Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

deepfuchsia · 2018-11-18 13:13:18

Hello there.
I've recently tried to use my Thinkpad E580 for work and other programming activities, so I connected a 27'' monitor via HDMI and it worked well, but then I noticed that interface on the monitor looks excessively big, so I figured out that it's DPI issue.
I can easily change DPI for fonts and it improves the picture but I can't change DPI for all elements I see on the monitor.

Why does it happen? Is it because of xfce4, or xorg, or integrated graphics card? I'd like to fix it no matter what, because it pokes my eyes and I can't work like this.

seth · 2018-11-18 14:40:37

xrandr --dpi <value>

That doesn't mean everything will adapt, (it usually affects only processes started afterwards and even then some toolkits are simply not DPI aware)

You *cannot* have different DPIs per output w/ X11. Most wayland compositors provide this, though.
On X11, you can alter the outputs resolutions or scale them to end up w/ similar DPIs.

deepfuchsia · 2018-11-18 14:45:19

seth wrote:

xrandr --dpi <value>
That doesn't mean everything will adapt, (it usually affects only processes started afterwards and even then some toolkits are simply not DPI aware)
You *cannot* have different DPIs per output w/ X11. Most wayland compositors provide this, though.
On X11, you can alter the outputs resolutions or scale them to end up w/ similar DPIs.

I've tried xrandr a few times and it didn't seem like it changed anything. I've tried scaling and it made the picture blurry. I'll google for wayland then, thanks.

seth · 2018-11-18 14:47:46

I've tried xrandr

is not a usable description of your failed efforts…

xrandr -q
xdpyinfo | grep resolution

Aligned DPIs might lead to blurry results on wayland just as much, especially w/ any non-native client.

deepfuchsia · 2018-11-18 15:04:21

seth wrote:

I've tried xrandr
is not a usable description of your failed efforts…
xrandr -q
xdpyinfo | grep resolution
Aligned DPIs might lead to blurry results on wayland just as much, especially w/ any non-native client.

the

xrandr -q

says this https://pastebin.com/acKfgCnd
and

xdpyinfo | grep resolution

this

resolution:    96x96 dots per inch

I've tried

xrandr --dpi 81

and it didn't change anything, that's what I meant.

I've also created a file

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-monitor.conf

with content

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier    "HDMI1"
  DisplaySize   598 336 # In millimeters
  Option        "DPI" "81 x 81"
EndSection

and it didn't change anything as well.

Could you please explain what do you mean by `Aligned` in

Aligned DPIs might lead to blurry results

?

Arch Linux

#1 2018-11-18 13:13:18

Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

#2 2018-11-18 14:40:37

Re: Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

#3 2018-11-18 14:45:19

Re: Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

#4 2018-11-18 14:47:46

Re: Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

#5 2018-11-18 15:04:21

Re: Different DPI for notebook screen and second monitor, XFCE4

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