Light-weight System Monitor

From Knowledge76

Howto: Get a beautiful Conky 1.4.2 setup

Conky is an powerful desktop app that posts system monitoring info onto the root window. It is hard to set up properly (has unlisted dependencies, special command line compile options, and requires a mod to xorg.conf to stop it from flickering, and the apt-get version doesnt work properly). Most people can't get it working right, but its an AWESOME app if it can be set up right done!

N.B.With Version 1.4.2 there is no longer a need to load devilspie to hide the taskbar window.

1. Install required dependencies (make sure the universe repo is enabled)

sudo apt-get --assume-yes install libxext-dev lm-sensors build-essential checkinstall wmctrl

2. Download http://www.pengo.us/conky_1.4.2-0ubuntu1_i386.deb PLEASE DON'T LINK TO THIS FILE, as it's only on very limited bandwidth!

cd wget http://www.pengo.us/conky_1.4.2-0ubuntu1_i386.deb 
sudo dpkg -i conky_1.4.2-0ubuntu1_i386.deb

This is a .deb file for Conky 1.4.2 now that works on Ubuntu (the standard Debian 1.4.2 .deb doesn't work). Note that at the time of writing this how-to, the conky in the ubuntu universe repository is very old and, in ways, broken.

   Note that at the time of writing, version 1.4.2 is the latest version. If a later version has been released since the writing of this guide, you can build your own conky .deb file as follows. First, go to http://conky.sourceforge.net/ to download the latest version.

wget http://umn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/conky/conky-1.4.2.tar.gz
tar xvzf conky-1.4.2.tar.gz
rm conky-1.4.2.tar.gz
cd ~/conky-1.4.2
./configure 

add below switches to configure for all available information

--prefix=/usr --mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info --datadir=/usr/share --sysconfdir=/etc --localstatedir=/var/lib --enable-xft --enable-seti --enable-double-buffer --enable-own-window --enable-proc-uptime --enable-mpd --enable-mldonkey --enable-x11 --enable-portmon --enable-infopipe

make
sudo checkinstall

   Then answer the relevant questions that checkinstall gives. But, as stated above, you may only need to download the source and make it if this guide has become outdated and versions after 1.4.2 have been released.

3. Make a configuration file in your home directory (ie. /home/bob)

gedit /home/bob/.conkyrc

4. Paste the following code into the file and save / exit. If you know what you are doing, you can edit this file, or download other example configuration file on the net (but this one is probably the best!).

# UBUNTU-CONKY
# A comprehensive conky script, configured for use on
# Ubuntu / Debian Gnome, without the need for any external scripts.
#
# Based on conky-jc and the default .conkyrc.
# INCLUDES:
# - tail of /var/log/messages 
# - netstat connections to your computer
#
# -- Pengo (conky@pengo.us)
#

# Create own window instead of using desktop (required in nautilus)
own_window yes
own_window_hints undecorated,below,skip_taskbar
background yes

# Use double buffering (reduces flicker, may not work for everyone)
double_buffer yes

# fiddle with window
use_spacer yes
use_xft no

# Update interval in seconds
update_interval 3.0

# Minimum size of text area
minimum_size 400 5

# Draw shades?
draw_shades no

# Text stuff
draw_outline no # amplifies text if yes
draw_borders no
font arial
uppercase no # set to yes if you want all text to be in uppercase

# Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 3

# border margins
border_margin 9

# border width
border_width 10

# Default colors and also border colors, grey90 == #e5e5e5
default_color black

own_window_colour brown
own_window_transparent yes

# Text alignment, other possible values are commented
#alignment top_left
alignment top_right
#alignment bottom_left
#alignment bottom_right

# Gap between borders of screen and text
gap_x 10
gap_y 10

# stuff after 'TEXT' will be formatted on screen

TEXT
$nodename $sysname $kernel on $machine
$color$stippled_hr
CPU: ${freq}MHz   Load: ${loadavg}   Temp: ${acpitemp}
$cpubar
${cpugraph}$color

NAME             PID       CPU%      MEM%
${top name 1} ${top pid 1}   ${top cpu 1}    ${top mem 1}
${top name 2} ${top pid 2}   ${top cpu 2}    ${top mem 2}
${top name 3} ${top pid 3}   ${top cpu 3}    ${top mem 3}
${top name 4} ${top pid 4}   ${top cpu 4}    ${top mem 4}
$color$stippled_hr
RAM:        $memperc%       ${membar 6}$color
Swap:       $swapperc%       ${swapbar 6}$color

Root:       ${fs_free_perc /}%        ${fs_bar 6 /}$color 
hda1:       ${fs_free_perc /media/hda1}%        ${fs_bar 6 /media/hda1}$color 
$color$stippled_hr
IP: ${addr eth0} Total: ${totaldown eth0} Down ${totalup eth0} Up

Down: ${downspeed eth0} k/s ${offset 110}Up: ${upspeed eth0} k/s
${downspeedgraph eth0 32,200} ${upspeedgraph eth0 32,200}

${execi 12 netstat -e -p -t | grep ESTABLISHED | cut -c45-68,80-86,102-140}
$color$stippled_hr
SYSTEM LOG TAIL
${execi 30 tail -n3 /var/log/messages | fold -w67}
$color$stippled_hr
${execi 300 fortune -s | fold -w67}
${execi 60 wmctrl -a conky}

If the network connections graph does not work, you will have to change all "eth0" references to "ppp0" (for modem) or "ath0" (for some other devices).

5. Add dbe module to /etc/X11/xorg.conf to reduce flickering.

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

find the section titled Section "Module", and add

Load "dbe"

6. Go to System, Preferences, Sessions, Startup Programs and add 'conky' to the list of start up progams. Reboot. Conky will be active after your next reboot!

NOTE: Kubuntu users ONLY make the following changes: Open .conkyrc and comment out the lines

own_window yes 
own_window_hints undecorated,below,skip_taskbar 
background yes

Since we don't use nautilus in Kubuntu, we don't need it.

Also, to get Conky to autostart in Kubuntu, you need to add a link to the bin file (in /usr/bin) to

~/.kde/Autostart

For XFCE ONLY make the following changes to .conkyrc

own_window yes 
own_window_type override 
own_window_transparent yes