Monitor your ubuntu system with Conky

This post was written by admin on October 12, 2009
Posted Under: General

Install and Configure Conky
Using this command in terminal(Applications/Accessories/Terminal):

sudo apt-get install conky

This will be properly installed in your system.

Now,create this file:

gedit ~/.conkyrc

copy and paste following into this file,save and close.

# UBUNTU-CONKY
# A comprehensive conky script, configured for use on
# Ubuntu / Debian Gnome, without the need for any external scripts.
#
# Based on conky-jc and the default .conkyrc.
# INCLUDES:
# – tail of /var/log/messages
# – netstat connections to your computer
#
# — Pengo (conky@pengo.us)
#

# Create own window instead of using desktop (required in nautilus)
own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager

# Use double buffering (reduces flicker, may not work for everyone)
double_buffer yes

# fiddle with window
use_spacer yes
use_xft no

# Update interval in seconds
update_interval 3.0

# Minimum size of text area
# minimum_size 250 5

# Draw shades?
draw_shades no

# Text stuff
draw_outline no # amplifies text if yes
draw_borders no
font arial
uppercase no # set to yes if you want all text to be in uppercase

# Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 3

# border margins
border_margin 9

# border width
border_width 10

# Default colors and also border colors, grey90 == #e5e5e5
default_color grey

own_window_colour brown
own_window_transparent yes

# Text alignment, other possible values are commented
#alignment top_left
alignment top_right
#alignment bottom_left
#alignment bottom_right

# Gap between borders of screen and text
gap_x 10
gap_y 10

# stuff after ‘TEXT’ will be formatted on screen

TEXT
$color
${color orange}SYSTEM ${hr 2}$color
$nodename $sysname $kernel on $machine

${color orange}CPU ${hr 2}$color
${freq}MHz Load: ${loadavg} Temp: ${acpitemp}
$cpubar
${cpugraph 000000 ffffff}
NAME PID CPU% MEM%
${top name 1} ${top pid 1} ${top cpu 1} ${top mem 1}
${top name 2} ${top pid 2} ${top cpu 2} ${top mem 2}
${top name 3} ${top pid 3} ${top cpu 3} ${top mem 3}
${top name 4} ${top pid 4} ${top cpu 4} ${top mem 4}

${color orange}MEMORY / DISK ${hr 2}$color
RAM: $memperc% ${membar 6}$color
Swap: $swapperc% ${swapbar 6}$color

Root: ${fs_free_perc /}% ${fs_bar 6 /}$color
hda1: ${fs_free_perc /media/hda1}% ${fs_bar 6 /media/hda1}$color
hdb3: ${fs_free_perc /media/hdb3}% ${fs_bar 6 /media/hdb3}

${color orange}NETWORK (${addr eth0}) ${hr 2}$color
Down: $color${downspeed eth0} k/s ${alignr}Up: ${upspeed eth0} k/s
${downspeedgraph eth0 25,140 000000 ff0000} ${alignr}${upspeedgraph eth0
25,140 000000 00ff00}$color
Total: ${totaldown eth0} ${alignr}Total: ${totalup eth0}
Inbound: ${tcp_portmon 1 32767 count} Outbound: ${tcp_portmon 32768
61000 count}${alignr}Total: ${tcp_portmon 1 65535 count}

${color orange}LOGGING ${hr 2}$color
${execi 30 tail -n3 /var/log/messages | fold -w50}

${color orange}FORTUNE ${hr 2}$color
${execi 120 fortune -s | fold -w50}

Type conky in terminal and this will appear in your ubuntu desktop:

conky1

Make this auto-run when login.
Go to System/Preferences/Startup Applications.Click on Add,type a name as you want and “/usr/bin/conky” in command area(without quotes).
conky11

Related posts:

  1. Display Google Calendar on Ubuntu Desktop using Conky
  2. Install System Monitor Applet in Ubuntu 11.10 Gnome Shell
  3. Ubuntu get IP and connect Internet from router with DHCP enabled
  4. Netspeed-Gnome Applet that monitor traffic occurs on network device
  5. Fix cannot connect to wired Internet problem in Ubuntu or Ubuntu vmware guest

    Reader Comments

    im having this mssg:

    Conky: statfs ‘/media/hdb3′: No such file or directory
    Conky: statfs ‘/media/hda1′: No such file or directory

    how can i fix it cuz if i close the terminal conky is closed too … =(

    thx for the help

    [Reply]

    admin Reply:

    Goto System->Preferences->Startup Applications and add a startup program.See the last screenshot in post.

    [Reply]

    #1 
    Written By Ronald on December 1st, 2009 @ 9:26 am

    I’m having similar issues with the

    Conky: statfs ‘/media/hdb3′: No such file or directory
    Conky: statfs ‘/media/hda1′: No such file or directory
    I also get a use_spacer error along the lines of should use left right or none yes alludes to a true statment something along those lines.

    [Reply]

    harm Reply:

    The no such directory is probably cause ur harddrive isn’t mounted. I have it too if i have my USB drive not mounted.

    [Reply]

    #2 
    Written By dbook82 on March 13th, 2010 @ 9:29 pm

    First off, I just wanna say great article. Within a few moments of running conky, I notice a system process that was eating my cpu cycles like there was no tomorrow. Once, I stopped it, my system stopped being so sluggish. I thought I would have to buy more ram (Might buy it anyway just for the hell of it).

    Anywho, I followed your instructions to the letter and everything worked. However, after my first restart, the conky window now sits on top of every window I load. Even web browsers. Is there a way to fix that?

    [Reply]

    Oliver Reply:

    Easy fix, in your .conky file add “background true” to the top of the file without the quotes!

    [Reply]

    secros Reply:

    thanks. fixed me, too!

    [Reply]

    #3 
    Written By Yardell on October 28th, 2010 @ 6:29 pm

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