Your Desktop, it's your domain.  Everyone has a specific style.  From the completely messy to the minimalist.  Some people like to have their icons arranged, some are thrown around like a rat's nest.  Whatever your style, you may like an application called GeekTool.  It's been around for a while now, and is now at version 2.1.2.  So if you don't have the latest version, grab it here.  If you don't have it all, go grab it also.

GeekTool is a preference pane that allows you to have files, pictures, URL's, or shell scripts running on the desktop.  It takes a little bit of setup, but the end result is worth it.  Especially if you have some help setting it up.  GeekTool isn't perfect, sometimes it takes a while to get the window to show up, and figuring out what you have up and where could be a tough choice for the OCD' out there like me.  But in the end it's a nice little tool to have for making your desktop your own.

Read on for the download and some helpful starter scripts for your new desktop.

GeekTool 2 at projects.tynsoe.org

Top processes
top -ocpu -FR -l2 -n20 | grep '^....[1234567890] ' | grep -v ' 0.0% ..:' | cut -c 1-24,33-42,64-77

Wireless connection info
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -I

CPU Idle %
top -l 2 | awk '/CPU usage/ && NR > 5 {print $12, $13}'

IP Address (from nicinabox.com)
ifconfig en1 | grep "inet " | awk '{print $2}'

Calendar (from nicinabox.com)
cal | awk -v cday=`date "+%d"` '{ fill=(int(cday)>9?"":" ");
a=$0; sub(" "fill int(cday)" ","["fill int(cday)"]",a); print a }'

NicinABox.com also has some nice pre-compiled scripts for running process, here's a shortcut to the download NicInABox's GeekTool Scripts.

There are so many options for GeekTool, that we could go on and on.  Instead, here are some links to get you started or to better hone your desktop.

http://thememymac.com/2009/geektool/geektool-all-the-scripts-i-could-find-explained-for-beginners/

http://macthemes2.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16793954

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=628023