(KDE) Super size fonts and objects in 2560x1440 laptop screen

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Please note that, “xdpyinfo” only gives information about the Display Server’s Screen:


screen #0:
  dimensions:    3840x2160 pixels (1016x571 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch

On the other hand, “inxi” gives information about both the Display Server’s Screen and, it’s Monitor:


           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x571mm (40.0x22.5") s-diag: 1165mm (45.9") 
           Monitor-1: HDMI-A-0 res: 3840x2160 hz: 60 dpi: 140 size: 698x393mm (27.5x15.5") diag: 801mm (31.5")
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Without xdpyinfo, inxi omits lots:

# inxi -Gya
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: i915
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2e12
  Display: server: X.org 1.20.3 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
  alternate: intel resolution: <**xdpyinfo missing**>
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Q45/Q43 v: 2.1 Mesa 18.3.2
  direct render: Yes
# zypper --no-refresh in xdpyinfo
...
(1/1) Installing: xdpyinfo-1.3.2-lp151.2.3.x86_64 ............................................................................[done]
# inxi -Gya
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: i915
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2e12
  Display: server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
  alternate: intel **display ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1200 s-dpi: 120 s-size: 406x254mm (16.0x10.0")
  s-diag: 479mm (18.9")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 res: 1920x1200 hz: 60 dpi: 94 size: 519x324mm (20.4x12.8")
  diag: 612mm (24.1")**
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Q45/Q43 v: 2.1 Mesa 18.3.2
  direct render: Yes
# inxi -V | head -n1
inxi 3.1.06-00 (2020-08-17)
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The “xdpyinfo” package is recommended by the “xorg-x11” package – it should be installed automatically if the system is using the X11 (X.Org) Display Server …

  • What happens if the Display Server being used is Wayland?
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sudo zypper in xdpyinfo
[sudo] password for root: 
Retrieving repository 'Main Repository (NON-OSS)' metadata ..................................................................[done]
Building repository 'Main Repository (NON-OSS)' cache .......................................................................[done]
Retrieving repository 'Main Repository (OSS)' metadata ......................................................................[done]
Building repository 'Main Repository (OSS)' cache ...........................................................................[done]
Retrieving repository 'Main Update Repository' metadata .....................................................................[done]
Building repository 'Main Update Repository' cache ..........................................................................[done]
Retrieving repository 'utilities' metadata ..................................................................................[done]
Building repository 'utilities' cache .......................................................................................[done]
Retrieving repository 'Mozilla' metadata ....................................................................................[done]
Building repository 'Mozilla' cache .........................................................................................[done]
Retrieving repository 'packman' metadata ....................................................................................[done]
Building repository 'packman' cache .........................................................................................[done]
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Resolving package dependencies...

The following 2 NEW packages are going to be installed:
  libXxf86dga1 xdpyinfo

2 new packages to install.
Overall download size: 55.5 KiB. Already cached: 0 B. After the operation, additional 104.0 KiB will be used.
Continue? [y/n/v/...? shows all options] (y): y
Retrieving package libXxf86dga1-1.1.5-1.7.x86_64                                              (1/2),  17.2 KiB ( 26.5 KiB unpacked)
Retrieving: libXxf86dga1-1.1.5-1.7.x86_64.rpm .....................................................................[done (976 B/s)]
Retrieving package xdpyinfo-1.3.2-2.4.x86_64                                                  (2/2),  38.3 KiB ( 77.5 KiB unpacked)
Retrieving: xdpyinfo-1.3.2-2.4.x86_64.rpm ...................................................................................[done]

Checking for file conflicts: ................................................................................................[done]
(1/2) Installing: libXxf86dga1-1.1.5-1.7.x86_64 .............................................................................[done]
(2/2) Installing: xdpyinfo-1.3.2-2.4.x86_64 .................................................................................[done] 

sudo inxi -U
Starting inxi self updater.
Using tiny as downloader.
Currently running inxi version number: 3.1.00
Current version patch number: 00
Current version release date: 2020-04-22
Updating inxi in /usr/bin using main branch as download source...
Successfully updated to main branch version: 3.1.06
New main branch version patch number: 00
New main branch version release date: 2020-08-17
To run the new version, just start inxi again.
----------------------------------------

Starting download of man page file now.
Downloading Man page file...
Download successful. Compressing file...
Download and install of man page successful.
Check to make sure it works: man inxi

and then, suddenly

inxi -Ga
Graphics:  Device-1: NVIDIA GT218 [NVS 300] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: nouveau v: kernel bus ID: 03:00.0 
           chip ID: 10de:10d8 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           alternate: nouveau,nv,nvidia display ID: :0 screens: 1 
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2") s-diag: 582mm (22.9") 
           Monitor-1: DP-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 92 size: 531x299mm (20.9x11.8") diag: 609mm (24") 
           OpenGL: renderer: NVA8 v: 3.3 Mesa 20.1.6 direct render: Yes

Works! :smiley:

But: only 1 monitor, but two diameters/dpi numbers?!? It’s actually an LG W2442PA…

This is a plain vanilla KDE TW install (Wayland crashes when trying to log in)…

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Inxi’s s-dpi is software-DPI, an artificial construction applied to the desktop, with dimensions bearing no relationship to your display’s actual physics, designed to make software DPI=96. Inxi’s dpi is the physical DPI retrieved via the display’s EDID. Making the two match requires employing some configuration gyrations that depend on the actual software and hardware employed.

Using inxi -Gay will produce a slightly different output format that isn’t so wide and may be easier to decipher.

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Doing the arithmetic to check what inxi is saying about the physical Monitor – not the X11 Screen: 20.9 inches divided by 1920 equals 91.8660287081 which means 92 dots per inch …

  • Like it or leave it …
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OK, then let’s use this one:


 > inxi -ay -G
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Picasso vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel 
  bus ID: 08:00.0 chip ID: 1002:15d8 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: amdgpu 
  display ID: :0 screens: 1 
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x571mm (40.0x22.5") 
  s-diag: 1165mm (45.9") 
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-0 res: 3840x2160 hz: 60 dpi: 140 
  size: 698x393mm (27.5x15.5") diag: 801mm (31.5") 
  OpenGL: renderer: AMD RAVEN (DRM 3.33.0 5.3.18-lp152.36-default LLVM 9.0.1) 
  v: 4.5 Mesa 19.3.4 direct render: Yes 
 >

Yes, the iiyama ProLite X83288UHSU has a 31 and ½ inch diagonal – is 27 and ½ inches wide – with 3840 pixels in the X direction – which translates to 140 dots per inch …

  • A setting of 140 DPI makes the KDE Plasma fonts manageable …