[Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

schwim · 2016-05-19 17:11:40

Hey there folks!

I'm trying to improve the visual performance some in my virtual machine (Win host/BL guest) and I need to enable 3d acceleration. The only issue I'm having is that when I do enable it, my conky transparency takes a poop and I end up with a completely black background.

Could someone help me figure out what I need to change to get it working again?

Thanks for your time!

Here's my conky stuff:

background yes
use_xft yes
xftfont Liberation Sans:size=9
xftalpha 1
update_interval 1.0
total_run_times 0
own_window yes
own_window_transparent no
own_window_type desktop
own_window_argb_visual yes
own_window_argb_value 150
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager
double_buffer yes
draw_shades yes
draw_outline no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders no
# default_color 808080
default_color ff8000
default_shade_color 000000
default_outline_color 828282
alignment top_right
gap_x 8
gap_y 40
no_buffers yes
uppercase no
cpu_avg_samples 2
override_utf8_locale no
maximum_width 200
minimum_size 200 960

damo · 2016-05-19 17:29:36

Is this the problem?

own_window_transparent no

schwim · 2016-05-19 17:36:03

damo wrote:

Is this the problem?
own_window_transparent no

It does not resolve the issue, unfortunately.

schwim · 2016-05-19 17:41:00

I did play around with some thread suggestions, this being my latest but I've not found a single combination of settings to work.

Sector11 · 2016-05-19 20:06:00

I'm betting "argb" is the problem so taking a wild throw of a dart here:
1. kill the conky
2. edit these:

own_window_transparent yes #no
own_window_type normal #desktop **
#own_window_argb_visual yes
#own_window_argb_value 150
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager

** "normal" so own_window_hints actually work.

Restart the conky and see if that works.

If yes:
Now if you want a shaded background you can use ~/.config/conky/LUA/draw-bg.lua if your conky doesn't have images in it.

Or a "shaded image" the size of, or slightly bigger than, your conky (200 960). I have some here.

For example bk_30.png is 30% opaque ... 200x960 is rather large and the ${image } command draws more CPU resources if it has to resize images on the fly. Resize one to 205x965 and just call it up:

${image /path/to/bk_30}

You don't even need the -p option it defaults to "-p 0,0" and with the image 2.5 pixel bigger all around it should be just fine.

Best bet here is:

TEXT
${image /path/to/bk_30}\

The \ means whatever line comes after is a part of that line therefore the command to call the image take no space.

TEXT
Hello
schwim

prints to the screen:

Hello
schwim

But:

TEXT
Hello \
schwim

prints:

Hello schwim

schwim · 2016-05-20 17:57:49

Thanks a bunch for your help, sir! Unfortunately, editing the two lines in the conky did not resolve the issue and a black background remains.

xaos52 · 2016-05-20 18:19:47

^ Try loading a new wallpaper. See if that solves your conky background problem.

Sector11 · 2016-05-20 18:49:49

schwim wrote:

Thanks a bunch for your help, sir! Unfortunately, editing the two lines in the conky did not resolve the issue and a black background remains.

Oh please - not sir

Actually it was editing 4 lines:

own_window_transparent yes #no
own_window_type normal #desktop **
#own_window_argb_visual yes
#own_window_argb_value 150

1 change no to yes
2 change desktop to normal
3 & 4 comment out these two own_window_argb lines.

If that doesn't do it - I don't think it is conky but the 3d accelerator you are using causing the black background.

In order for _argb to work you need a composite manager running.
Turning off compton in Bunsen - and conkys using _argb go black ... the two system conkys on the right have been setup as described above.

The other four are using _argb and have black backgrounds.
Turning on compton again and all conky will be transparent.

schwim · 2016-05-20 19:26:20

Ok, I edited the conky again but with the mods that you actually wanted (hehe, sorry ) and I've now got complete transparency! Yay!

So my question now is: (I know, it's never good enough, is it?) Can I get my partial transparency back, as I did before or do I need to stick with full transparency?

Sector11 · 2016-05-20 20:00:05

There are a couple of ways you can get a shaded background:

1. semi-transparent images 1_pixel_images.tar.gz there are a few in there:
bk_20, _30, _40, _50, _60, _70, _80 and bk_90.png, the ## represents the % of opaqueness

Put one as the first line after TEXT (sample):

TEXT
${image /path/to/bk_30.png -p 0,0 -s XxY}\
${color}${alignc}S Y S T E M    I N F O
${hr}${image /path/to/bk_30.png -p 0,0 -s XxY}

where -s XxY is the height and width of the conky and don't forget the final \

OR a LUA script for the background (this is built into Bunsen)

2. ~/.config/conky/LUA/draw-bg.lua with two ways to use it:

Above and After TEXT (requires a composite manager or it blinks!)

 lua_load ~/path/to/draw_bg.lua
 TEXT
 ${lua conky_draw_bg 10 0 0 0 0 0x000000 0.2}

OR Both above TEXT (no composite manager required - no blinking!)

 lua_load ~/path/to/draw_bg.lua
 lua_draw_hook_pre draw_bg 10 0 0 0 0 0x000000 0.2
 TEXT

You'll need to test it to see how it works in the 3d accelerator. Open draw-bg.lua in a text editor to read the little HowTo. It does a lot of stuff.

=====
EDIT: just realized I just repeated most of my post above. Oh well, better too much than not enough. Keep us posted, I'd like to know how you make out.

Last edited by Sector11 (2016-05-20 20:05:32)

schwim · 2016-05-20 20:08:32

I went with:

lua_load ~/.config/conky/LUA/draw-bg.lua
lua_draw_hook_pre draw_bg 10 0 0 0 0 0x000000 0.2

and it's gorgeous. It even gave me rounded corners, which is pretty nifty. It's best to keep me away from sharp edges.

Thanks a bunch!

Sector11 · 2016-05-20 20:15:27

AWESOME! That 10 is the rounded corners and the % of shade can be changed with the ending 0.2

Glad you got it fixed.
I marked it [Solved]

schwim · 2016-05-27 18:25:01

Heya folks

Seems that this solution is just not going to work out. It sometimes doesn't update the background, conky content freezes and stops updating(hours, not seconds or minutes), and it will sometimes partially disappear(top half usually). I've disabled 3d acceleration in the VB guest and have tried to revert my changes, but it seems not to be working. Conky starts and just a tiny square shows up in the upper left corner but nothing else. I'm pretty sure, I've What am I missing? I'm not sure what I've neglected to revert back to original. Any insight would be most welcome!

Here's my conky:

background yes
use_xft yes
xftfont Liberation Sans:size=9
xftalpha 1
update_interval 1.0
total_run_times 0
own_window yes
own_window_transparent no
own_window_type desktop
own_window_argb_visual yes
own_window_argb_value 150
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager
double_buffer yes
draw_shades yes
draw_outline no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders no
# default_color 808080
default_color ff8000
default_shade_color 000000
default_outline_color 828282
alignment top_right
gap_x 8
gap_y 40
no_buffers yes
uppercase no
cpu_avg_samples 2
override_utf8_locale no
maximum_width 200
minimum_size 200 960

##############################################
#  Output
##############################################
TEXT

Sector11 · 2016-05-27 19:51:37

Well, I copied that code above with the original code in the OP into medit and did a sort lines. They are the same:

alignment top_right
alignment top_right
background yes
background yes
cpu_avg_samples 2
cpu_avg_samples 2
# default_color 808080
# default_color 808080
default_color ff8000
default_color ff8000
default_outline_color 828282
default_outline_color 828282
default_shade_color 000000
default_shade_color 000000
double_buffer yes
double_buffer yes
draw_borders no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders no
draw_graph_borders no
draw_outline no
draw_outline no
draw_shades yes
draw_shades yes
gap_x 8
gap_x 8
gap_y 40
gap_y 40
maximum_width 200
maximum_width 200
minimum_size 200 960
minimum_size 200 960
no_buffers yes
no_buffers yes
override_utf8_locale no
override_utf8_locale no
own_window_argb_value 150
own_window_argb_value 150
own_window_argb_visual yes
own_window_argb_visual yes
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager
own_window_transparent no
own_window_transparent no
own_window_type desktop
own_window_type desktop
own_window yes
own_window yes
total_run_times 0
total_run_times 0
update_interval 1.0
update_interval 1.0
uppercase no
uppercase no
use_xft yes
use_xft yes
xftalpha 1
xftalpha 1
xftfont Liberation Sans:size=9
xftfont Liberation Sans:size=9

except now they are sorted alphabetically

So could you start your conky in a terminal and post the complete output here please.
ie:

conky -c /path/to/your/conkyrc &

If it worked before it should work again.

Sector11 · 2016-05-27 20:12:46

Just noticed two things:
1. in the code:

alignment top_right

2. and you said:

Conky starts and just a tiny square shows up in the upper left corner but nothing else

Are you starting the right conky?

#1 2016-05-19 17:11:40

[Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#2 2016-05-19 17:29:36

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#3 2016-05-19 17:36:03

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#4 2016-05-19 17:41:00

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#5 2016-05-19 20:06:00

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#6 2016-05-20 17:57:49

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#7 2016-05-20 18:19:47

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#8 2016-05-20 18:49:49

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#9 2016-05-20 19:26:20

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#10 2016-05-20 20:00:05

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#11 2016-05-20 20:08:32

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#12 2016-05-20 20:15:27

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#13 2016-05-27 18:25:01

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#14 2016-05-27 19:51:37

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

#15 2016-05-27 20:12:46

Re: [Solved] Virtual Machine: 3d acceleration breaks my conky transparency

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