FAQ

FAQ

Is the live preview a mockup?

No. Preview runs a real Conky process on the same generation pipeline as Build. What you preview is what you ship (for the graph currently on the canvas).

Do I need to know Lua to use Conky Studio?

No, for getting started. Sources, logic, and visuals cover common HUDs. Use Custom Lua or plugins when the palette is not enough.

Do recipients need Conky Studio to run my theme?

Not if you share the built theme folder (start.sh, conky.conf, render.lua, scripts, images). They need Conky. Studio is only required to edit the graph.

Project JSON vs built theme, which should I share?

Goal	Share
Someone only wants to run the HUD	Built theme folder
Someone wants to edit / remix in Studio	Project JSON + assets + any required plugins
Public release	Prefer built package; optionally attach JSON for remixers

See Sharing Projects.

Where are themes installed?

Typically ~/.config/conky/<ThemeName>/. Manager scans that area (and related Conky paths). Studio itself does not require root.

Why is my HUD blank?

Common causes: Conky missing or wrong build; canvas/alignment off-screen; weather/scripts still warming up; Wayland/compositor limits (especially GNOME); theme missing start.sh. See Troubleshooting and Troubleshooting Themes.

Does it work on Wayland?

Depends on the compositor and your Conky build. wlroots-based sessions and KDE Plasma Wayland are typical targets. GNOME (Mutter) is a poor fit for this kind of overlay — that is a Conky + GNOME limitation. Some distro packages ship X11-only Conky. Use Tools → Hardware & Session.

Can I import my old Conky theme?

Yes via Project → Import Legacy Theme…. Import is semantic, not a guaranteed pixel clone. Current and older conf syntax are both handled with limits (e.g. images/media are not fully imported as drawable assets). See Legacy Import.

What are plugins?

JSON packs that add logic or visual node types (Lua templates, no plugin Python). Install only packs you trust. See Plugins.

Music node shows nothing

The music / now-playing path expects something like playerctl and a supported player. Install playerctl and ensure a player is active.

Can I group nodes or add notes on the canvas?

Yes (editor-only): multi-select → group; collapse/expand groups; free-form labels. These do not change generated Conky output.

Where is the full feature list?

See Features.

How do I get help?

Help → Support (Discord + YouTube), or Support.