Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

WiLLiE · 2005-03-18 02:49:04

This info really made my fonts look nice.

However, a few things i'm uncertain of:

I measuered my screen and put these in my xorg.conf (monitor section):
DisplaySize 377 330

/var/log/Xorg.0.log reports:

(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1280 x 1024
(**) NVIDIA(0): Display dimensions: (377, 330) mm
(WW) NVIDIA(0): Probed monitor is 370x300 mm, using Displaysize 377x330 mm

Could the size really differ that much?

On to the next question...
xdpyinfo gives me:

screen #0:
  print screen:    no
  dimensions:    1280x1024 pixels (378x333 millimeters)
  resolution:    86x78 dots per inch

/var/log/Xorg.0.log reports the same:

(**) NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (86, 78)

Is a square DPI so much better?
If so, what do I need to do to tell X to use my preferred square DPI?

As told to earlier in this thread, I got the DPI from xdpyinfo (86), and
put that into /etc/fonts/local.conf

<!-- Setup DPI (Huyndai) -->
        <match target="pattern">
                <edit name="dpi" mode="assign"><double>86</double></edit>
        </match>

This still gives me a DPI of 86x78.
Oh, and since I don't have a square DPI, wont this be bad?
I mean "<double>86</double>" isn't true here since I dont have 86x86 DPI?

Or perhaps I can't have a square DPI since the size of my display is 377x330 (mm)?

My monitor is the Huyndai 19" L90D+ (TFT).

phrakture · 2005-03-18 16:32:02

the dpi of fonts and the dpi of the X server are two different things...
and you're probably going to want 96dpi (windows uses this) or 100dpi.

try running "startx -dpi 96"... I think that's right... and also set the local.conf dpi to 96... see if that looks any better...

as for display size, nvidia does a good job with mine, so I leave it alone..

cactus · 2005-03-18 18:47:15

startx -- -dpi 96

I think you need the -- first..

WiLLiE · 2005-03-18 19:05:17

startx -- -dpi 96
I think you need the -- first..

Thanks. Gonna try that..
"startx -dpi 96" did not work.

Strange, but having a dpi of 86 in my /etc/fonts/local.conf looked better than 96.
Will try the startx dpi switch and see if that makes any difference.

edit:
The DPI switch made quite a difference, as can be seen in this picture:
http://willie.pointclark.net/dpi.png
Left: font - 86dpi
Right: font - 96dpi + "-- -dpi96" switch

Makes me wonder what the default DPI for X are.. 100?
And if I use gdm/xdm.. where do i set the "-- -dpi96" switch?

lanrat · 2005-03-19 02:44:21

Default dpi is determined automatically by xorg using DisplaySize (calculated or from xorg.conf) and target screen resolution.

You should experiment with different settings. You can cheat xorg by changing DisplaySize a little to have square dpi and use the same dpi setting in /etc/fonts/local.conf. Theoretically this should give the best quality. But there are many different opinions about this.

Also it depends on what fonts are used. For example windows uses always 96dpi as default. So ms ttf fonts are designed to work best with 96dpi.

Read this
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XWindow-User- … ningx.html
for info about setting dpi with gdm/xdm (if you don't want to use displaysize).

Arch Linux

#26 2005-03-18 02:49:04

Re: Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

#27 2005-03-18 16:32:02

Re: Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

#28 2005-03-18 18:47:15

Re: Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

#29 2005-03-18 19:05:17

Re: Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

#30 2005-03-19 02:44:21

Re: Same X fonts w/ same settings look worse than other distros

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