[SOLVED] conky unreadable

quellen · 2022-12-15 18:52:17

hello folks,
sometimes at system startup, conky text are unreadable:

why?

I have no DE, i use only openbox + lxpanel.

$ cat .conkyrc
conky.config = {
    alignment = 'top_right',
    background = true,
    border_width = 1,
    cpu_avg_samples = 2,
    default_color = '#ffff11',
    default_outline_color = 'white',
    default_shade_color = 'white',
    double_buffer = true,
    draw_borders = false,
    draw_graph_borders = true,
    draw_outline = false,
    draw_shades = false,
    extra_newline = false,
    font = 'DejaVu Sans Mono:size=12',
    gap_x = 0,
    gap_y = 350,
    minimum_height = 5,
    minimum_width = 5,
    net_avg_samples = 2,
    no_buffers = true,
    out_to_console = false,
    out_to_ncurses = false,
    out_to_stderr = false,
    out_to_x = true,
    own_window = true,
    own_window_class = 'Conky',
    own_window_type = 'desktop',
    own_window_transparent = true,
    show_graph_range = false,
    show_graph_scale = false,
    stippled_borders = 0,
    update_interval = 1.0,
    uppercase = false,
    use_spacer = 'none',
    use_xft = true,
}

conky.text = [[
DL:$color ${downspeed eth0}/s
UP:$color ${upspeed eth0}/s



      ${freq_g cpu0} GHz
]]

$ cat ~/.config/openbox/autostart 
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
feh --bg-fill /home/pippo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg &
lxterminal &
conky

$ conky
conky: desktop window (757) is root window
conky: window type - desktop
conky: drawing to created window (0x1000001)
conky: drawing to double buffer
conky: forked to background, pid is 1364

if i pkill conky and restart it, the characters become legible again.

Last edited by quellen (2022-12-21 11:13:28)

seth · 2022-12-15 20:14:35

    own_window_transparent = true,

But there's no own_window_argb_visual, you don't seem to use a compositor and the window underneath the text is black - I assume that's not the case when you restart conky?

feh --bg-fill /home/pippo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg &

Don't fork that, or if you fork it (because setting the wallpaper is too slow), try to move it towards the head of the autostart.
But for a sanity check: simply don't fork it.

quellen · 2022-12-16 19:06:45

seth wrote:

    own_window_transparent = true,
But there's no own_window_argb_visual, you don't seem to use a compositor and the window underneath the text is black - I assume that's not the case when you restart conky?
feh --bg-fill /home/pippo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg &
Don't fork that, or if you fork it (because setting the wallpaper is too slow), try to move it towards the head of the autostart.
But for a sanity check: simply don't fork it.

i have set "own_window_transparent" to false and removed "&" from feh. Now text is always readable, thank you!
but the window underneath the text is still black...if i kill conky and restart it, the black window is still there.

Last edited by quellen (2022-12-16 19:08:34)

seth · 2022-12-16 21:08:11

Because "own_window_transparent" is now "false" - having that at "true" wasn't the problem as much as the undefined root pixmap because feh was writing there while conky was looking.
iow, keep

own_window_transparent = true,

but make sure to not fork feh,

feh --bg-fill /home/pippo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg

quellen · 2022-12-17 11:53:07

seth wrote:

Because "own_window_transparent" is now "false" - having that at "true" wasn't the problem as much as the undefined root pixmap because feh was writing there while conky was looking.
iow, keep
own_window_transparent = true,
but make sure to not fork feh,
feh --bg-fill /home/pippo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg

setting "own_window_transparent" to true, text is unreadable. feh is not forked.

btw, maybe i have solved removing this from conkyrc:

    own_window = true,
    own_window_class = 'Conky',
    own_window_transparent = true,
    own_window_type = 'desktop',

now text seems always readable and there are no black windows.

Last edited by quellen (2022-12-17 11:53:48)

seth · 2022-12-17 14:15:29

It's now painting directly onto the root window (which is ok unless you ever want to use a compositor)

setting "own_window_transparent" to true, text is unreadable. feh is not forked.

Is the window still black, though?
And is it after you restart conky to mend the fonts?

quellen · 2022-12-17 18:01:13

seth wrote:

It's now painting directly onto the root window (which is ok unless you ever want to use a compositor)
setting "own_window_transparent" to true, text is unreadable. feh is not forked.
Is the window still black, though?
And is it after you restart conky to mend the fonts?

at startup window still black. if i run conky from terminal there are no black window.
anyway. i solved removing all "own_window*". thanks for the suggestions.

seth · 2022-12-17 20:20:43

Out of curiosity, what does your new ~/.config/openbox/autostart look like?

If you're interested in running conky in its own window:
Does this also happen if you don't run "simplescreenrecorder"?

(This is for pretty much sure caused by some race condition, it's just not clear what causes it)

quellen · 2022-12-18 19:49:17

seth wrote:

Out of curiosity, what does your new ~/.config/openbox/autostart look like?
If you're interested in running conky in its own window:
Does this also happen if you don't run "simplescreenrecorder"?
(This is for pretty much sure caused by some race condition, it's just not clear what causes it)

$ cat ~/.config/openbox/autostart
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" &
lxterminal &
conky &
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg

i have tried to remove simplescreenrecorder from autostart and add "own_window_transparent=true to conkyrc. At startup, text in unreadeable with black window. if i run conky from terminal seems ok.

seth · 2022-12-18 20:11:40

Because now you're starting conky into the following feh
Try

simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" &
lxterminal &
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg
conky &

quellen · 2022-12-18 20:33:51

seth wrote:

Because now you're starting conky into the following feh
Try

simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" &
lxterminal &
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg
conky &

it's the same. on startup, text unreadeable and black window. run from terminal is ok.
i think the problem is "own_window" options.

seth · 2022-12-18 20:41:18

If it was an issue w/ the conky config, a restart would not fix it.

feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" &
lxterminal &
sleep 5
conky &

(this moves the wallpaper setting to the front a deliberately waits before starting conky)

Another interference might be from the session script (whatever starts openbox, maybe your xinitrc?)

quellen · 2022-12-18 21:11:44

seth wrote:

If it was an issue w/ the conky config, a restart would not fix it.
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden &
parcellite &
lxpanel &
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" &
lxterminal &
sleep 5
conky &
(this moves the wallpaper setting to the front a deliberately waits before starting conky)
Another interference might be from the session script (whatever starts openbox, maybe your xinitrc?)

with that autostart and "own_window_transparent" set to true, it works: conky text is clean and there are no black window.

$ cat .xinitrc 
#eject -x 4 /dev/sr0 &
export GTK_IM_MODULE='uim'
export QT_IM_MODULE='uim'
uim-xim &
export XMODIFIERS='@im=uim'
openbox-session

seth · 2022-12-18 21:27:55

your xinitrc is broken (last link below, 2nd note) but that's not the cause.

"xmodmap" should not be forked either, but I doubt that to be the cause as well.

xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" # fix the keymap first
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg # set the wallpaper
sleep 0.25 # 250ms, you may also try to remove or lower it
conky & # try conky
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden & # defer everything else
parcellite &
lxpanel &
lxterminal &

quellen · 2022-12-19 07:11:51

seth wrote:

your xinitrc is broken (last link below, 2nd note) but that's not the cause.
"xmodmap" should not be forked either, but I doubt that to be the cause as well.
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" # fix the keymap first
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg # set the wallpaper
sleep 0.25 # 250ms, you may also try to remove or lower it
conky & # try conky
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden & # defer everything else
parcellite &
lxpanel &
lxterminal &

thanks for cleaning my autostart. it works, text in clean. but if i remove sleep text is still unreadable.
the problem isn't feh: if i remove it (and sleep) from autostart, text is unreadable.
the problem is xmodmap: if i remove it, text is always clean.

seth · 2022-12-19 08:09:21

That's rather weird, but you could try to move it far ahead of conky (though this will likely not get you 250ms…)

xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" # fix the keymap first
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg # set the wallpaper
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden & # defer everything else
parcellite &
lxpanel &
lxterminal &
conky & # try conky

quellen · 2022-12-19 08:34:37

seth wrote:

That's rather weird, but you could try to move it far ahead of conky (though this will likely not get you 250ms…)
xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" # fix the keymap first
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg # set the wallpaper
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden & # defer everything else
parcellite &
lxpanel &
lxterminal &
conky & # try conky

whit that autostart, conky text is unreadable.
if i remove xmodmap, text is clean.

EDIT:
with this autostart text is clean:

xmodmap -e "keycode  134 = period colon" # fix the keymap first
feh --bg-fill /home/topo/Nicolas_Poussin.jpg # set the wallpaper
simplescreenrecorder --start-hidden & # defer everything else
parcellite &
lxpanel &
lxterminal &
sleep 0.25
conky & # try conky

Last edited by quellen (2022-12-19 08:52:57)

Arch Linux

#1 2022-12-15 18:52:17

[SOLVED] conky unreadable

#2 2022-12-15 20:14:35

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#3 2022-12-16 19:06:45

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#4 2022-12-16 21:08:11

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#5 2022-12-17 11:53:07

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#6 2022-12-17 14:15:29

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#7 2022-12-17 18:01:13

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#8 2022-12-17 20:20:43

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#9 2022-12-18 19:49:17

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#10 2022-12-18 20:11:40

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#11 2022-12-18 20:33:51

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#12 2022-12-18 20:41:18

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#13 2022-12-18 21:11:44

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#14 2022-12-18 21:27:55

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#15 2022-12-19 07:11:51

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#16 2022-12-19 08:09:21

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

#17 2022-12-19 08:34:37

Re: [SOLVED] conky unreadable

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