SOLVED: conky on startup xfce debian

[aljoriz]

Facts:
1. I installed conky
2. Added a script that has transparency
3. I changed the default wallpaper (emavibe silver to something else)
4. I added conky to the application auto start under session and startup

When I rebooted I saw the default emavibe wallpaper with conky but was quickly replaced with the new wallpaper I had installed but it has no conky.

[jeffreyC]

In Xfce 4.8 own_window_type desktop does not give transparency
own_window_type override does give transparency

Xfce places the wallpaper on a layer above the root window

[aljoriz]

so how do I get around to changing the root windows, is that it?

[jeffreyC]

The root window is under the wallpaper, maybe if you used something like SLiM and made a theme with the same background ?
But that is a workaround not really a fix.

[phredbull]

In my experience with using Conky w/compositing, you need to have a delay in your Conky startup script to give the compositor time to get up and running; here's my Conky startup script:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

# click to start, click to stop

if pidof conky | grep [0-9] > /dev/null
then
 exec killall conky
else
sleep 18
 exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.time &
 exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.weather &
 exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.system &
 exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.wireless &
 exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.keys

 fi

Note the "sleep 18"; this makes Conky wait 18 seconds after login to launch, (which is not very long, a bit after the desktop and panel are up). You can play w/this number to suit your needs.
BTW, you can remove the sleep command and use this script for a Conky start/stop switch, either as a desktop/panel launcher, or assign a key command to it...

Edit: if you're using Nautilus, Nautilus may be drawing a desktop on top of everything; in that case, I'd disable the Nautilus desktop. I don't remember how off hand, but I'm sure Google will have plenty of how-tos.
If you're NOT using Nautilus, but are using DropBox, (I'm not), see this thread...

[aljoriz]

that's a great work around but still not a solution.

[phredbull]

AFAIK, Conky must start after the desktop is drawn, and if you use compositing, after that starts. A startup script like the one I posted seems to be the standard way to achieve this, so it's not a workaround, it's a way to make Conky auto-start correctly.

[jeffreyC]

Delaying the start of conky IS the standard method because it depends on other things to be running first.
This is not a workaround, it is the normal start up sequence, if you use Gnome or KDE you would need an even longer delay than with Xfce.

[aljoriz]

I see thank you for enlightening me. For the benefit of newbies do they use the script?
at the terminal:
sudo gedit .conky_start.sh

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

# click to start, click to stop

if pidof conky | grep [0-9] > /dev/null
then
exec killall conky
else
sleep 18
exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.time &
exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.weather &
exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.system &
exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.wireless &
exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.keys

fi

Save at the terminal:

Code: Select all

chmod a+x .conky_start.sh

Now go to Menu>Settings>Session & Startup > Application autostart press add
Enter any name that would want for the conky.

I used conky, for the command? its the location of the script hence:
/home/(username)/.conky_start.sh

[phredbull]

You can copy the startup script I posted above, but replace the lines

Code: Select all

exec conky -c ~/Scripts/conkyrc.time &

with the name and location of your Conky. I have multiple Conkys; if you only have 1 Conky, use only 1 exec line without the & symbol at the end. Save the file, (mine is called "Conky startup"), right click on the file and go to Properties>Permissions and click "Allow this file to run as a program".
Add "/home/username/path/to/Conky startup" to your startup items, and adjust the "sleep #" as needed.

Enjoy!

edit: It sounds like what you posted above should work, just replace the info in the script with your own Conkys.

[Roken]

You could, alternatively, have conky start with your system, and change the script as follows:

Code: Select all

    #!/bin/sh

    sleep 18
    killall -SIGUSR1 conky

This will force conky to reload after 18 seconds.