How to use the command polybar (with examples)

Polybar is a fast and easy-to-use status bar that can be used to display information and system status on Linux desktops. It is highly customizable and can be configured to show various modules, such as the time, date, system resources, and more.

Use case 1: Start Polybar

Code:

polybar bar_name

Motivation: Starting Polybar without specifying a config file or bar name will launch Polybar with the default configuration and the default bar name specified in the config file.

Explanation:

• polybar: This is the command to start Polybar.
• bar_name: (Optional) The name of the bar to start. If only one bar is defined in the config file, the bar name can be omitted.

Example output:

[2021-10-05T09:30:00Z] Polybar started

Use case 2: Start Polybar with the specified config

Code:

polybar --config=path/to/config.ini bar_name

Motivation: Starting Polybar with a specific config file allows users to customize the appearance and behavior of the bar according to their preferences.

Explanation:

• polybar: This is the command to start Polybar.
• --config=path/to/config.ini: Specifies the location of the config file to use for Polybar. The path/to/config.ini should be replaced with the actual path to the desired config file.
• bar_name: (Optional) The name of the bar to start. If only one bar is defined in the config file, the bar name can be omitted.

Example output:

[2021-10-05T09:30:00Z] Polybar started with custom config

Use case 3: Start Polybar and reload the bar when the config file is modified

Code:

polybar --reload bar_name

Motivation: Polybar can be dynamically reloaded when changes are made to the config file. This allows users to make changes to the appearance or behavior of the bar without having to restart the entire Polybar process.

Explanation:

• polybar: This is the command to start Polybar.
• --reload: Tells Polybar to reload the bar when the config file is modified.
• bar_name: (Optional) The name of the bar to start. If only one bar is defined in the config file, the bar name can be omitted.

Example output:

[2021-10-05T09:30:00Z] Polybar started and will automatically reload when config is modified

Conclusion:

Polybar is a versatile status bar that can be customized to show various system status information on Linux desktops. By using different command options, users can start Polybar with different configurations, reload the bar when the config file is modified, and customize the appearance and behavior of the bar according to their preferences.