(Adjust Window to Screen Resolution in Linux) Another great advantage of Linux is the possibility of fine-tuning user environments to a great extent. Regardless of the used distribution; Ubuntnu, Fedora, Arch – or any other one – display settings can be adjusted. Among the everyday activities for both beginners and experienced Linux users, one can mention the one where the window is switched to another screen resolution. Good screen resolution settings mean all from your terminal window up to your whole desktop environment is crisp, sharp, properly scaled, and has no strain on the eyes.
This article will look at different methods of deploying Windows to your screen density in Linux, including Xen-developed tools and commands.
1. Adjusting Screen Resolution Using Display Settings (GUI)
Because most distributions rely on the X.org system, setup and control of video is normally straightforward – most distributions offer a graphical method of change of screen resolution as seen below: Here’s how you can do it to the display settings of the three most used desktop environments, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce.
GNOME (Ubuntu, Fedora)
- GNOME offers a user-friendly way to adjust the display resolution.
- Click settings from the application menu to tune it.
- Navigate to the Displays tab.
- You will see the current resolution and the available options in a drop list menu.
- Find the screen size that matches your screen size best and click Apply.
- This new resolution is easily executable after it the program will prompt a confirmation that asks if the change is to be made or if the previously adjusted value should be applied in case something went wrong.
KDE Plasma (Kubuntu, OpenSUSE)
- For KDE Plasma users, the display settings can be accessed through the System Settings.
- Open System Settings.
- Click on Display and Monitor.
- However, we will discuss them and what you will be seeing under Displays as the Resolution option ZapBelow.
- From the pull-down list, choose the preferred resolution and save the changes.
Xfce (Xubuntu, Manjaro)
- Xfce, known for being lightweight, also offers simple display configuration options:
- Open the Settings Manager.
- Click on Display.
- For illustrative purposes here, the option has been preselected and this is where you select your resolution from.
- Many of these desktop environments will move open windows when the height and width of the screen changes. However, in case, there are some windows that look distorted, then, there is a need to restart the application.
2. Adjusting Screen Resolution Using Xrandr (Command Line)
If the user is more into the terminal way of getting things done, the xrandr tool will be very useful to help change the screen resolution. This utility alone can shift screen resolution, handle multiple monitors, and set display plans in Linux operating systems with X11.
Step 1: List Available Resolutions
First, list the available screen resolutions with the following command:
This command will output something like:
The currently active resolution will have an asterisk (*) next to it.
Step 2: Set a New Resolution
To change the resolution, use the following command:
For example, to change the resolution to 1280×1024 on the display HDMI-1, run:
In this case, the screen will be improved and immediately reset, in case the resolution is successfully applied. However, the change of resolution will only be for the session unless a new change is made again. In order to make these changes you will need to find the command and add it to the list of your startup applications or add it into the configuration files.
Step 3: Adding Custom Resolutions
At some point, you’ll find that you have to deal with a resolution that is not recognized by xrandr. There is an option to add your own resolution via creating a new mode with the help of the cvt tool and then using xrandr.
First, let’s generate the model for the resolution that will be set from this tool for our graphics card. For instance, to add a 1920×1080 resolution with a 60 Hz refresh rate, use the following command:
This will output something like:
Next, add the new mode to xrandr:
Then, associate the new mode with your display:
Finally, set the display to the new resolution:
3. Wayland vs X11 Considerations
If you are not using X11 as a display server, then Xrandr won’t work because it is inbuilt in X11. There are different ways that Wayland uses for display configuration and the display settings must be changed using your desktop environment tools (like GNOME or KDE display settings). For Wayland display servers such as Sway, there is a tool known as wlr-randr.
4. Adjusting Window Scaling
At other times, it’s not about the resolution but on WIndow Scaling especially if one is using HiDPI devices. The two most popular Linux interfaces at the time of writing this article are; GNOME, and KDE plasma each of which provides scaling independent of the resolution.
GNOME Scaling
To change the scaling factor in GNOME, one needs to go Settings and then Displays for checking out the scale, for instance, 100%, 200%.
KDE Plasma Scaling
Not in Plasma 5 In KDE Plasma it is done using the ‘System Settings’ and the ‘Display and Monitor’, the setting of Scale Display. KDE also provides crystal clear scaling where one turns the icon and font sizes to up and down to specific percentage sizes ranging from 100% to 300%.
5. Troubleshooting Display Issues
If you encounter issues when adjusting the resolution or window scaling, here are a few troubleshooting tips:
Check the drivers: This is an important Visual C++ Redistributable package to ensure the right drivers are installed with your Graphics card (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel). Some resolutions or other multi-monitor arrangements may need proprietary drivers.
Reboot after changes: Occasionally, you may require to reboot your system, or even log out, and then log in again to make the change effective. Check your hardware: Know that a monitor and cables may limit the resolution and refresh rate options.
Fallback to default settings: In case, something goes wrong and it is not possible to fix the display you can always reset the settings of the operating system through the Recovery Mode or Live Session to the factory default settings.
Conclusion
There are different ways in which you can get a Linux window to fit your screen resolution depending on whether you are working in the GUI or at the shell. Using tools such as xrandr, cvt, and the integrated display options you can adjust your screen resolution to the best.But do not forget that Wayland and X11 have different tools for the configuration of the display, and you must use the correct ones according to the given system. As you learn these techniques, you will improve your interactions with Linux in that everything will be well-aligned and properly sized for your screen.