Tiny Core Base > TCB Tips & Tricks
Default TinyCore too small? Try this.
PDP-8:
Who this is for:
Those who are running TinyCore versions using the default fltk/flwm environment and find the supporting applications too small on modern high-res screens.
Usual Solution:
The simplest was to change your screen resolution, either by xrandr, or by changing it in the monitor itself. But that is usually a bit too fuzzy when you change your res beyond the native-resolution to the built in resolutions. OR, install a much larger resource DE environment that has all the size settings controls built in.
Understand:
The default FLTK/FLWM environment has its fonts and sizes for handle grabs and so forth set during compile time. There is no user-adjustable control. Usually for an embedded device, things like this do not need changing and so are compiled in to the developers need.
In the past, TC and even DSL users were working with glass monitors and as such may not have even had a res beyond 1024x768. Life was good, but what about today when you want that original look environment with monitors that can be 1920x1080 or even larger like on a tv? Pretty dinky. But it is guaranteed to be visible when you first fire up.
Who should not do this:
Generally for photographs, movies, media and so forth it is best to run your monitor at it's native resolution. Also those who may be dumpster-divers with glass screens and get the modeline wrong, can relive those classic days of letting the smoke out of your monitor and having to air out the house for a day. Just saying - shouldn't be a problem today if you get it wrong, but this is my CYA statement.
Reduce the screen res, yet still keep fonts and graphics sharp!
First of all, a BIG BIG thanks to Curaga for suggesting something so simple. Genius. Simply divide your existing screen resolution in half.
How?
I'm running a native res of 1920x1080 and cutting that in half to 960x540 simply isn't one of my monitors default options!
Run a custom modeline, and add that to a file in your xorg.conf.d directory. Details later.
Figure out the new modeline
--- Code: ---gtf 960 540 60
--- End code ---
The modeline will be shown, but we'll now add that to a file to make sure it fires up in that mode at boot.
But let's find our monitor first! just run
--- Code: ---xrandr
--- End code ---
and look for what is connected. In my case, HDMI-1 was the connected device.
We're going to use this modeline info to create an xorg configuration file inside this directory as root. I'll title it 5-monitor.conf
Where this file actually should be edited in TC as root should be done:
/usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/5-monitor.conf
5-monitor.conf contents:
--- Code: ---Section "Monitor"
Identifier "HDMI-1"
Modeline "960x540_60.00" 40.78 960 992 1088 1216 540 541 544 559 -HSync +VSync
Option "PreferredMode" "960x540_60.00"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
--- End code ---
Watch your spelling and punctuation. Take your time editing. (Again, tnx to Curaga and Vinnie for the motivation). My monitor is pretty modern and supports DPMS so I threw that in just for good measure as an option.
PROBLEM!
This new file is NOT part of the normal backup routine, and will be blown away on reboot. So you have to manually add it to your backup. This is very easy to do in the gui backup app. Simply ADD this file to your backup. Perhaps do a "dry run" to see it happen as the last line in the dry run.
So there you have it. A pretty LARGE environment, but now fltk/flwm fonts and window decoration sizes should be much easier to deal with. Cutting the res exactly in half was the key, rather than using your monitors canned resolutions which came close, but weren't good enough.
Tip: If the core logo is burning a hole in your forehead now, simply use the wallpaper app to remove it. :)
This is meant more as a pointer, and not an exhaustive treatise on using custom modelines with tools like xrandr and gtv /cvt. They key was to do an exact cut in half of the res, thanks to Curaga.
PDP-8:
Followup:
Now that the desktop is nice and large and crisp and clean, the terminal font is still a bit small and ugly!
It's been covered elsewhere, but this seems to always be the second question. :)
There are many to choose from if you run xlsfonts to see them.
One that can be tested out immediately is to run this manually and see the immediate difference:
--- Code: ---aterm -fn 10x20 &
--- End code ---
Want to make that permanent so each time you fire up on the Terminal icon it is used by default?
In your home directory (/home/tc) lives a hidden file: .Xdefaults
Edit the file and change the font line from fixed to 10x20
--- Code: ---Aterm*font: 10x20
--- End code ---
WARNING! in the .Xdefaults file, one must be accutely aware of when making changes NOT to leave any trailing spaces after the last character of the option you change or it will not take. But when you go to view it, you scratch your head wondering why it looks ok, but is not working. A trailing space may be hurting you.
So for instance in this case, just make sure there is no hidden trailing space after the zero after the 10x20
PDP-8:
Personal notes:
Even if you are a minimalist with TC, this implies loading the xorg 7.7 tcz, and usually placing this at the top of your onboot.lst file. Usually immediately followed by the graphics-kernel-xxxx.tcz. This small addition is definitely worth it. I've seen some situations where this is reversed and graphics come first.
Even though your system *may* have come up before this in a somewhat smaller usable res, doing the above may make it even tinier than before at your high native resolution. But don't fret. The custom modeline that cuts your high native res in half will come into play after making that 5-monitor.conf file (and be sure to add it to your backup list!)
If xrandr is too much info for you to find the identifier you need for the custom conf file, you can go gui with something like LxRandr extension which makes it easy.
WARNING! When looking at the screen identifier, make special note of whether it uses a hyphen or not.
Ie, there is a big difference between
--- Code: ---HDMI-1
and
HDMI1
--- End code ---
All my systems use the hyphen, but I've seen other systems that identify without the hyphen.
So I'm not doing photo or video editing at this res. But it is still good enough to enjoy say casual web-browsing without going cross-eyed.
Rich:
Hi PDP-8
--- Quote from: PDP-8 on October 20, 2021, 07:18:36 AM --- ... this implies loading the xorg 7.7 tcz, and usually placing this at the top of your onboot.lst file. Usually immediately followed by the graphics-kernel-xxxx.tcz. ...
--- End quote ---
I though graphics-kernel was supposed to appear before xorg in the onboot.lst file.
PDP-8:
Indeed! Thank you for the reminder.
I have now placed graphics-kernel *before* xorg in my onboot.lst. Those are the very first two at the top of the file.
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