Configure a second primary monitor with right resolution

[terjejh]

My laptop has a HR monitor, eDP1. I want to connect a second large monitor (TV) via HDMI adapter to show video with VLC. Default the second monitor is expected to have high resolution, so with a relative low resolution everything is displayed all too large and clumpsy (menus, icons etc) while the window has to be scaled down.

My question is how to configure the correct resolution for the second primary monitor DP1 with xrandr?

See the current xrandr output below and additional inxi details.
xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 16 x 16, current 5760 x 2160, maximum 32767 x 32767
DP-1 connected 1920x1080+3840+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 530mm x 300mm
1920x1080 59.96*+
1440x1080 59.99
1400x1050 59.98
…
eDP-1 connected primary 3840x2160+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 290mm x 170mm
3840x2160 59.98*+
2048x1536 59.95
1920x1440 59.90

inxi -GMSz
System:
Kernel: 6.12.35-1.0.12.sr20250601-longterm arch: x86_64 bits: 64
Console: pty pts/0 Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed-Slowroll 20250601
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Dell product: XPS 13 9370 v: N/A serial:
Mobo: Dell model: 0F6P3V v: A00 serial: UEFI: Dell v: 1.21.0
date: 07/06/2022
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 driver: i915 v: kernel
Device-2: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB
Display: unspecified server: X.org v: 1.21.1.15 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
driver: gpu: i915 resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz
API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.1.3 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD
Graphics 620 (KBL GT2)
API: Vulkan v: 1.4.313 drivers: N/A surfaces: N/A
API: EGL Message: EGL data requires eglinfo. Check --recommends.
Info: Tools: api: glxinfo,vulkaninfo x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr

[mrmazda]

inxi -GSaz needs to be run within a running X session to tell us more about what’s happening. Also, please place ``` on a line by itself both before and after command input/output you paste here, to preserve the formatting as you saw it.

[terjejh]

Thank you for commenting:
This command output is taken in a Gnome session terminal after connecting the second monitor and with VLC loaded. (Tested also with Gnome on Xorg without any visually VLC change, still huge menus and buttons and small area to see the video)

inxi -GSaz
System:
  Kernel: 6.12.36-1-longterm arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12.36-1-longterm
    root=UUID=322a930e-447b-4582-a126-dde0443a3b85 splash=silent
    resume=/dev/disk/by-label/swap mitigations=auto quiet security=apparmor
  Desktop: GNOME v: 48.2 tk: GTK v: 3.24.50 wm: gnome-shell
    tools: gsd-screensaver-proxy avail: xscreensaver dm: GDM v: 48.0
    Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed-Slowroll 20250701
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: DP-1,eDP-1
    empty: DP-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5917 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.1
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-5:3 chip-ID: 0bda:58f4
    class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.15 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: DP-1 model: Philips 244E serial: <filter> built: 2010
    res: 1920x1080 dpi: 92 gamma: 1.2 size: 531x299mm (20.91x11.77")
    diag: 609mm (24") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: eDP-1 model: Sharp 0x148b built: 2017 res: 3840x2160 dpi: 332
    gamma: 1.2 size: 294x165mm (11.57x6.5") diag: 337mm (13.3") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 3840x2160
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.1.3 glx-v: 1.4 es-v: 3.2
    direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:5917 memory: 14.96 GiB unified: yes display-ID: :0.0
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.313 layers: 1 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel
    UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) driver: N/A device-ID: 8086:5917 surfaces: N/A
    device: 1 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM 20.1.6 256 bits) driver: N/A
    device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: N/A
  API: EGL Message: EGL data requires eglinfo. Check --recommends.
  Info: Tools: api: glxinfo,vulkaninfo x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr

[terjejh]

Add visually from

arandr

(arandr:11807): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 11:25:44.889: gdk_atom_intern: assertion 'atom_name != NULL' failed

(arandr:11807): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 11:25:44.889: gdk_atom_intern: assertion 'atom_name != NULL' failed

[malcolmlewis]

@terjejh I doubt the TV from 2010 and HDMI won’t display more than 1080P. You really want something that has a DP connector…

[terjejh]

@malcolmlewis
I dived more into it and found the reason that caused this issue and solved it. Some years ago I beta tested openSUSE and SLED using this XPS 9370 ultrabook. With its 13" built-in 4k UHD 3840x2160 display, the DTE gui became so small and almost unreadable. The gui setup I found that solved it comfortable were setting Display zoom to 200% + Accessibility Large Text enabled. When I now temporary backed the display zoom to 100% and disabled large text, the gui and VLC window worked useable (again) on the Joined 1920x1080 monitor.

For possibly later documentation of interest for this issue, I attach here my settings screenshot and updated inxi output after this.

System:
  Kernel: 6.12.36-1-longterm arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12.36-1-longterm
    root=UUID=322a930e-447b-4582-a126-dde0443a3b85 splash=silent
    resume=/dev/disk/by-label/swap mitigations=auto quiet security=apparmor
  Desktop: GNOME v: 48.2 tk: GTK v: 3.24.50 wm: gnome-shell
    tools: gsd-screensaver-proxy avail: xscreensaver dm: GDM v: 48.0
    Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed-Slowroll 20250701
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: DP-1,eDP-1
    empty: DP-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:5917 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.1
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-5:3 chip-ID: 0bda:58f4
    class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.15 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: vesa
    alternate: fbdev,intel dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 5760x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1524x572mm (60.00x22.52")
    s-diag: 1628mm (64.09")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 pos: primary,left model: Philips 244E serial: <filter>
    built: 2010 res: mode: 1920x1080 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 92 gamma: 1.2
    size: 531x299mm (20.91x11.77") diag: 609mm (24") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: eDP-1 pos: right model: Sharp 0x148b built: 2017 res:
    mode: 3840x2160 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 332 gamma: 1.2
    size: 294x165mm (11.57x6.5") diag: 337mm (13.3") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 3840x2160
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.1.3 glx-v: 1.4 es-v: 3.2
    direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:5917 memory: 14.96 GiB unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.313 layers: 1 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel
    UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) driver: N/A device-ID: 8086:5917 surfaces: N/A
    device: 1 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM 20.1.6 256 bits) driver: N/A
    device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: N/A
  API: EGL Message: EGL data requires eglinfo. Check --recommends.
  Info: Tools: api: glxinfo,vulkaninfo x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr

[terjejh]

[mrmazda]

I started composing this hours ago, got interrupted, and forgot about it. FTR it may be worth knowing anyway, for anyone using multiple displays with massively different display densities.

@terjejh

Philips 244E

To clarify @malcolmlewis’ comment, your Phillips 244E is limited to 1080P, so you need a different TV supporting 4K to play 4K content @4K from your laptop on the TV. To simply resize all those too big objects on the 244E using X11, xrandr should be able to scale it, independent of the options Plasma settings provide. e.g.:

xrandr --output DP-1 --mode 1920x1080 --rate 120 --scale 1.25x1.25

Here, a similar set of values matched to the displays I use shrinks fonts and everything else quite a bit. While the scale factor NAICT is not technically limited, you may find fonts look better when net DPI works out to a multiple of 12 or 24 that comes close to matching the display’s dot pitch, or a nearly even multiple or fraction of it. My eyes aren’t good enough to find any value in 4K, so even though I have a 4K TV in the living room, when I connect Linux to it I run it 1920x1080 and don’t attempt to find anything to watch on it having a higher resolution format.