Eu tive o mesmo problema ultimamente com o conky 1.10.1 no Ubuntu 16.04.1. Eu não retrocedi conky. Eu consertei o problema mudando a linha
own_window_type = 'desktop',
no meu .conkyrc para
own_window_type = 'dock',
Afinal, meu .conkyrc para o Ubuntu 16.04.1 lê
os.execute("sleep 1")
conky.config = {
background = true,
double_buffer = true,
alignment = 'top_right',
border_width = 1,
cpu_avg_samples = 2,
default_color = 'white',
default_outline_color = 'black',
default_shade_color = 'black',
draw_borders = false,
draw_graph_borders = true,
draw_outline = false,
draw_shades = false,
net_avg_samples = 2,
no_buffers = true,
out_to_console = false,
out_to_stderr = false,
extra_newline = false,
own_window = true,
own_window_type = 'dock',
own_window_transparent = false,
own_window_argb_visual = true,
own_window_argb_value = 64,
own_window_colour = 'black',
own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
minimum_width = 170, minimum_height = 0,
stippled_borders = 0,
update_interval = 2.0,
uppercase = false,
use_spacer = 'none',
show_graph_scale = false,
show_graph_range = false,
use_xft = true,
xftalpha = 0.1,
font = 'Droid Sans:size=11',
color0 = 'white',
color1 = 'EAEAEA',
color2 = 'FFA300',
color3 = 'grey'
}
conky.text = [[
${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}System ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Computer name ${alignr}${color}${nodename}
${color1}Kernel version ${alignr}${color}${kernel}-${machine}
${color1}CPU frequency ${alignr}${color}${freq_g}GHz
${color1}Load (average) ${alignr}${color}${loadavg 1}
${color1}CPU temperature ${alignr}${color}${acpitemp} degrees Celsius
${if_existing /sys/class/power_supply/BAT0/uevent}${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}Laptop battery charge ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Battery charge ${alignr}${color}${battery BAT0}${endif}
${if_existing /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/uevent}${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}Laptop battery charge ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Battery charge ${alignr}${color}${battery BAT1}${endif}
${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}Processors ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Kernel 1 ${color}${cpu cpu1}% ${cpubar cpu1}
${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}Memory (RAM) ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Memory free / total ${alignr}${color}${memeasyfree} / ${memmax}
${color1}Now in use ${color}${memperc}% ${membar}
${color1}Virtual memory (swap) ${alignc}${color}${swap} / ${swapmax} ${color}${alignr}${swapperc} %
${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}File system ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${color1}Root or / ${alignc}${color}${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /} ${color}${alignr}${fs_free_perc /} %
${color}${fs_bar 5,300 /}
${color1}Home or /home ${alignc}${color}${fs_used /home} / ${fs_size /home} ${color}${alignr}${fs_free_perc /home} %
${color}${fs_bar 5,300 /home}
${font AvantGardeLTMedium:bold:size=11}${color Tan1}Wireless network ${color slate grey}${hr 2}${font}
${if_existing /proc/net/route wlp3s0}${color1}Wireless access point ${alignr}${color}${wireless_essid wlp3s0}${endif}
${color1}Signal strength ${alignr}${color}${wireless_link_qual_perc wlp3s0} ${wireless_link_bar 10,100 wlp3s0}
${color1}Data traffic down / up ${alignr}${color}${totaldown wlp3s0} ${color1}/ ${color}${totalup wlp3s0}
]]
Meu .conkyrc produz a saída da seguinte forma: