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Asked: 2024-09-25T19:30:07+05:30 In:

How can I configure my monitor display to scale to 200% using xrandr in Ubuntu?

I’ve been tinkering with my Ubuntu setup and hit a bit of a snag that I can’t seem to figure out. I’d love to get my monitor display scaled to 200% for better visibility, but honestly, I’m not an expert when it comes to using xrandr.

I get that xrandr is the command-line tool for managing screen resolutions and all, but every time I try to adjust things, I either end up with a weird resolution or nothing at all happens. It’s pretty frustrating! My monitor is a decent size, but the text and icons are so small that it’s hard to focus sometimes, particularly when I’m working on multiple things at once. I’ve read that scaling the display can really help, but I’m not sure how to do it effectively.

So, I guess I’m here hoping that someone can share some insights or even just a step-by-step guide. How exactly do I go about configuring my display settings to achieve that 200% scaling? Is there a specific command I need to run in the terminal? And what about those values for the DPI setting – do I need to tweak that too?

If it helps, my monitor’s resolution is 1920×1080, and I’m using the GNOME desktop environment on Ubuntu. Also, I’ve seen references to xrandr listing connected displays; if I run that command, will it show me the names or identifiers of my displays?

Another thing – is there a way to make the changes permanent, or will I have to re-enter the commands every time I start my computer? I’m a bit lost here, and would really appreciate any help or tips you folks can provide. Would love to get my monitor looking just right without spending the entire afternoon on it! Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers



    1. Ubuntu Display Scaling Help

      Scaling Your Monitor Display on Ubuntu

      Scaling your display can definitely make things a lot easier on the eyes, especially if you’re working on a 1920×1080 monitor. Here’s a simple guide on how to get that 200% scaling using xrandr.

      Step-by-Step Guide

      1. First, let’s open the terminal. You can do this by searching for “Terminal” in your applications, or just press Ctrl + Alt + T.
      2. Now, type this command to check your connected displays: 
        xrandr

        This will list out your displays and their current resolutions. Look for something like HDMI-1 or eDP-1. This is the identifier you’ll use next!

      3. To scale your display, you can run a command like this (replace eDP-1 with your display identifier): 
        xrandr --output eDP-1 --scale 2x2

        This command alters your display scaling to 200%. After running this, your icons and text should be larger.

      4. If you want to adjust the DPI for better clarity, you can add this line: 
        xrandr --dpi 192

        (You might want to tweak the value a bit; try 192 or 96 to start.)

      Making it Permanent

      If you want these settings to stick around even after rebooting, you’ll need to add your xrandr commands to your startup applications:

      1. Open the “Startup Applications” by searching for it in the menu.
      2. Click “Add” and fill in the fields:
        • Name: Custom Display Scaling
        • Command: Paste your xrandr scaling command here (e.g., xrandr --output eDP-1 --scale 2x2 --dpi 192)
        • Comment: Anything you like, or just leave it blank.
      3. Hit “Add” and then “Close”.

      Final Tips

      You might need to play around a bit with the scaling and DPI settings to get everything just right. If something goes wrong, you can always run the same xrandr command again to revert. Just stay patient; it’s a bit of trial and error!

      Good luck, and happy tinkering!




    2. Ubuntu Display Scaling Guide

      To achieve a 200% scaling (effectively doubling the size of text and icons) on your Ubuntu system with a 1920×1080 resolution, you can use the `xrandr` command. Open a terminal and first check your current display configuration by running the command xrandr. This will list all connected displays along with their names (such as HDMI-1 or DP-1). Once you’ve identified your display name, you can use the following command to set the scaling: xrandr --output --scale 2x2. Replace <display_name> with the actual name of your connected display. The --scale 2x2 option effectively doubles the size, making everything more readable.

      If you want the changes to persist across reboots, you will need to add the command to your startup applications. You can do this by opening the “Startup Applications” from your applications menu and adding a new entry with the command you used for scaling. In addition, since you’re using GNOME, you might want to adjust the DPI settings for more fine-tuning. You can set the DPI by adding GDK_SCALE=2 and GDK_DPI=192 to your environment variables, which can be added to the same startup entry. This way, your display will always start with the desired scaling settings without requiring manual intervention each time you log in.


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