conky

Launch with default, built-in config

$ conky

$ conky [[-C|--print-config]] > ~/.conkyrc

$ conky [[-c|--config]] [path/to/config]

$ conky [[-d|--daemonize]]

$ conky [[-a|--alignment]] [top|bottom|middle]_[left|right|middle]

$ conky [[-p|--pause]] [5]

conky [options]

-v, --version
    Displays the version information.

-h, --help
    Displays a help message.

-c, --config=FILE
    Specifies the configuration file to use. Defaults to ~/.conkyrc or ~/.config/conky/conky.conf.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses all output except errors.

-p NUM, --pause=NUM
    Pauses for NUM seconds before starting.

-D, --daemon
    Runs Conky in the background as a daemon.

-b, --background
    Runs Conky in background.

-s, --screen=NUM
    Specifies which X screen to use.

-i NUM, --id=NUM
    Specify which X window id to use.

Conky is a free, light-weight system monitor for the X Window System. It displays a wide range of system information directly on your desktop, including CPU usage, memory usage, disk space, network traffic, battery status, running processes, weather updates, music player information, and much more. It is highly configurable and can be customized to display information in various formats and styles. Conky retrieves this information via kernel calls and system libraries and does not require any special privileges to run. The configuration is primarily done through a .conkyrc file located in the user's home directory, allowing extensive control over its appearance and displayed data. Conky provides a way to keep critical system information visible at a glance without requiring to open a separate monitoring application. Conky can be displayed on background, and is commonly configured to be always on top.

Conky's configuration can be complex and requires understanding of its syntax and available variables. Incorrect configuration can lead to errors or unexpected behavior. The availability of certain system information depends on the installed system libraries and kernel version.

The .conkyrc file uses a Lua-like syntax to define variables, settings, and text output. It consists of two main sections: conky.config for global settings and conky.text for the displayed text. Variables can be defined and used within the text section to dynamically display system information. Refer to the conky documentation for details on the syntax and available variables.

Conky uses variables denoted by ${variable} to represent system information.
Common variables include: ${cpu cpu0} for CPU usage, ${mem} for memory usage, ${diskio_read} for disk read speeds and more. Full list of available variables is in the documentation.

Conky evolved from Torsmo, aiming to provide a more configurable and feature-rich system monitor. It has been actively developed and maintained, gaining popularity among Linux users for its flexibility and customizability. The first version of conky was created by Brenden Matthews in 2003.

top(1), htop(1), ps(1)