HOW TO: A Beginners Guide to Setting up Conky

[Gotit]

I've had some problems with getting Conky to start when I boot too. But, I got it resolved thanks to other posts in the forums. Here's what I ended up with

Create a new text file and add these lines:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 8 && conky

Save the file in your home directory as something.sh I used:

.conky_start.sh

This will add a short (8 sec) delay to starting Conky.
Once saved navigate to the newly saved file, right click and select Properties.
On the Permissions tab, check the "Allow executing file as program" check box and close the properties dialogue.

Go to:
Systems > Preferences > Startup Applications
Click Add
In the dialogue box give a name (I used Conky)
In the command box enter

/home/your_home_folder_name/.conky_start.sh

and click OK to save. You should now have a new Conky entry in the Startup Applications Preferences list.
Make sure the check box next to Conky is checked in the Startup Applications Preferences.
Log out/in from Gnome and Conky should start automatically.

[Borunco]

I've had some problems with getting Conky to start when I boot too. But, I got it resolved thanks to other posts in the forums. Here's what I ended up with

Create a new text file and add these lines:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 8 && conky

Save the file in your home directory as something.sh I used:

This will add a short (8 sec) delay to starting Conky.
Once saved navigate to the newly saved file, right click and select Properties.
On the Permissions tab, check the "Allow executing file as program" check box and close the properties dialogue.

Go to:
Systems > Preferences > Startup Applications
Click Add
In the dialogue box give a name (I used Conky)
In the command box enter

/home/your_home_folder_name/.conky_start.sh

and click OK to save. You should now have a new Conky entry in the Startup Applications Preferences list.
Make sure the check box next to Conky is checked in the Startup Applications Preferences.
Log out/in from Gnome and Conky should start automatically.

Hi gotit, I looked at what you posted and I was doing all that you said except the (/home/name/) part at the command box in the startup app section. Did that and my conky started after reboot. YEAH BABY you made my day. ( sorry didn't mean to call you baby). Now I can move on start playing with it.
thank you.
Just a note to this tutorial, some things that are taken for granted, like living that part of the code out, for NOOBS like me we some times don't understand, and can be copying/pasting all day long and things will not work. So in conclusion in a tutorial things need to be explained, like the person on the other side has never done a code structure before. For those more experienced it would be boring at first, but for the beginners is a total rush, and there would be faster growth.
Thank again Gotit
borunco

[Sector11]

If you were reading this guide, the way to start conky (be it one or more) is described in the first post:

STEP 2 - Setting up conky to autostart on boot.

What it does not say is "~/" is equal to /home/your_name/

Want to see what yours is? In a terminal:

  14:05:12 ~
         $ $HOME
bash: /home/sector11: Is a directory

  14:05:18 ~
         $

so you can use (in my case):

/home/sector11/

~/

$HOME/

The script on the first page can be (original):

#!/bin/bash
sleep 0 &&	# 0 good for Xfce - use 20 to 30 for Gnome
conky -c ~/Conky/conkymain &
# sleep 0 &&
# conky -c ~/Conky/another_conky &

OR

#!/bin/bash
sleep 0 &&	# 0 good for Xfce - use 20 to 30 for Gnome
conky -c /home/sector11/Conky/conkymain &
# sleep 0 &&
# conky -c /home/sector11/Conky/another_conky &

OR

#!/bin/bash
sleep 0 &&	# 0 good for Xfce - use 20 to 30 for Gnome
conky -c $HOME/Conky/conkymain &
# sleep 0 &&
# conky -c $HOME/Conky/another_conky &

With "some" newer versions of conky if you edit them most times you need to kill then and restart them or they don't "resize"

Nice script for that is Start/Stop Conky

In keeping with the example above:

   #!/bin/sh
   # Name: ssc.sh
   # click to start, click to stop, click again to start
    
   if pidof conky | grep [0-9] > /dev/null
   then
   exec killall conky
   else
   #sleep 3  # sleep may not be required on startup
   conky -c ~/Conky/conky &
   # conky -c ~/Conky/conky2 &  ## 2nd or 3rd conky
   # conky -c ~/Conky/another3 &  ## uncomment to use
   exit
   fi

Since conky is NOT running when you boot up you can use this script as an auto start script as well. How you do that is explained in the first post of this thread as well. Since it is old YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[Borunco]

Thank you, sector11 for explaining that. although when I was trying to do the ~/conky/conkymain I was not getting a file in file manager with the conkymain name. I have a working conky now on my desktop and it's coming on at start, thanks to you guys help. I will try again on my net-book this week and see if all goes well, but for sure it is a great learning experience, and it's AWESOME to have people like you that know what to do and are willing to help us noobs.
Thank you
borunco

[Sector11]

Thank you, sector11 for explaining that. although when I was trying to do the ~/conky/conkymain I was not getting a file in file manager with the conkymain name. I have a working conky now on my desktop and it's coming on at start, thanks to you guys help. I will try again on my net-book this week and see if all goes well, but for sure it is a great learning experience, and it's AWESOME to have people like you that know what to do and are willing to help us noobs.
Thank you
borunco

I'm a noob about many things Linux. But I was taught about conky by some patient people that stuck with me through thick and thin even thought I asked the same question a couple of times. Now I help because I know the frustration of trying and the "WHY DOESN'T THIS WORK FOR ME! Grrrrrrrrr!!!"

"conky" is a program, it uses a normal "text file" to get it's output from.

When you install the program conky there is NO "~/.conkyrc" in your home directory and typing

conky

starts up the default ugly conky file found in /etc/conky/conky.conf.

However "conky" is designed to read and use ~/.conkyrc if it is there in your home directory. Many Linux Distros are now including conky in the install process with a default conky in ~/.conkyrc.

My Distro default conky is still intact:

I've never touched it, but I have a look-a-like I modified.

In the first post it says to:

1. Create a directory in /home called /Conky
2. Create an empty file called; conkymain:
   

   gedit ~/Conky/conkymain

3. Paste a conky file from one of the posts in the threads above that you like into that empty file and save it.

don't forget #3 - you need to create the file, Also pasting a conky into that open file will not guarantee it will work correctly, but it will get you started.

conky --help

  12:50:51 ~
         $ conky --help
Usage: conky [OPTION]...
Conky is a system monitor that renders text on desktop or to own transparent
window. Command line options will override configurations defined in config
file.
   -v, --version             version
   -q, --quiet               quiet mode
   -D, --debug               increase debugging output, ie. -DD for more debugging
   -c, --config=FILE         config file to load
   -C, --print-config        print the builtin default config to stdout
                             e.g. 'conky -C > ~/.conkyrc' will create a new default config
   -d, --daemonize           daemonize, fork to background
   -h, --help                help
   -a, --alignment=ALIGNMENT text alignment on screen, {top,bottom,middle}_{left,right,middle}
   -f, --font=FONT           font to use
   -X, --display=DISPLAY     X11 display to use
   -o, --own-window          create own window to draw
   -b, --double-buffer       double buffer (prevents flickering)
   -w, --window-id=WIN_ID    window id to draw
   -x X                      x position
   -y Y                      y position
   -t, --text=TEXT           text to render, remember single quotes, like -t '$uptime'
   -u, --interval=SECS       update interval
   -i COUNT                  number of times to update Conky (and quit)
   -p, --pause=SECS          pause for SECS seconds at startup before doing anything

  12:50:56 ~
         $

tells is that you can use:

conky -c /path_to/conkyfile

or if you choose, you can use:

conky -c ~/conky/my_first_conky_by_borunco.txt

if you want to ... for example my current start-up script:

#!/bin/sh
# click to start, click to stop

if pidof conky | grep [0-9] > /dev/null
   then
      exec killall conky
   else
      sleep 3
      conky -c ~/Conky/OB_Cal-br &
      conky -c ~/Conky/OB_V_right &
      conky -c ~/Conky/OB_VR2 &
      (sleep 3s && wmctrl -s 2 && conky -c ~/Conky/OB_Win_remind-cal) &
   exit
fi

Which is also assigned to my tint2 clock and OpenBox menu.

The first three are "sticky" on all desktops, the last one is not and only runs on my third desktop (wmctrl -s 2)

[Borunco]

 	Code:
 	gedit ~/Conky/conkymain

Thank you for all that info.
My stupid question is, when you put that code in terminal, is it so post to make the directory and file in the home. because if it is, I don't get that even when I look at the hidden files.
I get the empty gedit script page with the conkymain name, when i copy/paste a script to it, then hit save. It always tells me that can,t find /home/jose/conkymain.

[Sector11]

 	Code:
 	gedit ~/Conky/conkymain

Thank you for all that info.
My stupid question is, when you put that code in terminal, is it so post to make the directory and file in the home. because if it is, I don't get that even when I look at the hidden files.
I get the empty gedit script page with the conkymain name, when i copy/paste a script to it, then hit save. It always tells me that can,t find /home/jose/conkymain.

OK I see your problem... the directory does not exist.

do this in a terminal (copy and paste from here)

mkdir ~/Conky && gedit ~/Conky/conkymain

If you do not know somethings questions are not stupid.
Questions should be encouraged.

A question; is Spanish your first language?
S11

[Borunco]

A question; is Spanish your first language?
S11

Well to answer that would be yes 41 years ago, so I would have to say no, I just suck at typing . I tried the code you posted and I was able to save the script, as soon as I have some time today I will continue with it, and get back with my progress.
Thank you for all your help
borunco

[Sector11]

A question; is Spanish your first language?
S11

Well to answer that would be yes 41 years ago, so I would have to say no, I just suck at typing . I tried the code you posted and I was able to save the script, as soon as I have some time today I will continue with it, and get back with my progress.
Thank you for all your help
borunco

Lets see, 41 years ago - yes, I was bilingual then: English and Profanity!

OK, I'm a four and a half finger typist (thumb on the space bar) tell people what I do:

I do not make typos, the keys on my keyboard move around to confuse me.

Enjoy!

[Borunco]

Lol, That must be my problem. I knew that there was something weird about my keys.
Thanks