desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

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SaintDanBert
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desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by SaintDanBert »

Those of you who work with high-res displays and smoking Nvidia graphics might be able to help me. I need to adjust some baseline parameters so that I get characters that are reasonably readable. I don't want to configure things so that I lose the ability to employ the high-res display and GPU at other times. I'm not a gamer or a video creator. My new laptop came with all of this great hardware so I'm learning to use it.

My new laptop has an Nvidia graphics card and a high-res display. {System76 AdderWS}
For your reference:

Code: Select all

prompt $  xdpyinfo

...
screen #0:
  dimensions:    3840x2160 pixels (2032x1143 millimeters)
  resolution:    48x48 dots per inch
  depths (7):    24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
...

prompt $ inxi -G

Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: NVIDIA driver: nvidia v: 460.67 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting,nouveau FAILED: nvidia unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.0 
As you can well imaging, everything that I try to read is really, REALLY, REALLY small. IT begins with the naked console and GRUB2 displays
and continues to all of the text in all of the applications and utilities. A 12pt font that is normally very readable, is not. Rather, I must use an 18pt or 20pt font before I get comfortable reading. Forget about seeing periods and commas with 69 yr-old eyes.

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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spamegg
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by spamegg »

Code: Select all

FAILED: nvidia
There's the problem. Can you ask System76 for support?

Other than that, maybe try different Nvidia driver versions. Also try the 5.8 kernel.

Please give us information about your install by entering this command in a terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxpmrz
Click </> from the mini toolbar above the textbox where you type your reply
and then place your cursor between the code markers and paste the results of the
command between the code markers like this: [code]Results[/code].
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by SaintDanBert »

I get the following results from the inxi command that you requested.

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 5.11.0-7614-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa 
           base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: System76 product: Adder WS v: addw2 serial: N/A 
           Mobo: System76 model: Adder WS v: addw2 serial: N/A UEFI: INSYDE v: 1.07.01 date: 09/25/2019 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 51.6 Wh condition: 63.0/60.0 Wh (105%) model: Notebook BAT status: Discharging 
Memory:    RAM: total: 15.33 GiB used: 4.36 GiB (28.4%) 
           Array-1: capacity: 32 GiB slots: 2 EC: None max module size: 16 GiB note: est. 
           Device-1: ChannelA-DIMM0 size: 16 GiB speed: 3200 MT/s type: DDR4 
           Device-2: ChannelB-DIMM0 size: No Module Installed 
CPU:       Topology: 8-Core model: Intel Core i7-10875H bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: N/A L2 cache: 16.0 MiB 
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 73598 
           Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/5100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 801 2: 1907 3: 1281 4: 985 5: 800 6: 800 7: 879 8: 800 
           9: 800 10: 800 11: 800 12: 800 13: 800 14: 800 15: 800 16: 800 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           Device-2: NVIDIA driver: nvidia v: 460.73.01 bus ID: 01:00.0 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH cAVS vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
           Device-2: NVIDIA TU104 HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.1 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.11.0-7614-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 6000 bus ID: 00:14.3 
           IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: r8169 v: kernel 
           port: 4000 bus ID: 74:00.0 
           IF: enp116s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 1.48 TiB used: 112.56 GiB (7.4%) 
           ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 model: SD128 size: 116.16 GiB 
           ID-2: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Western Digital model: WDS500G2B0C-00PXH0 size: 465.76 GiB 
           ID-3: /dev/nvme1n1 vendor: Western Digital model: WDS500G2B0C-00PXH0 size: 465.76 GiB 
           ID-4: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM049-2GH172 size: 931.51 GiB temp: 44 C 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 456.96 GiB used: 23.08 GiB (5.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
           ID-2: /boot size: 975.9 MiB used: 337.8 MiB (34.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3 
           ID-3: /boot/efi size: 511.0 MiB used: 34.9 MiB (6.8%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 
           ID-4: /home size: 457.45 GiB used: 10.91 GiB (2.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme1n1p1 
           ID-5: /media/saint/UD-ADRICK size: 116.13 GiB used: 9.39 GiB (8.1%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/mmcblk0p1 
           ID-6: /var size: 29.40 GiB used: 5.89 GiB (20.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda4 
           ID-7: /vault size: 331.21 GiB used: 62.80 GiB (19.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda8 
           ID-8: /work1 size: 294.29 GiB used: 64.5 MiB (0.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 
           ID-9: /work2 size: 240.16 GiB used: 60.0 MiB (0.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda7 
           ID-10: swap-1 size: 16.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 60.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com ulyssa main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
           2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/system76-dev-stable-focal.list 
           1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/system76-dev/stable/ubuntu focal main
           2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/system76-dev/stable/ubuntu focal main
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/system76-dev-ubuntu-stable-focal.list 
Info:      Processes: 415 Uptime: 11h 59m Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38 

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SaintDanBert
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by SaintDanBert »

spamegg wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 9:17 am

Code: Select all

FAILED: nvidia
There's the problem. Can you ask System76 for support?

Other than that, maybe try different Nvidia driver versions. Also try the 5.8 kernel.
I corrected the driver loading details and no longer see the failed reports.

However, everything on screen is still tiny -- something I expect with the high pixel count in the display.
When I ask for "12 point type" I expect characters that are 12-point which is 1/6th of 72-point which is 1-inch.
I keep hoping to find some display-wide character cell size setting so that I don't need to tell each and every app about a default size.

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan
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absque fenestris
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by absque fenestris »

Display: server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz
Set your display at 200% Hi-DPI. That's all.
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by SaintDanBert »

Friends,
I have tried your suggestions without success. Clearly I'm missing something or simply doing the wrong things.

I want to attach a screen grab of a GIMP session but every image is too large to upload. There must be some way to share
a large-ish image of 461KB or 430KB tar-ball.
.
I don't think that I should need to go through each app, one at the time, to adjust what I see.

The GIMP tool and brush icons are so tiny as to be not useful.

Can someone help me sort this out?

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by absque fenestris »

The System76 Adder WS is a laptop with the following specifications:
....
eDP 15.6" 3840x2160 OLED
....
Dimensions 35.890cm x 25.806cm x 2.997cm, 2.5kg

https://tech-docs.system76.com/models/a ... ADME.html

3840 : 35 = 109.71 pixel/cm x 2.54 = 278.67 pixel/inch


Since I don't know the exact dimensions of the screen, I assume that the monitor has a resolution of 278 to 280 pixels per inch.
In relation, the individual pixel has a size of ~ 0.09 x 0.09 mm *

Assuming you have set your monitor to Hi-DPI 200%, this results in a work surface of 1920 x 1080 pixels, with a simulated resolution of almost exactly 140 pixels per inch.
You can adjust the font size system-wide, as far as the icon sizes of applications are concerned, it depends on their own setting options.
By the way, your font size calculation was valid 25 years ago, on monitors with 72 pixels per inch resolution ...

If you cannot cope with these general conditions, you have simply bought the wrong laptop.


I work with an external monitor with 1920 x 1200 pixels - only it has a diagonal of 24 inches - how one can sensibly accommodate the same on 15.6 inches remains a mystery to me. A 17" monitor in a very good quality, I can still imagine, but not below that.



Correction: pixel size from 0.9 mm to 0.09 mm - oops
Last edited by absque fenestris on Sun May 30, 2021 4:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: desktop config for hi-res monitor and Nvidia graphics card

Post by AndyMH »

SaintDanBert wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 4:08 pm I want to attach a screen grab of a GIMP session but every image is too large to upload. There must be some way to share
a large-ish image of 461KB or 430KB tar-ball.
For images up to 200kb you can upload them direct to the site. If your image is a .png you can usually get within the 200kb limit by saving it as a .jpg.

Failing that, you upload your image to a remote site like imgur, and if using imgur you copy the "direct link" and paste it between the [rimg] tags (it's in the ribbon above the reply window, end result:
Image
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
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