Conky disappears

[AndyMH]

Bit cheeky, this is not on mint but Q4OS, happy with my conky in mint.

Problem happens with both Q4OS installed in a VM and it installed to bare metal (low spec Asus with an Atom N455). It is Q4OS running the trinity desktop or DE.

Start conky with conky -d -c /pathtoscript, it starts and displays as expected, but as soon as you click anyway on the desktop it disappears. It is still running - I can tell, output to the terminal complaining about no battery when running in the VM, and you can grep its PID. Starting the same conky in LM21 (cinnamon) - no issues, behaves.

I suspect it is something in the config settings below. I will be playing at random with the various windows/desktop settings so anything to point me in the right direction would be useful:

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conky.config = {
background = false,
use_xft = true;
font = 'Sans:size=8',
xftalpha = 1,
update_interval = 2.0,
total_run_times = 0,
own_window = true,
own_window_class = 'Conky',
own_window_transparent = true,
own_window_argb_visual = true,
own_window_type = 'desktop',
own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
double_buffer = true,
minimum_height = 200,
maximum_width = 240,
draw_shades = false,
draw_outline = false,
draw_borders = false,
draw_graph_borders = false,
stippled_borders = 0,
default_color = 'white',
default_shade_color = 'grey',
default_outline_color = 'white',
alignment = 'top_right',
gap_x = 28,
gap_y = 34,
no_buffers = true,
uppercase = false,
cpu_avg_samples = 2,
override_utf8_locale = false,
color0 = 'white',
color1 = 'FCFF69',
color2 = 'CCE6FF',
color3 = 'DAFFB3',
color4 = 'CCFFCC',
color5 = 'FFFF66',
short_units = true,
}
-- end of conky config settings

Second issue, running Q4OS in a VM, it does what it is told and has a transparent background. Running Q4OS on the Asus, the conky background is black???

I'm doing this for a friend (remote) so when trying to fix it on the Asus, I'm having to anydesk in.

Partial inxi on the Asus:

Code: Select all

System:
  Host: q4os-desktop Kernel: 5.10.0-21-686-pae i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc
  v: 10.2.1 Desktop: Trinity R14.0.12 tk: Qt 3.5.0 info: kicker wm: Twin 3.0
  dm: TDM Distro: Q4OS 4.11.1-n1 base: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: ASUSTeK product: 1011PX v: x.x serial: B8OAAS231822
  Chassis: type: 10 v: x.x serial: N/A
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: 1015PE v: x.xx serial: EeePC-0123456789
  BIOS: American Megatrends v: 1301 date: 05/06/2011
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 20.7 Wh condition: 21.2/23.8 Wh (89%) volts: 12.4/10.8
  model: ASUS 1015PE type: Li-ion serial: N/A status: Unknown
Memory:
  RAM: total: 1.96 GiB used: 438.3 MiB (21.9%)
  Array-1: capacity: 4 GiB slots: 2 EC: None max module size: 2 GiB
  note: est.
  Device-1: DIMM0 size: 2 GiB speed: 667 MT/s type: Other
  detail: synchronous bus width: 64 bits total: 64 bits manufacturer: N/A
  part-no: N/A serial: N/A
  Device-2: DIMM1 size: No Module Installed
CPU:
  Info: Single Core model: Intel Atom N455 bits: 64 type: MT arch: Bonnell
  rev: A L1 cache: 24 KiB L2 cache: 512 KiB bogomips: 6665
  Speed: 1000 MHz min/max: 1000/1667 MHz volts: 1.2 V ext-clock: 167 MHz
  Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1000 2: 1000
  Flags: acpi aperfmperf apic arch_perfmon bts clflush cmov constant_tsc
  cpuid cx16 cx8 de ds_cpl dtes64 dtherm dts est fpu fxsr ht lahf_lm lm mca
  mce mmx monitor movbe msr mtrr nx pae pat pbe pdcm pebs pge pni pse sep ss
  sse sse2 ssse3 tm tm2 tsc vme xtpr
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Atom Processor D4xx/D5xx/N4xx/N5xx Integrated Graphics
  vendor: ASUSTeK Eee PC 1015PX driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
  chip ID: 8086:a011 class ID: 0300
  Device-2: IMC Networks USB 2.0 UVC VGA WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  bus ID: 1-6:3 chip ID: 13d3:5711 class ID: 0e02 serial: 0x0001
  Display: server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: intel
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution: 1024x600~60Hz s-dpi: 120
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Pineview M x86/MMX/SSE2
  v: 1.4 Mesa 20.3.5 direct render: Yes

[zcot]

it disappears when clicking because of that:

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own_window_type = 'desktop',

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       own_window_hints undecorated,below,above,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager
              If  own_window is yes, you may use these window manager hints to
              affect the way Conky displays. Notes: Use own_window_type  desk‐
              top  as another way to implement many of these hints implicitly.
              If you use own_window_type override, window manager  hints  have
              no meaning and are ignored.

       own_window_argb_visual
              Boolean,  use ARGB visual? ARGB can be used for real transparen‐
              cy, note that a composite manager is required for real transpar‐
              ency.  This  option  will not work as desired (in most cases) in
              conjunction with 'own_window_type override'.

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

       own_window_transparent
              Boolean, set transparency? If ARGB visual is enabled, sets back‐
              ground opacity to 0%.

       own_window_type
              if  own_window  is  yes,  you  may specify type normal, desktop,
              dock, panel or override (default: normal).  Desktop windows  are
              special windows that have no window decorations; are always vis‐
              ible on your desktop; do not appear in your  pager  or  taskbar;
              and  are  sticky  across  all  workspaces. Panel windows reserve
              space along a desktop edge, just like panels and taskbars,  pre‐
              venting  maximized  windows  from  overlapping them. The edge is
              chosen based on the alignment option. Override windows  are  not
              under the control of the window manager. Hints are ignored. This
              type of window can be useful for certain situations.

Background is black because the config is missing this line, and so default is 255, 0% transparent.

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own_window_argb_value = 255,

[AndyMH]

Thanks, I was rather hoping that you would respond

[AndyMH]

Some progress, now have a transparent window, doesn't disappear when you click elsewhere on the desktop, but I can't get rid of the borders?

Screenshot from 2023-03-13 11-45-57.png (52.28 KiB) Viewed 306 times

Changed own window type from desktop to

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own_window_type = 'normal',

and putting in

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own_window_argb_value = 0,

Revised config:

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conky.config = {
    background = false,
    use_xft = true;
    font = 'Sans:size=8',
    xftalpha = 1,
    update_interval = 2.0,
    total_run_times = 0,
    own_window = true,
    -- commented out below makes no difference
    own_window_class = 'Conky',
    own_window_transparent = true,  
    -- if I comment out the following two lines, background is black
    own_window_argb_visual = true,
    own_window_argb_value = 0,
    -- with above two commented out, background true or false no different get blk background
    background = false,
    -- type override gives a black background
    own_window_type = 'normal',
    own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
    double_buffer = true,
    minimum_height = 200,
    maximum_width = 240,
    draw_shades = false,
    draw_outline = false,
    draw_borders = false,
    draw_graph_borders = false,
    stippled_borders = 0,
    default_color = 'white',
    default_shade_color = 'grey',
    default_outline_color = 'white',
    alignment = 'top_right',
    gap_x = 28,
    gap_y = 34,
    no_buffers = true,
    uppercase = false,
    cpu_avg_samples = 2,
    override_utf8_locale = false,
    color0 = 'white',  
    color1 = 'FCFF69', 
    color2 = 'CCE6FF', 
    color3 = 'DAFFB3',  
    color4 = 'CCFFCC', 
    color5 = 'FFFF66', 
    short_units = true,
}
-- end of conky config settings

I did manage some settings which I've forgotten that ended up with no borders, but the layout screwed, think all the {goto}s were referencing the desktop not the conky window, had variable outputs, e.g. PIDs, scattered across the left of the desktop.

Any ideas on the borders?

[Bleys]

own_window_class = 'Conky', - default: conky, unnecessary
own_window_type = 'normal', <-- default: normal, unnecessary
own_window_transparent = false|true, <-- irrelevant if ARGB is active, unnecessary

background = false, <- Has nothing to do with the background of the Conky window! Boolean value, if true, Conky will be forked to background when started. Same as -d Option.

https://conky.sourceforge.net/config_settings.html

[zcot]

yea, not even sure what I was thinking on the background, I never use it, literal background or daemon option.

It seems like each window manager system needs a different config combo at times. A normal window is pretty good and seems proper. but I'm almost always on Xfce though. The different DE setups will sometimes require a different option depending on how the wm is handling the situation.

[Bleys]

Mint 21.1, Cinnamon:

[Bleys]

Same Configs with Ubuntu 22.04, Gnome:

[Bleys]

Same Configs, Ubuntu Budgie 20.04:

[AndyMH]

I've got rid of the superfluous entries, but I cannot find a combination that gives me a transparent background and NO borders. Find this frustrating, my conky survived unchanged LM17 through LM20. Issues with LM21 which zcot fixed for me (viewtopic.php?p=2216420&hilit=conky#p2216420). Same fix does not work with Q4OS

Current config:

Code: Select all

conky.config = {
    background = false,
    use_xft = true;
    font = 'Sans:size=8',
    xftalpha = 1,
    update_interval = 2.0,
    total_run_times = 0,
    own_window = true,
    own_window_transparent = true,
    own_window_argb_visual = true,
    own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
    double_buffer = true,
    minimum_height = 200,
    maximum_width = 240,
    draw_shades = false,
    draw_outline = false,
    draw_borders = false,
    draw_graph_borders = false,

Settings for borders are just ignored.

[zcot]

It might be possible to use one of the other settings to get the WM to treat the window differently, not shadow it, maybe not though.

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own_window_type = 'normal',

[Koentje]

I would change this
use_xft = true;

To this
use_xft = true,

[all41]

Seems conky has it's own conventions

[AndyMH]

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use_xft = true;

Hadn't spotted that, in between trying to sort conky been C++ing. Don't think it will make a difference, but you never know.

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own_window_type = 'normal',

From reading I believe it you don't specify window type (which is one of the changes I made in response to comments) it defaults to this.

Anyway, thanks to all for the comments.