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Tech riderRev. 20 Sept 2026

Conky

Ch 146.5of 35 System Information Software
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac, self-hosted
  2. 2CostsNot stated by the maker
  3. 3Supported platformscross platform
  4. 4Widget categoriestext, progress bars, graph widgets, RSS feeds, calendar events
  5. 5System monitoringYes
  6. 6Custom layoutsYes
  7. 7Weather widgetsNo
  8. 8Calendar widgetsYes
7 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: conky.cc
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The Conky homepage

Overview

Conky is ranked #14 of 35 in system information software on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted.

Compared on system information software

Free plan
Yesconky.cc
Supported platforms
cross_platformconky.cc
Widget categories
text, progress bars, graph widgets, RSS feeds, calendar eventsconky.cc
System monitoring
Yesconky.cc
Custom layouts
Yesconky.cc
Weather widgets
Noconky.cc
Calendar widgets
Yesconky.cc
Feed widgets
Yesconky.cc

Facts

Purpose
Conky is a system monitor for X that displays information on the desktop or in its own window.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
System metrics
Conky includes more than 250 built-in objects for statistics such as uptime, CPU, memory, disk, processes, and network activity.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Display formats
Conky can present information as text, progress bars, and graph widgets, using different fonts and colors.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
External data
Conky can display information gathered through scripts and external programs.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Mail support
Conky includes built-in IMAP and POP3 support.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Music integrations
Conky integrates with music players including MPD, XMMS2, and Audacious.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Lua API
Conky supports Lua scripts and hooks, provided the build has Lua support enabled.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Desktop environments
Conky is free software for Linux and BSD, and newer versions can also work with Wayland window managers that support the wlr-layer-shell protocol.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Licensing
The project wiki says torsmo-based code is BSD-licensed and new Conky code is GPL 3.0-licensed.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Configuration
The default configuration file is located at ~/.config/conky/conky.conf or ${sysconfdir}/conky/conky.conf.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Container limitation
The Docker guide says much of the information displayed in a container reflects the container rather than the entire host system, and that the Docker image is still under development.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Build requirements
The compiling guide lists X11, Cairo, Lua, Imlib2, librsvg, ncurses, and libxml2 as examples of native libraries needed from the system package manager.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
Community support
The project wiki directs users to open an issue or pull request and lists direct contact with developers as a support route.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Customization
Global settings can configure screen alignment, fonts, colors, borders, and window dimensions.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026
System stats
Conky provides more than 300 built-in objects, including CPU, memory, disk, process, and network statistics.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Display
It can show information as text, progress bars, and graph widgets, with configurable fonts and colors.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Mail and music
Built-in support includes IMAP and POP3, and music players MPD, XMMS2, and Audacious.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Extensibility
Conky supports Lua and user scripts or programs, with Imlib2 and Cairo bindings for Lua drawing.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Operating systems
The project lists Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFlyBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, Haiku, and macOS as supported systems.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Output modes
Conky can run on Wayland with caveats and can output to a console, file, or HTTP.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Distribution
The project offers an AppImage and Nix flake, and says many package managers include Conky.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Runtime caveat
The project notes that the AppImage may require additional runtime libraries.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
License
The project states that Conky is licensed under GPLv3.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Support
The project links to its wiki and Matrix chat and welcomes contributions from anyone.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Audience
Conky is presented as a desktop system monitor for people who want configurable system information and can use its configuration, scripts, or programs.conky.cc · 30 Sept 2026

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