howtolinux

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Display ​

These are some display tweaks depending on the windowing system you are using.

Refresh Rates ​

If your display supports a higher refresh rate, go for it because higher refresh rate displays make the moving content look and feel smoother and snappier.

INFO

Sometimes this doesn't work because you display might not support the higher refresh rates and they might be showing up due to errors in your xrandr config.

Wayland ​

Wayland is a new protocol that enables 3D compositors to be used as primary display servers, instead of running the 3D compositor as an extension under the (2D) X.org display server. Or, in layman's terms, it assumes you're using a 3D desktop from the start, instead of bolting on 3D capabilities to an 2D framework.

X.org is the default display manager but, X.org is old and is very bloated, thus uses more resources. So in this way, Wayland can be a better option. But, Wayland is a newer display protocol and thus is incomplete in a way giving the birth yo many bugs, and one of them being NVIDIA. So, if you have an NVIDIA GPU, Wayland is a bad option. Also, if you don't have NVIDIA GPU, still there might be bugs, so if you have bugs/glitches, remove it.(Remove the #).

You can install wayland using:

sh
sudo pacman -S wayland
sudo pacman -S wayland
sh
sudo apt-get install wayland
sudo apt-get install wayland
sh
sudo dnf install wayland
sudo dnf install wayland
sh
sudo apt-get install wayland
sudo apt-get install wayland
sh
sudo xbps-install wayland
sudo xbps-install wayland
Switch from X11 to Wayland

X11 is the most widely used display server on Linux, but it has some limitations when it comes to modern graphics and security. Wayland is a newer display server that aims to overcome these limitations and provide a better experience. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to switch from X11 to Wayland on Linux, regardless of the distribution or desktop environment you are using.

Prerequisites ​

  • A Linux distribution with both X11 and Wayland display servers installed
  • Administrative privileges (i.e., sudo or root access)

Step 1: Check if Wayland is available ​

First, we need to check if Wayland is available on your system. To do this, open a terminal and run the following command:

sh
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

If the output is "x11", X11 is currently in use. If the output is "wayland", Wayland is already in use. If the output is empty, neither X11 nor Wayland is in use.

Step 2: Switch to Wayland ​

To switch from X11 to Wayland, you need to log out of your current session and start a new one using Wayland.

The exact steps to do this depend on your distribution and desktop environment. Here are the steps for some popular desktop environments:

GNOME ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the gear icon next to the "Sign In" button.
  3. Select "GNOME on Wayland".
  4. Enter your password and click "Sign In".

KDE Plasma ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the "Session" button on the login screen.
  3. Select "Plasma (Wayland)".
  4. Enter your password and click "Login".

XFCE ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the gear icon next to the "Sign In" button.
  3. Select "XFCE with Wayland".
  4. Enter your password and click "Sign In".

Other Desktop Environments ​

The process for other desktop environments may be different. Refer to the documentation for your desktop environment or distribution for more information.

Step 3: Verify Wayland is in use ​

Once you've logged in using Wayland, you can verify that it's in use by running the following command:

If the output is "x11", X11 is currently in use. If the output is "wayland", Wayland is already in use. If the output is empty, neither X11 nor Wayland is in use.

Step 2: Switch to Wayland ​

To switch from X11 to Wayland, you need to log out of your current session and start a new one using Wayland.

The exact steps to do this depend on your distribution and desktop environment. Here are the steps for some popular desktop environments:

GNOME ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the gear icon next to the "Sign In" button.
  3. Select "GNOME on Wayland".
  4. Enter your password and click "Sign In".

KDE Plasma ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the "Session" button on the login screen.
  3. Select "Plasma (Wayland)".
  4. Enter your password and click "Login".

XFCE ​

  1. Log out of your current session.
  2. Click the gear icon next to the "Sign In" button.
  3. Select "XFCE with Wayland".
  4. Enter your password and click "Sign In".

Other Desktop Environments ​

The process for other desktop environments may be different. Refer to the documentation for your desktop environment or distribution for more information.

Step 3: Verify Wayland is in use ​

Once you've logged in using Wayland, you can verify that it's in use by running the following command:

sh
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

The output should be "wayland".

Step 4: Troubleshooting ​

If you encounter issues when trying to switch to Wayland, here are some things to check:

  • Make sure Wayland is installed on your system.
  • Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date.
  • Make sure your desktop environment supports Wayland.
  • Try switching to a different desktop environment that supports Wayland.

Conclusion ​

Switching from X11 to Wayland can provide a more modern and secure display server experience on Linux. While the process to switch can vary depending on your distribution and desktop environment, the general steps are to log out of your current session and start a new one using Wayland. If you encounter any issues, be sure to check that Wayland is installed on your system, your graphics drivers are up to date, and your desktop environment supports Wayland.

Custom Resolution caution ​

TIP

Please read all the problems & bugs with this, so that you know what problems might come & how to fix them

Steps: ​

​

1. Check xrandr\wlr-randr ​

You can know the name of your display here generally it is eDP-1 if it is hybrid it can be eDP-1-1.

sh
$ xrandr  
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1600 × 900, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1600X900+0+0 (normal left inverted right × axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
$ xrandr  
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1600 × 900, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1600X900+0+0 (normal left inverted right × axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
sh
$ wlr-randr  
Screen 0: 1920x1080 @ 0x0mm (scaled to 100.00%)
  Output eDP-1-1 [internal] (connected)
    Current mode: 1920x1080@60Hz
  Output HDMI-1-1 [external] (disconnected)
$ wlr-randr  
Screen 0: 1920x1080 @ 0x0mm (scaled to 100.00%)
  Output eDP-1-1 [internal] (connected)
    Current mode: 1920x1080@60Hz
  Output HDMI-1-1 [external] (disconnected)

2. Find resolution which will fit ​

My original maximum resolution was 1600x900, which is a 16:9 aspect ratio. So if I choose a different aspect ratio, then some parts of my display will black out.

So, I can go for 1920x1080 or 1792x1008. To find out which fits you best you can do tests by adding different resolutions.

3. How to add? ​

​

i. Check the custom resolution ​

Using cvt you cant generate the custom resolution with parameters.

sh
$ cvt 1920 1080  
# 1920X1080 59.96 Hz ( CVT 2.07M9) hsync: 67.16 kHz; pclk: 173.00 MHz
Modeline "1920x1080 _60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 - hsync +vsync
$ cvt 1920 1080  
# 1920X1080 59.96 Hz ( CVT 2.07M9) hsync: 67.16 kHz; pclk: 173.00 MHz
Modeline "1920x1080 _60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 - hsync +vsync
ii. Add the custom resolution ​

Copy the text after modeline and use this command to create a new resolution.

sh
xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00"  173.00  1920 2048 2248 2576  1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920x1080_60.00"
xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00"  173.00  1920 2048 2248 2576  1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920x1080_60.00"
sh
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"

Congrats! You have added a new resolution now you can go to display and set it as your resolution.

Q. The resolution goes away after a reboot. ​

Ans. Add all the final lines to .profile so every time a session starts, the code runs, the custom resolution gets added. Since, this are not default resolutions xrandr isn't generating them so it can be added to profile and it will be added automatically when a session starts.

sh
nano ~/.profile
nano ~/.profile

Add your custom resolution config, it should look something like this.

sh
// All of the .profile code
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00"  
// All of the .profile code
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00"
sh
// All of the .profile code
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"  
// All of the .profile code
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080_60.00"

Q. What about other refresh rates? ​

Ans. You have to experiment with cvt a bit, to find which refresh rates you need. My refresh rates are from 60hz to 120hz. I did some experimentation and added these refresh rates.

Like if your display supports 120 hertz

sh
$ cvt 1920 1080 120   
# 1920×1080 119.93 Hz (CVT) hsync: 139.12 kHz; pclk: 369.50 MHz
Modeline "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync
$ xrandr - -newmode "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsvnc +vsvnc  
$ xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00" 
$ cvt 1920 1080 120   
# 1920×1080 119.93 Hz (CVT) hsync: 139.12 kHz; pclk: 369.50 MHz
Modeline "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync
$ xrandr - -newmode "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsvnc +vsvnc  
$ xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00"
sh
$ cvt 1920 1080 120   
# 1920×1080 119.93 Hz (CVT) hsync: 139.12 kHz; pclk: 369.50 MHz
Modeline "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync
$ wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 120.00" 
$ cvt 1920 1080 120   
# 1920×1080 119.93 Hz (CVT) hsync: 139.12 kHz; pclk: 369.50 MHz
Modeline "1920×1080_120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync
$ wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 120.00"

Finally, I added these resolutions

sh
// All of the .profile code
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 119.91" 369.25 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 119.91"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 60.00"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 59.89" 172.75 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920x1080 59.89"  
// All of the .profile code
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 120.00" 369.50 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 120.00"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 119.91" 369.25 1920 2080 2288 2656 1080 1083 1088 1160 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 119.91"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 60.00" 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920×1080 60.00"  
xrandr --newmode "1920×1080 59.89" 172.75 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync  
xrandr --addmode eDP-1 "1920x1080 59.89"
sh
// All of the .profile code
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 120.00"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 119.91"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 60.00"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080 59.89"  
// All of the .profile code
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 120.00"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 119.91"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920×1080 60.00"  
wlr-randr --output eDP-1 --mode "1920x1080 59.89"

Now it should look like this

Q. How to get rid of custom resolution? ​

Ans. Simple if you have added custom resolution to your .profile, open it again, remove those lines, and reboot.

Q. Problems regarding Hybrid Graphics Switching. ​

Ans. If you have a Hybrid or Multiple Graphics Card, your display name will change if you switch graphics. So, you have to change the xrandr --addmode [displayname] or wlr-randr --output [displayname] if you switch Graphics. It's better to add commands for both of your displays so switching would be fluent.

Released under the MIT License.

Copyright © 2023 Dipan Nanda