I switched from 10 years of Openbox to KDE Plasma. This also means from Xorg to wayland.

Plasma is great, it has almost everything. One thing I’m missing (until I’m able to write my own plasmoids/widgets) is what conky provides: a constantly updating overview of my top processes, what’s eating resources.

If you ever tried to hack your own conky you must know how fragile it can be. Plus, it’s even more fragile on wayland. Most people run it in Xwayland, many unwittingly, but that didn’t work for me either.
Let’s not dwell on these things (more than a decade of faffing around with conky. It usually runs stable once it’s set up, but getting there is beyond painful).

Every time I thought I had it running stably without freezing or disappearing, something new happened… aaaarrrgghh

Until I decided fuck it, I’ll run it in the terminal. Much more stable. And with Konsole* & Kwin I can make it look really good.

* I tried it with Alacritty first, but it flickers!

---

The workflow, if you are interested:

::: spoiler

The conky config

conky.config = {  
	background = false,  

	out_to_x = false,  
	out_to_console = true,  
	out_to_ncurses = false, -- the terminal gets messed up with console_graphs  
	out_to_stderr = false,  
	out_to_wayland = false,  

	-- replace dumb ascii characters, e.g. in console bars, with nice unicode characters  
	lua_load = "~/.config/conky/lua/scripts.lua",  
	-- see how these chars are replaced in the lua functions above:  
	console_bar_unfill = 'a',  
	console_bar_fill = 'b',  
	console_graph_ticks = "a,b,c,d,e,f,g",  
	use_spacer = 'left',  

	-------------------  
	update_interval = 3,  
	--------------------  

	total_run_times = 0,  

	cpu_avg_samples = 2,  
	diskio_avg_samples = 2,  
	net_avg_samples = 2,  
	no_buffers = true,  

-- 	max_text_width = 30, -- does nothing in console/ncurses  
	pad_percents = 3,  
	short_units = true,  
	format_human_readable = true,  
	if_up_strictness = address,  
	top_name_width = 30,  
	top_name_verbose=true,  
	override_utf8_locale = true,  
	template0 = '${lua rst}${lua blk_brt}${lua fill ┄ 45}${lua rst}', -- ┈🭸 a horizontal line 45 chars wide  
	template1 = [[${lua rst}${lua tab}${top name \1} ${if_match "${top cpu \1}" == "  0.00"}      $else${top cpu \1}$endif ${if_match "${top mem \1}" == "  0.00"}      $else${top mem \1}$endif]],  
};  

conky.text = [[  
${lua rst}${lua cls}${lua cyn_brt}${lua cpad 45 ${kernel}}${lua tab}${lua cyn_brt}Name                              CPU%   MEM%  
${template0}${lua tab}${template0}  
${lua cyn_brt}RAM${lua rst} $mem/$memmax $memperc%    ${lua cyn_brt}SWAP${lua rst} $swap/$swapmax $swapperc%${template1 1}  
${lua cyn_brt}CPU${lua rst} ${freq_g 0}GHz${cpu cpu0}% ${lua mag_brt}${lua bar_to_uni ${cpubar cpu0 1,29}}${template1 2}  
               ${lua mag_brt}  1${lua rst} ${freq_g 1}GHz${cpu cpu1}%  ${lua mag_brt}2${lua rst} ${freq_g 2}GHz${cpu cpu2}%${template1 3}  
               ${lua mag_brt}  3${lua rst} ${freq_g 3}GHz${cpu cpu3}%  ${lua mag_brt}4${lua rst} ${freq_g 4}GHz${cpu cpu4}%${template1 4}  
${lua mag_brt}${lua graph_to_uni ${cpugraph cpu0 1,45 -l}}${template1 5}  
${lua cyn_brt}Load  ${lua rst}1min: ${lua red_brt}${lua rpad 6 ${loadavg 1}}${lua rst} 5min: ${lua red_brt}${lua rpad 6 ${loadavg 2}}${lua rst}  15min:${lua red_brt}${lua lpad 6 ${loadavg 3}}${template1 6}  
${template0}${template1 7}  
${lua cyn_brt}FS root: ${lua rst}${fs_used /}/${fs_size /} ${lua cyn_brt}${lua bar_to_uni ${fs_bar 1,24 /}}${template1 8}  
${lua cyn_brt}FS data: ${lua rst}${fs_used /home/ssd256_data}/${fs_size /home/ssd256_data} ${lua cyn_brt}${lua bar_to_uni ${fs_bar 1,24 /home/ssd256_data}}${template1 8}  
${template0}${lua tab}${template0}  
${if_up enp0s20u2}  
${lua cyn_brt}USB ethernet${lua rst}      up:${lua grn_brt}${upspeedf enp0s20u2}K${lua rst}   dn:${lua grn_brt}${downspeedf enp0s20u2}K${lua tab}$else${if_up wlan0}  
${lua cyn_brt}WLAN${lua rst}              up:${lua grn_brt}${upspeedf wlan0}K${lua rst}   dn:${lua grn_brt}${downspeedf wlan0}K$else  

${lua fill S 45}$endif${lua tab}$endif${lua cyn_brt}${if_match "$mpd_status" == "Playing"}${scroll wait 45 1 ${uppercase ${mpd_smart}}}  
]]  

The accompanying scripts.lua

#!/usr/bin/lua  

-- we make our own ncurses :-D  
function conky_rst() -- reset  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cls() -- clear screen  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_nl() -- newline  
	return string.char(10)  
end  
function conky_blk_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blk_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_red_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_grn_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_ylw_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_blu_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_mag_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_cyn_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_whi_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_nrm()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_brt()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_dim()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_uln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_bln()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_rev()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_def_del()  
	return ''  
end  
function conky_tab()  
    -- ┊🮇⋮┊⦙⸽|︳⏐｜┆  
    return '     ┆     ' -- first black_bright, then reset  
end  
function conky_fill(char,num) -- pass S for spaces (no idea how to pass spaces in conky)  
    return string.rep((char == 'S' and ' ' or char),num)  
end  
function conky_bar_to_uni(str)  
    local bar_fill_map = {  
        a = '⠠',  
--         a = '🞍',  
--         a = '🞌',  
--         a = '⬝',  
--         a = '🭺',  
        b = '⠶',  
--         b = '⯀',  
--         b = '■',  
--         b = '█',  
--         b = '▇',  
--         b = '⠿',  
--         b = '🯦',  
    }  
    return string.gsub(conky_parse(str), "%w", bar_fill_map)  
end  

function conky_lpad(num,str)  
    local pad = '%'..num..'s'  
    return string.format(pad,conky_parse(str))  
end  

function conky_rpad(num,str)  
    local pad = '%-'..num..'s'  
    return string.format(pad,conky_parse(str))  
end  

function conky_cpad(num,str)  
    out = conky_parse(str)  
    len = #out  
    pad = num - len  
    left = pad//2 + pad%2 + len  
    lpad = '%'..left..'s'  
    out = string.format(lpad,out)  
    rpad= '%-'..num..'s'  
    return string.format(rpad,out)  
end  

function conky_graph_to_uni(str)  
    local graph_ticks_map = {  
        a = '⣀',  
        b = '⣄',  
        c = '⣤',  
        d = '⣦',  
        e = '⣶',  
        f = '⣷',  
        g = '⣿',  
--         a = ' ',  
-- --         a = '_',  
--         b = '▁',  
--         c = '▂',  
--         d = '▃',  
--         e = '▄',  
--         f = '▅',  
--         g = '▆',  
--         h = '▇',  
--         i = '█',  
    }  
    return string.gsub(conky_parse(str), "%w", graph_ticks_map)  
end  

Yes, it could do with some improvement.

All this is started through a desktop file in ~/.config/autostart:

[Desktop Entry]  
Name=Conky Konsole  
TryExec=konsole  
Exec=konsole --profile conky-tui --qwindowtitle conky_tui_konsole --separate -e /bin/rbash -c 'tput civis; conky -c ~/.config/conky/conky-tui2.conf'  
Icon=conky-logomark-violet  
NoDisplay=true  
StartupNotify=false  
Type=Application  
SingleMainWindow=true  

I also created a konsole profile that must have the exact dimensions for this conky, also the color scheme likely needs to be edited so that Background color is exactly the same as Color 1, because of transparency. You’ll understand when you see it.

So far this gives us something like this (previous version):

Now I right-click on the titlebar -> more actions -> special window settings. The window must be uniquely recognizable through its title ‘conky_tui_konsole’. I remove borders, make it appear on all desktops, stay below, and put it in the position where I want it. It takes a while to understand the UI. In the end I get this extra entry in ~/.config/kwinrc (I love KDE! The combo of having a gui menu for everything, yet still simple editable config files is just 😙👌):

[uuid-uuid-uuid-uuid]  
Description=Window settings for conky_tui_konsole  
acceptfocusrule=2  
below=true  
belowrule=3  
desktops=\\0  
desktopsrule=3  
fsplevel=4  
fsplevelrule=2  
noborder=true  
noborderrule=3  
position=740,610  
positionrule=3  
skippager=true  
skippagerrule=3  
skipswitcher=true  
skipswitcherrule=3  
skiptaskbar=true  
skiptaskbarrule=3  
title=conky_tui_konsole — Konsole  
titlematch=1  
types=1  
wmclass=konsole org.kde.konsole  
wmclasscomplete=true  
wmclassmatch=1  

Voilá. I’m a happy hacker now.

:::

---

I edited this post to show the newest version, both screenshot and code.