Is there a clock app like DS Clock in Windows, which allows me to have an always on top clock, no matter what program is running?

Question

I have recently switched to Ubuntu from Windows. I used an app called DS Clock which allowed me to place a small digital clock in the lower right corner of my screen that always showed up, even when I was playing a full-screen game. I'd really like to be able to do it on Ubuntu, but either no app has the capability or, more likely, my skillset isn't developed enough that I can figure out how to make it happen.

So far - in the week since I switched - Ubuntu is far superior to my old operating system... except this issue, which is really bothering me because I very much liked having my little clock showing the time and date in the corner. I set up dash to panel, and it has the clock in the right spot, but I can't make it always on top for full screen games (and I wouldn't want the entire bar on top, anyway, just the clock).

I attempted to use DS Clock in Wine, but some options won't change (I can't set colors, for example, and the default colors are awful) and it will not stay on top. I had it locking to the right border so it always stayed in the lower right corner.

I thought, perhaps, xclock would do this, but I can't figure out how to customize it, particularly the placement on the screen, nor how to make it always on top. The documentation isn't particularly detailed, and my playing around with it hasn't worked.

I also tried the Desktop Clock extension - and it's nearly there, but it won't show up on top. It won't even go on top of my dash to panel bar. I want this to always be on top of whatever else is on the screen.

Any ideas? Consider me a beginner who isn't afraid to try new things. I'm also willing to read instructions, but this one has me stumped. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Gnome version 46.0 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Edit: I want the clock to be always on top, even when I'm using full-screen applications (like games) which I haven't found as an option (and the similar question graham points to does not have an answer for). However, it appears the creator of Desktop Clock is working on/has created a version that allows for always on top. I'm just not sure how to implement it, as it's not an option in the version I have. Perhaps I need to figure out if it's only available in Gnome 47, or if I need to update to the latest build from gitlab (which I do not know how to do).

Answer 1

The Desktop Clock extension does have an "Always on top" option, but it wasn't active on my machine for some reason until I went into the settings in the extension directory and edited it using the instructions on this page. After editing the file, and compiling it, the option menu started to show up when I right-clicked on the clock (it did not show up before, believe me, I tried). The clock is exactly what I wanted and stays on top during games.

Note: It only works in fullscreen games if there is another window on the desktop when you open the game. I do not know why, but suspect it has something to do with the way windows are given priority on the OS. If I open the game without another, completely unrelated, window open on the desktop, the clock vanishes.