conky showing a black box background

rolandr88 · 2025-01-24 21:05:10

Hello everyone,
Can someone please help me with Conky?
No matter which configurations I try, the background in Conky always stays black.
I couldn't find a solution via Google/Reddit/ChatGPT – the common recommendation to set `own_window_type` from "desktop" to "normal" didn’t help either.
Eventually, I came across the topic of compositors, but on Arch with Wayland KDE Plasma, it seems that a compositor (KWin) is already active. At least, compton cannot be started.

kwin_wayland --version
kwin 6.2.5

So, if a compositor is installed, which must me correct, since the process is even shown in conky, what can I do to make conky display correctly?
Enabling `own_window_argb_visual=true` enables transparency, but it causes all icons and colors to disappear.
https://ibb.co/fSkzWKc
https://ibb.co/hcsnzpB

background=true,
update_interval=1,
double_buffer=true,
no_buffers=true,
imlib_cache_size=10,

draw_shades=false,
draw_outline=false,
draw_borders=false,
draw_graph_borders=false,
default_graph_height=26,
default_graph_width=80,
show_graph_scale=false,
show_graph_range=false,

gap_x=100,
gap_y=70,
minimum_height=620,
minimum_width=268,

own_window=true,
own_window_type="normal",
own_window_transparent=true,
own_window_hints="undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager",
border_inner_margin=0,
border_outer_margin=0,

--alignment="middle_middle",
own_window_argb_visual=true,
--own_window_argb_value=0,

Last edited by rolandr88 (2025-01-24 21:06:09)

seth · 2025-01-24 23:21:12

own_window=true,
own_window_type="normal",
own_window_transparent=true,
own_window_argb_visual=true,

Without a compositor a transparent ARGB window (#00000000) will look black.
Try to run picom or xcompmgr.

rolandr88 · 2025-01-25 07:57:35

Thanks @seth but KWin is the compositor?!

picom
[ 25.01.2025 08:56:22.112 session_init FATAL ERROR ] Another composite manager is already running
[ 25.01.2025 08:56:22.112 main FATAL ERROR ] Failed to create new session.

xcompmgr
Another composite manager is already running (0x200002)

Last edited by rolandr88 (2025-01-25 07:58:01)

seth · 2025-01-25 08:24:36

That'S probably not your complete conkyrc?
Also this is KDE on X11 (I'm not sure what's gonna happen if you try to run ARGB windows on xwayland)

Also "own_window_transparent=true," iirc will assume the fake-transparency by copying the root pixmap of the X11 server which plasmashell will most likely not set - comment that.

NoSavvy · 2025-01-25 13:22:23

Try This:-

conky.config = {
-- Conky settings
	alignment = 'top_left',
	background = 'true',
	update_interval = 1,
	cpu_avg_samples = 2,


-- Window specifications
	own_window = true,
	own_window_class = 'Conky',
	own_window_type = 'normal',
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
	own_window_colour = '#000000',
	own_window_transparent = true,
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 200,
	border_inner_margin = 0,
	border_outer_margin = 0,
---	out_to_wayland = true,
	minimum_width = 280,
    minimum_height =280,
    maximum_width = 280,
---y=in from left
    gap_x = 35,
---x=down from top
	gap_y = 5,

-- Graphics settings
	draw_shades = false,
	draw_outline = false,
	draw_borders = false,
	draw_blended = false ,
	draw_graph_borders = true,
	border_width = 2,
	stippled_borders = 1,

-- Text settings
	use_xft = true,
	xftalpha = 0.8,
	override_utf8_locale = true,
	font = 'sans-serif:size=9:weight=bold',
    uppercase = false,
    double_buffer = true,
	default_color = '#b8b8b8',
	default_shade_color ='000000',
	default_outline_color ='000000',
	color2 = '#EBDBB2',
	color7 = '#ffff00',
	color8 = '#00ff00',
	color9 = '#ff0000',
}

Arch Linux

#1 2025-01-24 21:05:10

conky showing a black box background

#2 2025-01-24 23:21:12

Re: conky showing a black box background

#3 2025-01-25 07:57:35

Re: conky showing a black box background

#4 2025-01-25 08:24:36

Re: conky showing a black box background

#5 2025-01-25 13:22:23

Re: conky showing a black box background

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