FluxBox for HiDPI 4k Screens.

[Member frtorres]

Hello all,

I want to install an Antix Box, behind my JVC 4k 65 Inches TV.

HiDPI resolution was detected automatically and Fluxbox seems fully operational.

I spent some time configuring Fluxbox for this HiDPI TV, mainly changing DPI Resolution and testing some Fluxbox Settings (themes). But icons size, windows titles, Fluxbox toolbar need additional configuration.

I am not very familiar with FluxBox (I came form KDE world).

I found only some help regarding scaling Xfce desktop, but not for Fluxbox.

Is there any guide or reference for this customization?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Francisco.

[Member Xecure]

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Hi.
I once tried to set antiX with fluxbox for a HiDPI display (“retina display”), and created my own fluxbox theme for that. Then I scaled font size with Control Centre > Desktop > Set font size DPI.
For icons in the desktop, I used Spacefm to control the desktop and changed the icon size (open SpceFM file manager, in menu go to View > Preferences Large Icons: 72×72 or bigger if needed). In the same window, change “Small Icons” to a bigger size (I tried with 48×48), and set Toolbar Icons to Dialog.
My biggest problem was changing the size of icons. I didn’t know how to set them systemwide, so I went one program at a time, but the results weren’t good. Maybe with a different icon theme this would have worked, but I got tired and gave up. I divided the resolution by 2 and use that resolution with no DPI scaling instead of the HiDPI one.

Maybe you are more patient than I was and figure out something.
This is where I recommend starting:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member frtorres]

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Thanks @Xecure I will try it… unfortunately seems not to be a quick task… (patient needed) 🙂
Regards, Francisco.

[Member frtorres]

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Hi @Xecure and Antix community.

After some investigation, I got an elegant and smooth solution for this topic, using “xrandr”, already installed in antiX

For detailed information please see this thread:

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=159064

Use xrandr to scale your desktop.

1. Open a terminal and as a regular user run:
xrandr

and identify current resolution (marked with *) and display ID to use in the following command:

2. Run xrandr with parameters for your display and adapter. Change parameters accordingly:

xrandr --output HDMI-3 --mode "3840x2160" --scale "0.5x0.5"

3. Finally I just changed using Menu:Applications -> preferences -> Font size DPI to 128 dpi.

Then I have a very good desktop in my 4K display for a Multimedia celeron Antix Box

Please check in your environment and if you find this useful, please publish it in tips and tricks official thread.

Best Regards, Francisco

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by frtorres.

[Anonymous]

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within the controlCenter, these could, instead, be displayed side-by-side
and perhaps have their labels revised to also mention “scaling”

Desktop tab }} “Set Font Size(DPI)”
Session tab }} “Set Screen Resolution” (launches “arandr”)

[Member marcelocripe]

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Hello Francisco,

Could you please explain to me what the “Antix Box” would be?

Would this “Box” you mentioned be similar to the “TV Box” that use Android as an operating system?

If you referred to a computer as a “box”, I’m sorry for not understanding the expression.

I attached the image of a “TV Box” to this post, but as I don’t know if it will be transferred successfully, I inform you of the image link I’m trying to send, https://www.pontofrio-imagens.com.br/ acessorioseinovacoes / acessoriosparatvs / streamingmediaplayer / 15358664/1447551497 / tv-box-mxq-4k-ultra-hd-15358664.jpg

Thankful.

marcelocripe

———

Olá Francisco,

Por favor poderia me explicar o que seria o “Antix Box”?

Por acaso este “Box” que você mencionou seria semelhante aos “TV Box” que usam o Android como sistema operacional?

Caso você tenha se referido “box” a um computador, me desculpe por não compreender a expressão.

Eu anexei a imagem de um “TV Box” a esta postagem, mas como eu não sei se vai ser transferida com sucesso, informo o link da imagem que estou tentando enviar, https://www.pontofrio-imagens.com.br/acessorioseinovacoes/acessoriosparatvs/streamingmediaplayer/15358664/1447551497/tv-box-mxq-4k-ultra-hd-15358664.jpg

Grato.

marcelocripe

Attachments:

1. 

   tv_box_mxq_4k_ultra_hd.jpg
   

[Member frtorres]

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@skidoo Thanks for the idea.

But if you read my OP, I am talking about “scaling” the whole desktop for HiDPI displays and Not reducing Screen resolution.

In KDE there is an specific functionality to do this.

Screen Resolution from control center as far as I saw, does not manage scaling.

If you have alternatives, you are welcome.

Francisco

[Member frtorres]

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Hi @marcelocripe

Yes I am talking about a similar box, in fact a ZOTAC box with a gfx adapter supporting 4K resolution. It is a small form factor computer. I commonly name it as a linux box.

I am setting it up as a multimedia client in my LAN.

Regards, Francisco

[Anonymous]

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> Screen Resolution from control center as far as I saw, does not manage scaling.

I was pointing out that arandr, the gui version of xrandr (which you had stated was useful),
is already available via controlCentre but its placement and labeling may be unclear.

[Member Xecure]

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Thanks for the discovery, frtorres. I will have to test different scales out on the weekend and see if also all apps are scaled.
Is it me or does the text and images become a bit “blurry”? My best result was with 0.75×0.75 and 0.85×0.85, but I don’t such a high resolution.

Anonymous wrote:

I was pointing out that arandr

I checked, and arandr only lets you set the resolution and orientation, but not the scale.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member frtorres]

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Yes @skidoo. The point is that arandr does not handle scale parameters for xandr. Maybe it is a good idea to support it. Thanks for your hint.

[Member frtorres]

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Xecure wrote:

Thanks for the discovery, frtorres. I will have to test different scales out on the weekend and see if also all apps are scaled.
Is it me or does the text and images become a bit “blurry”? My best result was with 0.75×0.75 and 0.85×0.85, but I don’t such a high resolution.

Thanks @Xecure for your testing. I kindly suggest to test the same way I did it.

1. Boot antiX from a Live session.
2. Change scale with the suggested command.
3. Choose a Fluxbox desktop theme from current menu (I used the blue theme “large” option)
4. Change font dpi to near 1.3

I get a decent and a very good desktop and main applications resized and scaled accordingly.
I will share some info regarding my gfx adapter and TV. in another message.

Regards, Francisco

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