How to Add System Information to the Linux Desktop With Conky

If you want CPU, memory, disk, network, and uptime information visible without opening a separate monitor, Conky is still one of the simplest ways to add system information to the Linux desktop. It runs as a lightweight desktop monitor and is highly configurable through a local text file.

One important update to older advice: Conky is no longer limited to X11. Current Conky builds can use Wayland on compositors that support the wlr-layer-shell protocol. GNOME's Mutter compositor does not provide that protocol, so Conky cannot behave as a true background overlay in a GNOME Wayland session. The official Conky FAQ explains the current X11 and Wayland limitations.

1. Install Conky

Conky is packaged by major Linux distributions. On current Ubuntu and Debian package indexes, conky is a virtual package provided by variants such as conky-all, conky-std, and conky-cli. For a graphical desktop setup, conky-all is a practical choice because it includes the broadest set of display and Lua features.

You can verify package availability in the official Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or Arch Linux package pages.

2. Create a user configuration

Conky's current default user configuration location is ~/.config/conky/conky.conf. The upstream documentation recommends generating a starter configuration with conky -C:

mkdir -p ~/.config/conky
conky -C > ~/.config/conky/conky.conf

This gives you a local file you can edit without changing the system-wide example in /etc/conky/. See the official configuration guide for the current Lua-based syntax.

3. Choose what Conky displays

Open ~/.config/conky/conky.conf in your preferred editor. A compact configuration can show CPU load, memory use, root filesystem usage, and uptime:

conky.config = {
    alignment = 'top_right',
    gap_x = 24,
    gap_y = 48,
    update_interval = 2,
    own_window = true,
    double_buffer = true,
    default_color = 'white',
};

conky.text = [[
SYSTEM
CPU: ${cpu}%
RAM: ${memperc}% ${mem}/${memmax}
Disk: ${fs_used_perc /}% ${fs_used /}/${fs_size /}
Uptime: ${uptime}
]];

Conky supports many more variables, including network throughput, temperatures, processes, battery status, and custom script output. Use conky -v to see which optional features were enabled when your package was built.

4. Start, test, and stop Conky

Run Conky from a terminal so any configuration errors are visible immediately:

conky -c ~/.config/conky/conky.conf

Because that path is the normal user configuration location, running conky by itself is usually enough after the file is in place. To stop all Conky processes for your user session, run pkill conky.

Once the configuration is working, you can remove or add lines in conky.text until the overlay contains only the information you actually want to watch.

5. Adjust placement and window behavior

For X11 desktops, settings such as alignment, gap_x, gap_y, own_window, and window hints determine where Conky sits and whether it behaves like a desktop widget. Desktop environments handle layers and transparency differently, so start with a simple configuration and change one window option at a time.

6. Use Conky on Wayland when your compositor supports it

First check your session type with echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE. On a Wayland compositor that supports wlr-layer-shell, enable Wayland output and disable X output in the conky.config block:

out_to_x = false,
out_to_wayland = true,

Compositors such as Sway, Hyprland, and Wayfire support the layer-shell model described by the Conky project. GNOME Wayland is the major exception: Mutter does not implement the protocol Conky needs for a desktop-layer widget. If your distribution still offers an Xorg session, that is an alternative; otherwise Conky may need to run as a normal window or under a different compositor.

7. Start Conky automatically when you sign in

Create the standard per-user autostart directory, then save a desktop entry as ~/.config/autostart/conky.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Conky
Exec=conky
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=false

Do not add & to the Exec line. A desktop entry launches the program directly, and Conky can find ~/.config/conky/conky.conf automatically. The upstream FAQ also notes that a .desktop autostart entry is often simpler than a user service on X11 because it inherits the graphical session environment.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

• Nothing appears: run conky in a terminal and read the error output.
• Configuration is missing: regenerate it with conky -C > ~/.config/conky/conky.conf.
• Wayland overlay does not work: check echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE and confirm that your compositor supports wlr-layer-shell.
• A feature is unavailable: run conky -v and check the compiled-in options.
• You want to reset: move your custom conky.conf aside and generate a fresh default configuration.

For the authoritative list of settings and supported variables, use Conky's built-in manual pages and the official Conky project.