki-Lua-Evaluation page makes it clear that in the future, ALL known Lua-scripts that use "cairo_xlib_surface_create" will no longer work.

So I ran: ftxt (find text script)

$ ftxt cairo_xlib_surface_create /media/5/Conky/LUA/

it starts:

/media/5/Conky/LUA/vcal-txt.lua
17:

/media/5/Conky/LUA/clock-mod-2.lua
365:

/media/5/Conky/LUA/bazinga.lua
72:
1759:

and the file ends with this, the last line being #1122

/media/5/Conky/LUA/SunMoon-a.lua
24:

/media/5/Conky/LUA/vcal-txt3.lua
25:

/media/5/Conky/LUA/Chronograph-mclovin-12-60.lua
68:

The #:'s are the line #'s in the LUA scripts. They are all followed by:

local cs = cairo_xlib_surface_create(conky_window.display, conky_window.drawable, conky_window.visual, conky_window.width, conky_window.height)

I stripped them out for simplicity

And that's not all the LUA scripts I have.
Yeah, I'll stay with conky v.1.9 as long as I can.

And, for me at least, this is not true:

Lua File Placement
Lua script files should be placed in a directory where Conky can access them. Most commonly, people place Conky scripts alongside the config file because that makes them easier to edit, copy and store on git.

As seen above I store most LUA scripts in /media/5/Conky/LUA/ because I have been known to use the same lua script in various conkys.

OK: I'm different, old and set in my ways. I also believe: if it ain't broke: don't fix it.

OH and the two conky's unklar posted - manually converted to v1.9

Second one on the left and a little lower has 2 changes:

own_window_type normal #desktop ##utility

"normal" making the transparency work AND moveable

    gap_x 350 ## left | right
    gap_y 80 ## up | down

exists in both
and I added an image as I didn't have the one unklar used handy.

Back to Conky on Wayland

#21 2026-08-28 20:42:34

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#22 2026-08-29 06:32:23

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#23 2026-09-01 07:44:27

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#24 2026-09-01 08:21:12

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#25 2026-09-01 16:17:08

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#26 2026-09-02 04:17:11

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#27 2026-09-02 08:45:43

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#28 2026-09-02 09:55:35

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#29 Yesterday 08:02:00

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#30 Yesterday 08:35:58

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

#31 Yesterday 15:36:50

Re: Conky on Wayland - collecting hints

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