MX Linux Forum

I've just watched a review of the new beta version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QM7_cbKFs0.

The chap doing the review had some troubles with Conky, namely he couldn't move its screen location.

Initially he couldn't find the Conky settings because it is not obvious what you're looking for. He checked the desktop settings two or three times, and in the end he accidentally tripped over the Conky settings manager.

Would it be possible for the Conky manager to be added to the desktop settings since this is an intuitive place to look for it as the Conky display is part of the desktop.

Thanks. We have seen that video (I even commented) and have started working on the problem for the next version.

It's good to know it is being addressed.

As a suggestion, would it be possible to include the AntiX Conky alongside the standard one?

I prefer functionality to bling, and the AntiX Conky is suitably functional.

I personally don't think that would be appropriate for MX Linux to add that to its default collection, but it's easy for the individual to do and there is another thread on how to do that somewhere.

Dragging it with the mouse works for me, but only when vbox is full screen.

Can't worry now about vbox: have enuf already to do with this project, but thanks. Maybe later.

Stevo wrote:Dragging it with the mouse works for me, but only when vbox is full screen.

vbox does funny things with the cntl and alt keys. it should still work in a window, although the key combo probably isn't what you might expect.

Can we move it over to the right side of the screen as a default, so it won't cover up the icons that appear on the desktop? It's a pain if it covers up the Installer in the live session.

ATM the thought is to have it top_center, where it is nowhere near the installer icon. Here's an idea:



We have a couple of iterations ahead of us to settle the location.

Jerry3904 wrote:ATM the thought is to have it top_center, where it is nowhere near the installer icon. Here's an idea:



We have a couple of iterations ahead of us to settle the location.

Yes, that's how it appears for me, but somehow it's in the UL corner in the reviewer's video. It may depend on screen resolution.

Stevo wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:ATM the thought is to have it top_center, where it is nowhere near the installer icon. Here's an idea:



We have a couple of iterations ahead of us to settle the location.

Yes, that's how it appears for me, but somehow it's in the UL corner in the reviewer's video. It may depend on screen resolution.

Wasn't the iso set with it UL?

Yes

Just as a cheeky suggestion.

The MX Conky logo looks great, but would it also be possible to add internet U/D data to it. It would be useful for people on limited bandwidth (like myself).

If it makes the Conky look awful then please ignore this suggestion.

colin_b wrote:Just as a cheeky suggestion.

The MX Conky logo looks great, but would it also be possible to add internet U/D data to it. It would be useful for people on limited bandwidth (like myself).

If it makes the Conky look awful then please ignore this suggestion.

There are other conkies in the collection that have U/D. I can think of 5 other pieces of data I would like to see, but we should keep the default simple. Easy enough to add one of those others to your desktop with conky manager.

There are other conkies in the collection that have U/D.

Problem solved. Thanks.

As a belated afterthought, will the internet U/D data collection for the Conky be enabled "out of the box"?

The reason I ask is I tried Conky on another distro many moons ago and the U/D data collection had to be enabled via the terminal, and this left me flummoxed.

Luddites like myself would find it a real bonus if the default Conky desktop displays work without the need for tinkering.

Even Luddites can read a Help file though, right? In the MX Conky help file you will see how we have tried to set them up with a generic interface name, and how to find out what you're actually is and change it using Conky Manager.

Not sure what U/D data collection means, but when you start MX Conky, the conky data is loaded into Conky Manager.

I'm not actually using MX 17.1, I'm still running 16. I'll look at the MX Conky help file when I upgrade.

up/down

Jerry3904 wrote:up/down

Thanks. But what is an up/down internet data collection? Does it mean a set of conkies downloaded from the internet? Acronyms drive me crazy.

Just internet traffic.

richb wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:up/down

Thanks. But what is an up/down internet data collection? Does it mean a set of conkies downloaded from the internet? Acronyms drive me crazy.

I have to change the interface for wireless on my machine by a digit. I think that may be more the rule than the exception now with these predictable interface names, unless somehow we can determine the interfaces with a script and have conky use the output.

How about adding buttons to MX-Conky to:

1. Launch conky-manager: (needs the 2.4 CM ported from MX 17 to 15/16, I already have it configured to replace CM 2 2.3)

2. Backup the current contents of ~/.conky and restore the default conkies from mx-conky-data. Also helps with testing upgrades of the -data package.

3. Restore the backed up versions

Jerry3904 wrote:Just internet traffic.

Ah ha the interface designation.

This little bit of code shows available net interfaces:
from this guide, maybe we can add something to replace eth0 and wlan0 with the outputs of the command:
https://asanka-abeyweera.blogspot.com/2 ... twork.html

You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Jerry3904 wrote:You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Made that same mistake once. Suggestion, the help file text is so small as to be unreadable on an hdpi screen. Can a link to show in the default browser be added?

Jerry3904 wrote:You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Actually, I did, and know you tried to have a common interface in there, but it did not apply in my case.

I'm inspired by that Youtube reviewer that didn't read docs either and just randomly clicked Conky stuff--then also replaced my carefully crafted compiz-reloaded with Stretch's 0.9.13 by force because its version was biggerer and betterer. Then he was mystified by his compiz trouble. It would be cool if the conky widgets could just automatically discover the interfaces...

It would be cool if the conky widgets could just automatically discover the interfaces...

I agree. A lot of people go to the help file as a last resort (me included).

This thread was started by a video review. If the Conky works in its entirety out of the box then all subsequent video reviews which cover MX Conky will have no problems, and MX Linux could get praise for things working without any need for setup.

If, on the other hand, someone can't figure out how to set up Conky in a video review, and they don't consider the help file, then it doesn't look so good.

richb wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Made that same mistake once. Suggestion, the help file text is so small as to be unreadable on an hdpi screen. Can a link to show in the default browser be added?

<Shift><+> should make the text bigger in the viewer.

Stevo wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Actually, I did, and know you tried to have a common interface in there, but it did not apply in my case.

I'm inspired by that Youtube reviewer that didn't read docs either and just randomly clicked Conky stuff--then also replaced my carefully crafted compiz-reloaded with Stretch's 0.9.13 by force because its version was biggerer and betterer. Then he was mystified by his compiz trouble. It would be cool if the conky widgets could just automatically discover the interfaces...

Reason I said that, is I provided the code to find out the interface:

When using a conky with a network function, you will probably need to change the interface name--especially given the change that came with Debian Stretch. You can do that most easily with Conky Manager settings > Network; alternatively, edit the conky script by using the Search > Replace screen, changing what is in the script (eth0, for instance). To find out those names, run this command as regular user in a terminal (F4):

Code: Select all

cd /sys/class/net && ls --ignore=lo

colin_b wrote:

It would be cool if the conky widgets could just automatically discover the interfaces...

I agree. A lot of people go to the help file as a last resort (me included).

This thread was started by a video review. If the Conky works in its entirety out of the box then all subsequent video reviews which cover MX Conky will have no problems, and MX Linux could get praise for things working without any need for setup.

If, on the other hand, someone can't figure out how to set up Conky in a video review, and they don't consider the help file, then it doesn't look so good.

The "it doesn't look so good" is an inherent problem for conky and its scripts, not for us. I know of no distro that that has such a capability, and there is a reason. The same kind of problem is true for a battery level checker, since even using a wireless mouse changes the battery name that needs to be monitored, and for screen differences and drive names of course. Even if code existed that would work for those and similar hardware-specific problems, it would have to be inserted manually into each conky script in our collection--as well as into any that were imported.

With over 100 hours into this project so far, we are unlikely to do much more this cycle. We have substituted the recommended generic interface names in those scripts that have net info included, have provided a detailed method on how to find out interface names that differ from those, and have included an app to insert those using a GUI.

Stevo wrote:

richb wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:You obviously haven't looked at the Help file either...

Made that same mistake once. Suggestion, the help file text is so small as to be unreadable on an hdpi screen. Can a link to show in the default browser be added?

<Shift><+> should make the text bigger in the viewer.

OK. I am used to CTRl + doing the job from browser land. (FF and Google Chrome)

I should add that there are individual conkies that deal with hardware very well, perhaps the best example being the one that ships with antiX-17, which has a very sophisticated approach--and the Devs have made it compatible with MX Conky by extracting the colors!

colin_b wrote:

It would be cool if the conky widgets could just automatically discover the interfaces...

I agree. A lot of people go to the help file as a last resort (me included).

This thread was started by a video review. If the Conky works in its entirety out of the box then all subsequent video reviews which cover MX Conky will have no problems, and MX Linux could get praise for things working without any need for setup.

If, on the other hand, someone can't figure out how to set up Conky in a video review, and they don't consider the help file, then it doesn't look so good.

Generally, not all bits of data displayable in a conky widget can be configured in such a way as to be successfully displayed OOTB regardless of the user's setup. That's why the conky widgets in MX-Conky are vetted to ensure they work with most setups without further editing.

Details of the network connection are one of these iffy data bits that might need manual adjustment of the config file; unless Stevo's script can be included in MX-Conky itself to auto-edit the connection line in the widgets' config files, or pre-inserted into the config files of each of the vetted conky widgets.

I have no idea if that is possible right now; maybe it can be tabled in some To-do list to improve MX-Conky. Right now this is a very new tool and I'm sure it can be refined over time to make conky widgets even more approachable and editable by those not so familiar with conky.

Jerry3904 wrote:...the one that ships with antiX-17, which has a very sophisticated approach--and the Devs have made it compatible with MX Conky by extracting the colors!

Wow, I didn't even know that!

asqwerth wrote:

Jerry3904 wrote:...the one that ships with antiX-17, which has a very sophisticated approach--and the Devs have made it compatible with MX Conky by extracting the colors!

Wow, I didn't even know that!

How about adding that to our data package? I googled for the current antiX conky, but couldn't find anything...

We should discuss with Devs.

My apologies for any kerfuffle caused.

None needed. It's just a lot more complicated than you perhaps realized...

You understate things - I thought a few simple tweaks would sort things out but I can see it's WAAAAAY more complicated than that.

It would be excellent if it could be made to work though.

Simple thing I do to make text a little more easier to read for me.
Example from my conky:
I don't have automatic anything on my motorcycles. So I kinda roll that way on Linux also.