Horizontal Conky messing up background

[mintmaniac2]

I have made a horizontal 1-line conky and when the values like the cpu percent or time change, it pushes out the text further so the transparent part where conky is is out or line with the rest of the desktop for a few seconds. I am running compiz if that makes a differentce. Is there any way of stopping it from messing itself up (using spacer or forcing it to hold a specific size?) I would like to have simpler solutions that i can understand fully rather than the more complicated and confusing ones.
Here is my conkyrc:

Code: Select all

background yes
use_xft yes
xftfont Ubuntu:size=9
xftalpha 0.5
out_to_console no
out_to_stderr no
extra_newline no
update_interval 1.0
total_run_times 0
own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
double_buffer yes
draw_shades no
draw_outline no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders yes
uppercase no
default_color ffffff
alignment top_middle
border_margin 1
gap_x 0
gap_y 0
no_buffers yes
cpu_avg_samples 2
use_spacer none
override_utf8_locale no
default_color white
color2 ACCD8A
TEXT
${color2} Operating System:${color} Linux Mint 10 Julia | ${color2}System Updates:${color} ${execi 1800 aptitude search "~U" | wc -l | tail} | ${color2}CPU1:${color} ${cpu cpu1}% ${cpugraph cpu1 8,60 color2 white} | ${color2}CPU2:${color} ${cpu cpu2}% ${cpugraph cpu2 8,60 color2 white} | ${color2}RAM:${color} $memperc% ${membar 8,60 FB9845} | ${color2}System Uptime:${color} ${uptime} | ${color2}Time & Date:${color} ${time %a %b %d %Y} ${time %H:%M:%S} | ${color2}Upload:${color} ${totalup eth1} | ${color2}Download:${color} ${totaldown eth1} | ${color2} Local Ip:${color} ${addr eth1} |${color2} Disk '/':${color} ${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /} - ${fs_used_perc /}%

[mmesantos1]

Ok so I loaded your conky and I am not having the issue you have described, I have not seen this with any conky I have used so I am not sure what it is causing it.

Screenshot.png

[mintmaniac2]

All i know is that when the text moves (as it does when the cpu value changes) it makes it wider or narrower and the bit of the background conky is on ends up misaligned for a second. It is more noticable with patterened or colourful wallpapers
It could be Compiz having a redraw problem or X, or the window type in my conky file. Ill play around and see if it is any of those.

Edit: it's not a Compiz problem as i get the same in metacity.
Edit Edit: Not a conky window mode problem: override is what i normally use, desktop makes compiz draw a shadow but the problem remains and normal makes compiz draw window controls so is useless.

[mintmaniac2]

To make it a little bit clearer what the problem is, i have included a video of it happening.
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6Vjan ... y=CJSJyIsH

[mmesantos1]

Now I see what you are saying, ya I would not have seen that with the wall I was using in the screenshot. I will have a go with a different wall and see if I get the same issue. you may try speeding the update_interval to a quicker time. I will see if I can figure out anything else for you. Thanks again for posting the video it made things much clearer.

Edit: Ok so with another wall I can now see it on my PC as well. Speeding up the update_interval did not help. Still get the tearing effect. Will keep trying things.

[zerozero]

you can try play with "goto" so this way the conky stays fix and doesn't narrow or expand if the text width changes.

see this two how-to's. They may help

http://conky-pitstop.wikidot.com/howto-s#toc16

http://conky-pitstop.wikidot.com/howto-s#toc6

[mintmaniac2]

by setting the minimum_size value to my screen's width (1440) it stops the flickering, but instead of aligning it in the middle of my screen (as set by the alignment top_middle) it aligns it to the top left of my screen and still resizes, but without the ripping of the background.

[zerozero]

it rezises because you have there 3 values that change from 1 to 2 digits frequently: both cpu's and ram.
the only way of avoid that is creating starting points for those values (goto)

Code: Select all

${goto 10}${color2} Operating System:${color} Linux Mint 10 Julia | ${goto 228}${color2}System Updates:${color} ${execi 1800 aptitude search "~U" | wc -l | tail} | ${goto 335}${color2}CPU1:${color} ${cpu cpu1}% ${cpugraph cpu1 8,60 color2 white} | ${goto 464}${color2}CPU2:${color} ${cpu cpu2}% ${cpugraph cpu2 8,60 color2 white} | ${goto 595}${color2}RAM:${color} $memperc% ${membar 8,60 FB9845} | ${color2}System Uptime:${color} ${uptime} | ${color2}Time & Date:${color} ${time %a %b %d %Y} ${time %H:%M:%S} | ${color2}Upload:${color} ${totalup eth1} | ${color2}Download:${color} ${totaldown eth1} |

the values here are for a 1366 screen

[RichardH]

when I set
${font Helvetica:size=7}
in front of the line in the first post with my conky setup above,
I could see everything with no flickering nor movement.
Graphs as expected. But I don't use Compiz.

There is "pad percents n" (n = 0 means no padding)
Looking for one for the graphs.

[mintmaniac2]

I used the gotos, but had to chagne them for my monitor, and i also had to use it on my uptime as it formats the seconds in 1, 2, 3, not 01, 02 ,03. And to make sure that it woulodn't interfere with the time and date next to it, i had to goto on that as well, ootherwise it would still move the time and date, causing the rip.
Here is my modified conkyrc incase anyone wants it.

Code: Select all

background yes
use_xft yes
xftfont Ubuntu:size=8.5
xftalpha 0.5
out_to_console no
out_to_stderr no
extra_newline no
update_interval 1.0
total_run_times 0
own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
double_buffer yes
draw_shades no
draw_outline no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders yes
uppercase no
default_color white
alignment top_middle
border_margin 1
gap_x 0
gap_y 0
no_buffers yes
cpu_avg_samples 2
override_utf8_locale no
color2 79ca27
pad_percents 2
TEXT
${goto 10}${color2} Operating System:${color} Linux Mint 10 Julia | ${goto 195}${color2}System Updates:${color} ${execi 1800 aptitude search "~U" | wc -l | tail} | ${goto 286}${color2}CPU1:${color} ${cpu cpu1}% ${cpugraph cpu1 8,60 color2 white} | ${goto 405}${color2}CPU2:${color} ${cpu cpu2}% ${cpugraph cpu2 8,60 color2 white} | ${goto 525}${color2}RAM:${color} $memperc% ${membar 8,60 FB9845} |  ${goto 645}${color2}System Uptime:${color} ${uptime} |   ${goto 785}${color2}Time & Date:${color} ${time %a %b %d %Y} ${time %H:%M:%S} |   ${color2}Upload:${color} ${totalup eth1} |   ${color2}Download:${color} ${totaldown eth1} |    ${color2} Local Ip:${color} ${addr eth1}  |   ${color2} Disk '/':${color} ${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /} - ${fs_used_perc /}%

Thanks zerozero

[zerozero]

you are welcome