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Are there any tips to getting Linux working well with HiDPI displays? We tried running kUbuntu on a QHD Razer laptop and the experience was pretty bad. Also tri

by scurvy 10y ago

Are there any tips to getting Linux working well with HiDPI displays? We tried running kUbuntu on a QHD Razer laptop and the experience was pretty bad. Also tried Fedora, but that was bad for other reasons (kernel crashes, don't like Gnome3). With kUbuntu we can scale parts of the UI OK, but many apps just don't scale and are unusable. Until this is really solved across the board, Linux laptops will remain a thing of the future. Also, the Kaby Lake power management was trash and the system would lock up every time you toggled the caps lock.

chimeracoder 10y ago
What are the issues you've run into? I'm using the older 4K model, so it's not Kaby Lake, but many of the HiDPI complaints I would have had three years ago are now resolved. The only apps that don't scale in 4K are things like Unity and Steam, but those are a problem on Windows as well.
- scurvy 10y ago
  Java apps don't scale up. I use ThinkOrSwim (TD Ameritrade) for investing and the scaling is non existent. There are other Java tools necessary for sysadmin work that showed the same behavior. There was another thing that I can't remember now. Reserve the right to edit here. ;)
brudgers 10y ago
For me, it's been patience, a learning exercise in X11, and a relative approach to 'running well'. On the other hand, out of the box Ubuntu [Unity] is pretty good after adjusting Settings->Display->Scaling. If not using <technology> is more important than other factors, then life is going to be closer to Arch than batteries included.
matt_kantor 10y ago
I use Gnome Shell (3.18) with a HiDPI display and everything works great out of the box (except for Steam). My only complaint is that I haven't figured out a way to have a different scaling factor for each screen, so when I attach multiple displays with significantly different pixel densities one of them ends up way too big/small.

by scurvy 10y ago

chimeracoder 10y ago

What are the issues you've run into? I'm using the older 4K model, so it's not Kaby Lake, but many of the HiDPI complaints I would have had three years ago are now resolved. The only apps that don't scale in 4K are things like Unity and Steam, but those are a problem on Windows as well.

scurvy 10y ago
Java apps don't scale up. I use ThinkOrSwim (TD Ameritrade) for investing and the scaling is non existent. There are other Java tools necessary for sysadmin work that showed the same behavior. There was another thing that I can't remember now. Reserve the right to edit here. ;)

brudgers 10y ago

For me, it's been patience, a learning exercise in X11, and a relative approach to 'running well'. On the other hand, out of the box Ubuntu [Unity] is pretty good after adjusting Settings->Display->Scaling. If not using <technology> is more important than other factors, then life is going to be closer to Arch than batteries included.

matt_kantor 10y ago

I use Gnome Shell (3.18) with a HiDPI display and everything works great out of the box (except for Steam). My only complaint is that I haven't figured out a way to have a different scaling factor for each screen, so when I attach multiple displays with significantly different pixel densities one of them ends up way too big/small.