Use passive widgets

This way awesome won't block when trying to get something and it takes a
long time (like getting number of unread RSS articles without an
internet connection).

awesome/.config/awesome/rc.lua

@@ -203,37 +203,30 @@ mytasklist.buttons = awful.util.table.join(
                                               if client.focus then client.focus:raise() end
                                           end))
 
-mymaillist = wibox.widget.textbox()
+function mailwidget(name, lighter)
-mymaillist:set_text(
+   widget = wibox.widget.textbox()
-   string.format(" ryu: %d pfx: %d gmail: %d 9f: %d ",
+   widget.set_mailcount = function (self)
-                 new_mail('ryuslash.org/inbox'),
+      self:set_text(string.format(" %s: %d", lighter,
-                 new_mail('picturefix/inbox'),
+                                  new_mail(name .. '/inbox')))
-                 new_mail('gmail/inbox'),
+   end
-                 new_mail('ninthfloor/inbox')))
+   widget:set_mailcount()
-mymaillisttimer = timer({ timeout = 60 })
+
-mymaillisttimer:connect_signal(
+   return widget
-   "timeout",
+end
-   function ()
+
-      mymaillist:set_text(
+mailwidgets = {ryuslash = mailwidget('ryuslash.org', 'ryu'),
-         string.format(" ryu: %d pfx: %d gmail: %d 9f: %d ",
+               picturefix = mailwidget('picturefix', 'pfx'),
-                       new_mail('ryuslash.org/inbox'),
+               gmail = mailwidget('gmail', 'gmail'),
-                       new_mail('picturefix/inbox'),
+               ninthfloor = mailwidget('ninthfloor', '9f')}
-                       new_mail('gmail/inbox'),
+
-                       new_mail('ninthfloor/inbox')))
+myrsslist = wibox.widget.textbox()
-   end)
+myrsslist.set_count = function (self, count)
-mymaillisttimer:start()
+   if count then
-
+      self:set_markup(" " .. count
-if avandu then
+                         .. " <span face=\"FontAwesome\"></span>")
-   myrsslist = wibox.widget.textbox()
+   else
-   myrsslist:set_markup(" " .. (avandu.unread() or '?') .. " <span face=\"FontAwesome\"></span>")
+      self:set_text("")
-   myrsslisttimer = timer({ timeout = 60 })
-   myrsslisttimer:connect_signal(
-      "timeout",
-      function ()
-         myrsslist:set_markup(" " .. (avandu.unread() or '?') .. " <span face=\"FontAwesome\"></span>")
    end
-   )
-   myrsslisttimer:start()
 end
 
 function unlocked()
@@ -296,7 +289,11 @@ for s = 1, screen.count() do
     local right_layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal()
     if s == 1 then
        if avandu then right_layout:add(myrsslist) end
-       right_layout:add(mymaillist)
+
+       for k, w in pairs(mailwidgets) do
+          right_layout:add(w)
+       end
+
        -- right_layout:add(mykeyringlist)
        right_layout:add(wibox.widget.systray())
     end