I’ve been wrestling with fractional scaling on my Ubuntu 20.04 setup and honestly, it’s been super frustrating! I was really excited about the idea of being able to adjust my display scaling so everything would look just right, especially since I use a high-resolution laptop screen. You know how it is—everything looks tiny if you don’t scale it up a bit. I expected fractional scaling would make that easy, but it’s been anything but smooth.
First off, when I try to enable fractional scaling in the settings, it seems like it takes forever to apply changes. I’m waiting and waiting, and then suddenly it just crashes back to the default scaling settings. It’s not just a one-time thing; I’ve tried restarting my machine, re-logging, and even reinstalling the desktop environment, but the issue keeps popping back up like a whack-a-mole game and it’s definitely making my workflow less than ideal.
I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this; I’ve seen posts here and there about others experiencing weird behavior with fractional scaling. Some users mentioned that their desktop environment would revert to a lower scaling factor, basically kiboshing all the fine-tuning I put in. Then I’ve read about graphics drivers possibly being incompatible, or some weird bugs in GNOME that might be causing the hiccups.
I’ve tried fiddling around with the terminal and some configuration files, but honestly, I don’t want to dive too deeply into the technical weeds unless I have to. So here’s my question to all you Ubuntu enthusiasts out there: has anyone experienced similar issues with fractional scaling? What solutions or workarounds have you found that actually work? I’m all ears for tips or hacks that might help me get this sorted out. Any suggestions or your own experiences would be super appreciated! Thanks in advance—let’s get this scaling issue nailed down!
I totally feel your pain with fractional scaling on Ubuntu 20.04! It can be super gnarly trying to get everything looking right, especially on a high-res screen. I had similar struggles where changing the scaling settings felt like an endless waiting game, and then they just wouldn’t stick. So annoying!
It sounds like you’ve already done some major troubleshooting—relogging, restarting, and even reinstalling the desktop environment. That’s tough. I remember getting stuck with those weird crashes too, where the settings just reverted back. It makes it hard to focus on anything when your display is just too tiny!
As for solutions, here are a few things that worked for me or I’ve seen others try:
gsettings set org.gnome.mutter experimental-features "['scale-monitor-framebuffer']"to enable fractional scaling manually.Honestly, you’re so right about needing to keep things simple. Nobody wants to dive too deep into config files unless absolutely necessary. So, if one of these doesn’t help, it might be worth waiting for a newer version of Ubuntu or GNOME to see if they sort out these bugs.
I hope you can find a workaround that makes your screen look just right! Good luck!
It sounds like you’re facing a common challenge with fractional scaling on Ubuntu 20.04, especially with high-resolution displays. Many users share your frustration, particularly regarding the lag when attempting to apply changes and the subsequent reversion to default settings. This can often stem from issues related to the graphics drivers or specific bugs within the GNOME desktop environment. To help mitigate these problems, it might be worth verifying that your graphics drivers are up to date. For NVIDIA users, for instance, make sure you have the proprietary drivers installed instead of the open-source Nouveau drivers, as they tend to handle scaling better in some configurations. Additionally, some users have had success by modifying the GNOME settings directly through the terminal, though you mentioned a reluctance to dive deep into that realm. Commands like `gsettings set org.gnome.mutter experimental-features “[‘scale-monitor-framebuffer’]”` can sometimes enable more effective fractional scaling features.
Another avenue to explore is the use of third-party tools such as `Xrandr` or `Gnome Tweaks`, which might provide more flexibility and immediate application of scaling settings without the crashes you’ve experienced. It’s also a good practice to check your extensions, as conflicts can sometimes arise from them. If these approaches still don’t help, consider testing a different desktop environment that might handle scaling more seamlessly, like KDE Plasma. Many users have reported smoother experiences with scaling on KDE as opposed to GNOME. Lastly, contributing your experience to the Ubuntu forums could connect you with others who may have found specific workarounds or updates that address the issues you’re facing. Good luck with finding a solution that fits your workflow!