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--- linux:fake_a_higher_resolution_in_linux [2013/01/04 01:40]
Joel Dare
+++ linux:fake_a_higher_resolution_in_linux [2020/06/01 22:53] (current)
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+====== Fake a Higher Resolution in Linux ======
+I have a netbook with a display resolution that is just too small.  It's native resolution is 1024x600.  Some applications are taller than 600 pixels and so the bottom of those apps, where important buttons typically are, fall off the bottom of the screen.
+There are a few solutions to the problem, including learning keystrokes that let you move the window around or allowing the screen to scroll, but I wanted a "zoomed out" type solution.  Something similar to the way VNC will scale a screen for you.  XRANDR offers a solution.
+Use the following command to fake a resolution that is 1.5 times what your monitor actually supports (in this case 1024x600 becomes 1536x900).  There will be some minor artifacts but the resolution is worth it.  If you use a ratio of 2:1 (exactly doubling the resolution) then scaling works better and there are less artifacts, but things get a bit small for me.  Here's the command.
+  xrandr --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x600 --scale 1.50x1.50 --panning 1536x900
+LVDS1 is the name of the primary monitor.  On most systems the command will work as-is.  You can check the connected monitor names, however, by running xrandr by itself.
+My netbook is running Ubuntu 12.10 and this worked out of the box with a default install.
+If fonts end up too small, you can install Tweak Tool and then set the fonts to a larger size, such as scaling them back to 1.5x.  This makes it a bit easier to see things in toolbars, menu's and such.
+This might be useful to increase your screen real estate on a low resolution projector as well.