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Want to get started with the excellent Linux gaming overlay MangoHud? There's an app for that. A reminder of the wonderful GOverlay which just had a new release.

MangoHud enables you to do fancy things like check FPS, frame timings, monitor temperatures, RAM and VRAM use and the list goes on. It can take a little tinkering to get it where you want it through a config file or with launch options for games but how about making it a little easier? That's where GOverlay comes in.

GOverlay has been covered here a few times and with good reason, it's a nifty little open source app that talks to MangoHud and lets you configure it by clicking buttons and ticking boxes. I like the simple life okay? It's great. Version 0.3.4 of GOverlay just went up bringing in support for recent additions to MangoHUD 0.4.1.

These new additions in GOverlay include:

  • Added text field to use custom CPU and GPU Names
  • Added power option on GPU section
  • Added Memory Frequency option on GPU section
  • Added Frame time histogram option
  • Added combobox to choose media player (spotify, VLC, Audacious, cantata)
  • Merged CPU and memory groupboxes
  • Change shortcuts to the new defaults on MangoHUD using the left and right shift keys
  • Interface fonts revamp

Want to see it in action? Here's a quick look to show off the slight revamped interface:

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Game in action: DRAG, which is currently in the Steam Game Festival, more info on DRAG can be found here.

Find more about GOverlay here, which needs the also excellent MangoHud.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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15 comments

subatomic Jun 20, 2020
I just started using this and it is a great piece of software; very easy to use and get started and displays all kinds of useful information.
Linuxer Jun 20, 2020
GOverlay has been covered here a few times and with good reason, it's a nifty little open source app that talks to MangoHud

Was wondering what if these were put together in a snap or a flatpak to even more convenient use?
FurbyOnSteroid Jun 20, 2020
So.. considering there is no word of it, is there someone else that has the issue that goverlay does not read the config to set the values you've already applied? I tried it yesterday and while it set everything up just fine, once I restarted goverlay it would use the default values instead of the values in the config. Which is pretty annoying if you want to change just one setting (though I guess then you could just change it in the config itself). Great tool, makes setting it up the first time pretty easy, but has issues. At least on my machine
Liam Dawe Jun 20, 2020
So.. considering there is no word of it, is there someone else that has the issue that goverlay does not read the config to set the values you've already applied? I tried it yesterday and while it set everything up just fine, once I restarted goverlay it would use the default values instead of the values in the config. Which is pretty annoying if you want to change just one setting (though I guess then you could just change it in the config itself). Great tool, makes setting it up the first time pretty easy, but has issues. At least on my machine
It's noted in the Github issues: https://github.com/benjamimgois/goverlay/issues/6
Alan69 Jun 20, 2020
Wow love this
mylka Jun 20, 2020
is there an online version, which just shows you the code you have to copy in the config file?
Shmerl Jun 21, 2020
I stick to classics, GALLIUM_HUD / VK_LAYER_MESA_overlay.
NoSt Jun 21, 2020
I've been using both MangoHud and GOverlay since they were first released, and they've become indispensable tools for both tweaking the game settings and recording gameplay videos.
I'm impressed by the amount of progress both developers have achieved in just a few months.
mylka Jun 21, 2020
I stick to classics, GALLIUM_HUD / VK_LAYER_MESA_overlay.

can you sahre your parameters
Shmerl Jun 21, 2020
I stick to classics, GALLIUM_HUD / VK_LAYER_MESA_overlay.

can you sahre your parameters

gpu_hud.sh

#!/bin/bash

cores=$(nproc)
cores_str="cpu0"

for ((i = 1; i < $cores; i++)); do
   cores_str="${cores_str}+cpu${i}"
done

#### OpenGL

export GALLIUM_HUD=".dfps:160,.dframetime:33,cpu+GPU-load:100=gpu,${cores_str}:100"
# more options:
# VRAM-usage

#### Vulkan

# more options:
export VK_LAYER_MESA_OVERLAY_CONFIG="position=top-left"
export VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS=VK_LAYER_MESA_overlay

"$@" &
disown -h %+


Usage:

gpu_hud.sh glxgears
gpu_hud.sh vkcube



Last edited by Shmerl on 21 June 2020 at 6:08 pm UTC
benjamimgois Jun 22, 2020
I've been using both MangoHud and GOverlay since they were first released, and they've become indispensable tools for both tweaking the game settings and recording gameplay videos.
I'm impressed by the amount of progress both developers have achieved in just a few months.

Thanks for the kind words, i just made a small fix update in 0.3.5. I also have other small projects that doesn't got much attention, but can be usefull to someone.

NTFIX - https://github.com/benjamimgois/ntfix
small program to fix the problem of proton Games won't running on NTFS partitions.

yuZUP - https://github.com/benjamimgois/yuzup
YuzUP is a small GUI app to update the nintendo switch emulator YUZU to the latest binary on github.
heidi.wenger Jun 22, 2020
GOverlay has been covered here a few times and with good reason, it's a nifty little open source app that talks to MangoHud

Was wondering what if these were put together in a snap or a flatpak to even more convenient use?

Wouldbe wonderful and i for one would welcome it i have almost zero patience in tinkerin nowadays for some reason
heidi.wenger Jun 22, 2020
I've been using both MangoHud and GOverlay since they were first released, and they've become indispensable tools for both tweaking the game settings and recording gameplay videos.
I'm impressed by the amount of progress both developers have achieved in just a few months.

Thanks for the kind words, i just made a small fix update in 0.3.5. I also have other small projects that doesn't got much attention, but can be usefull to someone.

NTFIX - https://github.com/benjamimgois/ntfix
small program to fix the problem of proton Games won't running on NTFS partitions.

yuZUP - https://github.com/benjamimgois/yuzup
YuzUP is a small GUI app to update the nintendo switch emulator YUZU to the latest binary on github.

Hello! Are you the developer ? Just posted a reply above concerning packaging, is there any plans for such ?
benjamimgois Jun 22, 2020
Hello! Are you the developer ? Just posted a reply above concerning packaging, is there any plans for such ?

Hi heidi.wenger, yes i am. Currently i have no knowledge in flatpacks and snaps, so there're no plans to do it right now. I agree it would be a very cool thing to have Goverlay and Mangohud in a single flatpak, but i would need some help with that.
heidi.wenger Jun 22, 2020
Hello! Are you the developer ? Just posted a reply above concerning packaging, is there any plans for such ?

Hi heidi.wenger, yes i am. Currently i have no knowledge in flatpacks and snaps, so there're no plans to do it right now. I agree it would be a very cool thing to have Goverlay and Mangohud in a single flatpak, but i would need some help with that.


Thanks for replying!! I will try to get that help for you right away!

A request with info added here first of all: https://discourse.flathub.org/t/goverlay-and-mangohud-added-together-in-flatpak-for-very-convenient-use-the-developer-needs-help-on-this/532/2
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