Debugging Conky

[pclinuxer]

Hello:

I run my WS on Linux Devuan Daedalus:

$ uname -a
Linux devuan 6.1.0-40-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.153-1 (2025-09-20) x86_64 GNU/Linux
$ 

The presently installed Conky is the latest one available in the Devuan repository:

$ conky -v
conky 1.18.3 compiled 2023-03-07 for Linux x86_64
Compiled in features:
System config file: /etc/conky/conky.conf
Package library path: /usr/lib/conky
 General:
  * math
  * hddtemp
  * portmon
  * IPv6
  * IRC
  * Curl
  * RSS
  * ICal
  * iconv
  * wireless
  * support for IBM/Lenovo notebooks
  * nvidia
  * builtin default configuration
  * old configuration syntax
  * Imlib2
  * OSS mixer support
  * apcupsd
  * iostats
  * ncurses
  * Internationalization support
  * PulseAudio
 Lua bindings:
  * Cairo
  * Imlib2
  * RSVG
 X11:
  * Xdamage extension
  * Xinerama extension (virtual display)
  * Xshape extension (click through)
  * XDBE (double buffer extension)
  * Xft
  * ARGB visual
  * Own window
  * Mouse evenets
 Music detection:
  * Audacious
  * CMUS
  * MPD
  * MOC
 Default values:
  * Netdevice: eno1
  * Local configfile: $HOME/.conkyrc
  * Localedir: /usr/share/locale
  * Maximum netdevices: 256
  * Maximum text size: 16384
  * Size text buffer: 256
$

The desktop is XFCE 4.18.
I am a small issue and to debug it I have set it to start at login with /usr/bin/conky -D > conky_debug.log but it generates an empty file in the home directory.

If I run conky from the command line, I do get debug printout:

$ conky -D
DEBUG(0) [./src/conky.cc:1958]: reading contents from config file '/etc/conky/conky.conf'
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:237]: enter init_x11()
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:326]: Fixed xinerama area to: 0 0 1280 1024
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:275]: leave init_x11()
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:491]: enter x11_init_window()
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:326]: Fixed xinerama area to: 0 0 1280 1024
conky: desktop window (28002b) is subwindow of root window (48a)
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:468]: Found ARGB Visual
conky: window type - desktop
conky: drawing to created window (0x340002)
DEBUG(0) [./src/x11.cc:875]: leave x11_init_window()
conky: drawing to double buffer
conky: forked to background, pid is 15932
$ 

But I need to do so as it starts up when I log in because the issue I am having is related to a VM running Pihole+unbound needs to be up and running for conky to then fetch the systems external IP address data.

I'd appreciate some input on this.

Best,

PCL

[Caellian]

Conky uses stderr for logging because stdout is used in text mode (as opposed to X11/Wayland modes). So you'll need to redirect stderr to a file with /usr/bin/conky -DD 2> conky_debug.log; I suggest using -DD to get even more verbose messages.

[pclinuxer]

Hello:

Conky uses stderr for logging ...
... need to redirect stderr ...

Right ...
Thank you very much for the heads up, that got me the debug data I was needing.
Best,

PCL