The datetime plugin updates once a second when the date only is shown and the time format includes seconds. Reproduce as follows: Configure the datetime plugin with a layout of "Date only" and a time format that includes seconds. The date is displayed in the panel and the time is displayed in a tooltip. Monitor the plugin with strace (and do not redirect its output to a file). Move the cursor outside the panel (also, the panel should not have other plugins that do periodic updates). strace shows system calls occurring once a second. Reconfigure the plugin with a time format that does not include seconds and move the cursor outside the panel. Now, strace shows system calls occurring once a minute. The expected behavior is for the plugin to update once a minute unless seconds are currently being displayed in the plugin's button or tooltip. $ ps -e | fgrep xfce4-panel 10438 pts/1 00:00:13 xfce4-panel $ strace -p 10438 -ttt Bug 4145 has a patch that includes a fix for this bug.
Indeed, I guess I introduced this problem with the new tooltips implementation.
Fixed in svn r4993, borrowing from your patch in Bug #4145. Thanks.
(In reply to comment #2) > Fixed in svn r4993, borrowing from your patch in Bug #4145. Thanks. Adding the function datetime_set_update_interval() is a good idea, however, it depends on *both* the layout and the date/time formats, so it needs to be called when either changes. You can verify using the strace method I outlined above. BTW, this dual dependency was why I computed the update interval in datetime_update() (and factored out the timer handler into datetime_update1()).
Created attachment 1711 Double-dependency I'm too lazy to think right now, but I think this'll do the trick.
Committed that patch in r5007. Please re-reopen this bug if it is insufficient.