Conky on *BSD? Screenshots?

astrogeek · 09-07-2014, 02:24 AM

I have installed conky from ports on FreeBSD-10.

I have basic things like kernel, uptime and RAM usage working. I also built it with imlib2 so I can include my own Beastie image (looks good on black!).

But I have been a little stumped trying to get disk I/O, CPU temps and network activity working.

My best guess right now is that disk I/O is not going to work.

For CPU temps, I have loaded coretemp and grepped through sysctl -a all evening without success. I see nothing 'temperature' or 'thermal' for the cpus, and only one 'thermal' under acpi which says 40 and never changes.

Searching for conky here at LQ/*BSD produces only two hits, and no help.

So if anyone would care to share their .conkyrc or tips for using conky on {Free,any}BSD, let's start a helpful conky thread for BSD right here, and hopefully answer my own questions in the process!

And if you have a BSD/conky specific screenshot to show off, this will be the place to post it! I'll post my own when I get it working!

jmccue · 09-07-2014, 08:44 AM

Actually I think CPU Temp is easier than in the various linux distos, for FreeBSD try:

Code:

${execi 300 sysctl -n dev.cpu.0.temperature}

This assumes CPU temperature is enabled. It prints centigrade, if you want Fahrenheit create a simple filter to pipe it through.

I never used "disk io" and my FreeBSD system is temporally disabled

because I needed the disk space. Once 10.1 or .2 is released I expect the disk space issue will be resolved and I can bring the system back up.

Network activity depends upon you interface, I have re0, so this is what I used:

Code:

${color7}${addr re0}${tab 45 80}Up:${tab 50 8}$color${upspeed re0}${color7}${tab 50 74}Down: $color${downspeed re0}
${color7}Total:${tab 45 80}Up:${tab 50 8}$color${totalup re0}${color7}${tab 50 74}Down: $color${totaldown re0}

And this screen has my conky print: jmcunx.com

HTH
John

astrogeek · 09-07-2014, 04:13 PM

Thanks for the reply, but...

Code:

# sysctl -n dev.cpu.0.temperature
sysctl: unknown oid 'dev.cpu.0.temperature': No such file or directory

In fact I found something interesting earlier today. I have a Slackware 14.1 install on that same machine, different drive. I had not set up conky on it so I did so earlier.

Slackware also fails to list a cpu temperature anywhere. I have lm_sensors installed on it and that finds only one thermal sensor, also acpi and stuck at 40 degrees as well.

The CPU is AMD Phenom II X2 550 3.1Ghz which as far as I can tell should work. The mobo is a PCI-Express.

Very nice desktop by the way!

*** UPDATED ***

Here are all my known cpu options from sysctl:

Code:

# sysctl -a |grep -i cpu
cpu     HAMMER
device  cpufreq
kern.sched.cpusetsize: 8
  <cpu count="2" mask="3">0, 1</cpu>
    <cpu count="2" mask="3">0, 1</cpu>
kern.ccpu: 0
kern.smp.maxcpus: 64
kern.smp.cpus: 2
net.inet.tcp.per_cpu_timers: 0
debug.acpi.cpu_unordered: 0
debug.cpufreq.lowest: 0
debug.cpufreq.verbose: 0
hw.ncpu: 2
hw.acpi.cpu.cx_lowest: C1
security.jail.param.cpuset.id: 0
dev.cpu.0.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.0.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.0.%location: handle=\_PR_.C000
dev.cpu.0.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.0.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.0.freq: 3100
dev.cpu.0.freq_levels: 3100/43725 2400/30135 1900/23175 800/17010
dev.cpu.0.cx_supported: C1/1/0
dev.cpu.0.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.0.cx_usage: 100.00% last 1143us
dev.cpu.1.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.1.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.1.%location: handle=\_PR_.C001
dev.cpu.1.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.1.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.1.cx_supported: C1/1/0
dev.cpu.1.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.1.cx_usage: 100.00% last 1866us
dev.acpi_perf.0.%parent: cpu0
dev.acpi_perf.1.%parent: cpu1
dev.hwpstate.0.%parent: cpu0
dev.cpufreq.0.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.0.%parent: cpu0

... nothing 'temp' or 'therm' that I can see...

jmccue · 09-07-2014, 06:47 PM

On FreeBSD 9.2, I had the following line in /boot/loader.conf.local on my AMD system (duel core 64 bit, do not remember the mobo):

Code:

amdtemp_load="YES"

I would check out the handbook freebsd.org to be safe incase 10.0 is different or you need another temp. module.

Maybe for another thread, but being a bit lazy

, on slackware I have to use one of these two lines in my conkyrc. After reboots sometimes one or the other would work. The first line was the most reliable.

Code:

${hwmon temp 1}
${hwmon 1 temp 1}

prior to 14.1 neither would work, back then I would call a script to parse the output from sensors.

YMMV
John

astrogeek · 09-07-2014, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmccue

On FreeBSD 9.2, I had the following line in /boot/loader.conf.local on my AMD system (duel core 64 bit, do not remember the mobo):

Code:

amdtemp_load="YES"

Thanks - that did it!

I read many things about coretemp and amd processors, but never noticed "amdtemp" anywhere. Now that I am looking for it I do find it...

Now, I'll have to see if I can get my Slackware side working. I am pretty sure I tried hwmon though... but it has been a long day...

astrogeek · 09-07-2014, 09:17 PM

So here are the beginnings of my FreeBSD/conky desktop.

I'll have to sort out the disk graphs but another day.

Randicus Draco Albus · 09-18-2014, 10:17 PM

What might be useful is a thread with BSD-specific Conky variables. For example; reO as opposed to Linux's eth0 for internet connection. At the moment I am trying to get half of my Conky entries working. So far the internet entries are the only ones I have figured out. A list comparing entries would be helpful to people new to BSD. Here is my meagre contribution.

Code:

re0 = eth0

Next?

ocicat · 09-22-2014, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randicus Draco Albus

Code:

re0 = eth0

This may be correct for your system, but this cannot be generalized to any other computer. Unlike Linux which abstracts all interfaces to the eth* naming convention, the *BSD family deals directly with the individual drivers corresponding to the installed hardware. As examples,

Intel NIC's may have the em(4) driver installed by the kernel.
VIA Rhine NIC's may have the vr(4) driver installed by the kernel.
Realtek NIC's may have the re(4) driver installed by the kernel (as in your system...).

The specifics of which driver is installed can be found in dmesg(8) output.

So while your assertion may be correct in a limited number of situations, it cannot be generalized to every *BSD installation out there.

vermaden · 09-23-2014, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrogeek

Searching for conky here at LQ/*BSD produces only two hits, and no help.

Try http://daemonforums.org and http://forums.freebsd.org sites.

Randicus Draco Albus · 09-29-2014, 11:48 PM

Here is my Conky in its formative state. It should look like the image on the right, minus the Middle English script, but I am still figuring out how to convert Linux-specific variables to BSD. It will keep everyone in suspence, until I finish it.

astrogeek · 09-30-2014, 12:03 AM

That is looking pretty good! The battery and CPU temp need some work but all in good time.

For myself the hardest part when I started with conky was simply getting things to appear roughly where I wanted them! After that I was able to find most handles to parameters with a little searching online - and asking here at LQ when I couldn't figure one out.

What is your CPU - Intel, AMD, other?

Have also intended to reply to your suggestion of a thread for BSD conky variables, but not had much BSD play time this week.

Anyway, good to see a fresh post here, looks nice! (is the background an OpenBSD feature or did you create it?)

Randicus Draco Albus · 09-30-2014, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrogeek

For myself the hardest part when I started with conky was simply getting things to appear roughly where I wanted them! After that I was able to find most handles to parameters with a little searching online - and asking here at LQ when I couldn't figure one out.

It is the opposite for me. Placement is easy, but figuring out how to get Conky to play nicely with BSD is not.

Quote:

What is your CPU - Intel, AMD, other?

amd64 with an Intel Core i5 processor.

Quote:

Anyway, good to see a fresh post here, looks nice!

Thanks, but anything looks nice with i3 (or Openbox).

Quote:

(is the background an OpenBSD feature or did you create it?)

It is a digital image with a computer theme I got from another forum. I tried to take a screen grab with an even better image from the FreeBSD people, but scrot had problems with it.

So this will do.

Randicus Draco Albus · 11-07-2014, 10:19 PM

I am getting so annoyed, I may give up trying to get Conky to work. I have tried everything I can think of, using information from logs and GKrellM files, but I cannot get Conky to display temperature and battery status. And I do not have a clue about the calandar. I think there is a conspiracy to keep Conky away from BSD. Either that or I am too stupid to figure it out. I am able to accept the former, but unwilling to admit the latter.