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#1 2012-09-29 06:08:16

RedScare
Member
Registered: 2009-03-28
Posts: 91

Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

I installed Arch Linux in Parallels on a Macbook Pro Retina. Everything works, but I can't get the fonts to look decent. I've played around with forcing the DPI through KDE to 220 but this makes some fonts gigantic. I've enabled most of the available fontconfig tweaks. Right now the fonts look so bad it's hard to use the system. Does anyone have ideas?

Thanks.

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#2 2012-09-29 07:21:46

litemotiv
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Registered: 2008-08-01
Posts: 5,026

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina


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#3 2012-09-29 16:37:20

RedScare
Member
Registered: 2009-03-28
Posts: 91

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

I'm not super-interested in having Linux run at the full 1880x1280 resolution -- I'm fine running it at (and am running it at) 1680x1050, the resolution my Mac is displaying. My issue is that windows, for example, has decent-looking fonts, whereas Linux is practically unreadable. I know next to nothing about fonts/dpis/how everything relates, so I was wondering how I'd work around that.

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#4 2012-09-29 17:00:03

litemotiv
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Registered: 2008-08-01
Posts: 5,026

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

Ok i didn't know that Windows works okay with your parallels, sorry...


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#5 2012-09-29 19:15:45

WonderWoofy
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From: Los Gatos, CA
Registered: 2012-05-19
Posts: 8,414

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

litemotiv wrote:

Ok i didn't know that Windows works okay with your parallels, sorry...

Well, you shouldn't be expected to know what you aren't told. 

OP, maybe you should have a look at the page about font configuration in the wiki as it was something that we all had to do to make our systems look the way we want.  Keep in mind that Arch is a DIY distro, so you are, in fact, expected to do it yourself.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Font_Configuration

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#6 2012-09-29 20:04:21

RedScare
Member
Registered: 2009-03-28
Posts: 91

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

I have tried enabling all of those things before I asked the question.

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#7 2012-09-29 22:10:42

hunterthomson
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Registered: 2008-06-22
Posts: 794
Website

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

You could try installing

aur/fontconfig-ubuntu


OpenBSD-current Thinkpad X230, i7-3520M, 16GB CL9 Kingston, Samsung 830 256GB
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#8 2012-09-29 23:07:28

litemotiv
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2008-08-01
Posts: 5,026

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

RedScare wrote:

I have tried enabling all of those things before I asked the question.

Well we have no idea what it looks like (screenshots?), also what resolution is your Arch running?


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#9 2012-09-30 00:31:43

RedScare
Member
Registered: 2009-03-28
Posts: 91

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

So I got the fonts to a usable state by playing around with my DPI in the xorg.conf, installing ttf-ms-fonts and ttf-ubuntu-fonts, and switching from KDE to xfce4. They are still very rough around the edges but at least usable. If anyone has suggestions please let me know. I'm running at 1680x1050 which is the resolution of my Mac as well.

Screenshot:



-- mod edit: read the Forum Etiquette and only post thumbnails http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/For … s_and_Code [jwr] --

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#10 2012-09-30 02:12:02

WonderWoofy
Member
From: Los Gatos, CA
Registered: 2012-05-19
Posts: 8,414

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

When you set up your vm, did you install any ttf fonts, or were the ttf fonts listed above the first ttf fonts you installed?  The beginners guide recommends you install ttf-dejavu, because otherwise your fonts will undoubtedly look pretty bad.

Also, I fail to understand how you are running at 1680x1050 while at the native resolution of of a macbook pro retina.

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#11 2012-09-30 10:06:21

hunterthomson
Member
Registered: 2008-06-22
Posts: 794
Website

Re: Virtualized linux looks terrible on Macbook Pro Retina

Becuase you say the fonts in a VM of Windows looks fine makes me think that your fonts simply are not configured correctly, and it has nothing to do with your laptop.

The reason I sugjested installing "fontconfig-ubuntu" from the AUR is becuase it is a meta package that will install and configure all your fonts for you.

I highly sugjest you remove all xorg.conf font settings and any other configs you have set. Then

Install:
ttf-bitstream-vera
ttf-dejavu
ttf-ms-fonts

Then install "fontconfig-ubuntu" from the AUR.

I also like ttf-fossfonts and ttf-funfonts
"I think" Bitstream Vera Sans is the best font. However, only after the "fontconfig-ubuntu" package configures all the anti-aliasing and stuff. You can also go back to KDE, and no need to set any font setting in KDE, becuase "fontconfig-ubuntu" has already set it all up for you.

... and the native resolution of your Macbook Pro Retina screen is 2880x1800, so ya after fontconfig-ubuntu sets up stuff for you, you will need to change the DPI to a higher value so everything is not all micro.

Last edited by hunterthomson (2012-09-30 10:40:24)


OpenBSD-current Thinkpad X230, i7-3520M, 16GB CL9 Kingston, Samsung 830 256GB
Contributor: linux-grsec

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