How to reduce system font size?

[Zweitaktmotor]

Hi,

I am using TinyCore as an Internet video player on a standard TV. The PC is hooked up via a VGA-to-TV converter and the best screen resolution I found to work is 320x240x24 (option 4 on the VESA tool).

The problem is that when using Firefox (or any other program for that matter) all menu entries and buttons are much too large. Is there any way to reduce the system font size and perhaps also the screen elements?

Many thanks.

[tinypoodle]

Perhaps you could try to experiment with the "-dpi" option of Xvesa?

[Zweitaktmotor]

It tells me "Display 0 server is already running" - Does this mean I have to drop back to text mode?

Also (excuse this newbie question): Xvesa churns out a lot of help text, half of which disappears off the top of the screen and I don't seem to be able to scroll up.

In DOS, you used to have an option such as    /p    or   |more   or    >output.txt   -  Is there anything similar in a Linux terminal?


Many thanks.     

[Juanito]

Also (excuse this newbie question): Xvesa churns out a lot of help text, half of which disappears off the top of the screen and I don't seem to be able to scroll up.   

<shift-page-up> / <shift-page-down>

[Juanito]

This (setting dpi) works for me (with Xorg at least) on a "standard" set up - i.e. the connection to the monitor is vga to vga or dvi to dvi.

Where the connector has a conversion, i.e. hdmi to dvi, then it doesn't seem to have any effect - even when Xorg.log reports the monitor dpi correctly...

I haven't tried a vga to tc convertor with linux, but the size is certainly messed up with windows 

[Zweitaktmotor]

Hi,

I could have guessed that "dpi" is setting up a custom screen resolution, but this is not what I was looking for. The resolution is fine for my TV and once I switch videos to full screen, they almost look like real TV programs.

I actually wanted to change the system font size. A menu entry at 1280x1024 may look tiny, but it is massive on a 320x240 screen. I guess it is set to a standard 12pt font size. Is there any way too reduce this to 6pt?


Many thanks.

[Juanito]

OK, but what I've found is that many gtk2 apps are too big - window size and fonts - and setting the dpi correctly solves this (but possibly not via a vga to tv convertor).

[Rich]

Hi Zweitaktmotor
The main factor that will limit how small a point size you can use is the dpi on your television. I'm going to throw
out a few numbers in an attempt to put that statement into perspective.
My 20" television has a width of 16" and a height of 12".
dpi=240/12=20
pixel height=1/20=.05"
1 point=1/72=.01388"
1 pixel=.05"/.01388"=3.6 points
A 5x8 font has a height of 8 x 3.6=28.8 points
28.8 points has a size of 28.8/72=0.4"
The dpi defines the size of the pixel. Combined with the height of the font in pixels determines the size of the text.

[Zweitaktmotor]

Hi Rich,

Uh, I'll have to digest that. :-O  But many thanks.

Perhaps I need a coarser font then. I noticed Xvesa has some options pointing to a font directory.

I can't play with it now, but I will over the next few days.

[Zweitaktmotor]

Oh, and something else: I can reduce the actual Web content in Firefox with Ctrl- until a whole page width is visible on my screen. It is just about readable than.

So, small fonts can be displayed. I only need to tell TC to do it.

Will report back...

[Rich]

Hi Zweitaktmotor

Uh, I'll have to digest that. :-O  But many thanks.

If there is something in my post you do not understand, ask questions.

[ananix]

Hi,
<cut>
The problem is that when using Firefox (or any other program for that matter) all menu entries and buttons are much too large. Is there any way to reduce the system font size and perhaps also the screen elements?

Many thanks.

  No not the system font you cant like in windows see it all as one system but many programs each with its own settings. In this case you wanna change the fonts in firefox as i understand it, in that case firefox has to provide the options for you. My firefox buttons fits the size of the text.
  Many X programs use a standard way of setting things in .Xdefaults.

 

It tells me "Display 0 server is already running" - Does this mean I have to drop back to text mode?

Also (excuse this newbie question): Xvesa churns out a lot of help text, half of which disappears off the top of the screen and I don't seem to be able to scroll up.

In DOS, you used to have an option such as    /p    or   |more   or    >output.txt   -  Is there anything similar in a Linux terminal?


Many thanks.     

  It means you either have to start it on a diffrent display number (if you want two X servers running) or go back from you console (ctrl+alt+F2) or kill it (ctrl+alt+backspace),  then you can start it with the new settings being loaded, all depending on where you are and what you want, but again this is not an X issue but a firefox.

  You can use | (pipe) to send output to programs like more or less or > to redirect to a file (being what ever type even devices). Most terminals also support shift+pageup as already stated but you will be limited by its history.

Oh, and something else: I can reduce the actual Web content in Firefox with Ctrl- until a whole page width is visible on my screen. It is just about readable than.

So, small fonts can be displayed. I only need to tell TC to do it.

Will report back...

  That is two different things format settings of a document is controlled by the markup language but can be somewhat altered from you options menu in your browser or with shortcut keys for the same. Im not sure what it is you want to tell tc from that?
  Its a programs font settings you want to change not a document?

  -- Regards Andreas

[ananix]

It seems it controlled by a css file i did a google on firefox menu font size