That’s because it’s a CLI utility and you didn’t tell it to do anything.
kscreen-doctor -h will show you the usage.
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Ok, I did
kscreen-doctor output.HDMI-A-2.mode.3840x2160@60
(the “HDMI-A-2” identifier I took from the GUI tool)
and got
Output mode 3840x2160@60 not found.
it’s the physical resolution of the monitor and the frequency at which it can be run. It seems that kscreen can’t do better than the GUI tool, which stops at 2560x1440.
BTW, the right resolution is set under X11, and before the latest upgrade, it worked fine with wayland as well.
Here is the output using kscreen-doctor -o:
Output: 33 HDMI-A-1
enabled
connected
priority 2
HDMI
replication source:0
Modes: 37:1920x1080@59.96*! 38:1440x1080@59.99 39:1400x1050@59.98 40:1280x1024@59.89 41:1280x960@59.94 42:1152x864@59.96 43:1024x768@59.92 44:800x600@59.86 45:640x480@59.38 46:320x240@59.29 47:1680x1050@59.95 48:1440x900@59.89 49:1280x800@59.81 50:1152x720@59.97 51:960x600@59.63 52:928x580@59.88 53:800x500@59.50 54:768x480@59.90 55:720x480@59.71 56:640x400@59.95 57:320x200@58.14 58:1600x900@59.95 59:1368x768@59.88 60:1280x720@59.86 61:1024x576@59.90 62:864x486@59.92 63:720x400@59.27 64:640x350@59.28
Geometry: 261,0 1920x1080
Scale: 1
Rotation: 1
Overscan: 0
Vrr: incapable
RgbRange: unknown
HDR: incapable
Wide Color Gamut: incapable
ICC profile: incapable
Color profile source: incapable
Brightness control: unsupported
Color resolution: unknown
Allow EDR: unsupported
Sharpness control: unsupported
Output: 35 HDMI-A-2
disabled
disconnected
priority 0
Unknown
replication source:0
Modes:
Geometry: 0,0 0x0
Scale: 1
Rotation: 1
Overscan: 0
Vrr: incapable
RgbRange: unknown
HDR: incapable
Wide Color Gamut: incapable
ICC profile: incapable
Color profile source: incapable
Brightness control: unsupported
Color resolution: unknown
Allow EDR: unsupported
Sharpness control: unsupported
Output: 908 HDMI-A-2
enabled
connected
priority 1
HDMI
replication source:0
Modes: 37:1920x1080@59.96 38:1440x1080@59.99 39:1400x1050@59.98 40:1280x1024@59.89 41:1280x960@59.94 42:1152x864@59.96 43:1024x768@59.92 44:800x600@59.86 45:640x480@59.38 46:320x240@59.29 47:1680x1050@59.95 48:1440x900@59.89 49:1280x800@59.81 50:1152x720@59.97 51:960x600@59.63 52:928x580@59.88 53:800x500@59.50 54:768x480@59.90 55:720x480@59.71 56:640x400@59.95 57:320x200@58.14 58:1600x900@59.95 59:1368x768@59.88 60:1280x720@59.86 61:1024x576@59.90 62:864x486@59.92 63:720x400@59.27 64:640x350@59.28 65:2560x1440@59.96*! 66:1920x1440@59.97 67:1600x1200@59.87 68:1920x1200@59.88 69:2048x1152@59.90
Geometry: 0,1080 2560x1440
Scale: 1
Rotation: 1
Overscan: 0
Vrr: incapable
RgbRange: unknown
HDR: incapable
Wide Color Gamut: incapable
ICC profile: incapable
Color profile source: incapable
Brightness control: unsupported
Color resolution: unknown
Allow EDR: unsupported
Sharpness control: unsupported
This doesn’t seem right. It shows three screens (outputs), of which one is disabled (?) and has the same identifier as the third one, which would be the Samsung monitor, but with a maximum resolution of 2560x1440, which is much lower than the actual resolution.
I recall seeing recommendations, in similar situations, to use the same refresh rate on each monitor – naturally one that is supported by each monitor – perhaps start at 60Hz, and work upwards from there, to discover whether there is any marked improvement.
Some also reported that changing their cables to something more heavy duty was also helpful. Indeed, in some cases, changing from HDMI to DisplayPort seemed to solve some issues.
Something to consider.
Edit:- Also, during testing, try to keep “zoom” limited to 100%.
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Thanks for your suggestion, @soundofthunder. I still wonder why the problem started with the latest upgrade a few days ago. It’s not one of the general issues that people have when they change the hardware. Nothing has changed in that regard, but the software has.
Besides: How shall changing the frequency have any effect on the resolution? The higher res monitor has a maximum of 60 Hz, and kscreen has set it to 59.96 Hz, which is basically 60 Hz. That’s the same as with the lower res monitor, i.e. they have the same frequency already. To work my way down may result in worse viewing experience, and I doubt that it will have any effect on the resolution. I may try it, though. But kscreen says that the geometry of my higher res monitor is 2560x1440 (against the physical 3840x2160), which just doesn’t make sense, particularly as X11 is using the physical resolution (but unfortunately messes up the remainder of the screen).
If kscreen (and consequently Manjaro) thinks my monitor has a lower resolution, shouldn’t the panel appear somewhere within the screen? Or does it somehow think the panel should be at the bottom of a 3840x2160 screen, while mine is supposedly a 2560x1440 screen? Where does the 3840x2160 then come from? And why are the icons still in the same position and size in which they were before the upgrade, if the resolution has changed? From my experience many years ago, when I had some issues with screen resolutions, I know that icons get shuffled around, change sizes etc. when the resolution changes.
Don’t get me wrong, I just want to understand what’s going on (and I know for you it is even more difficult than for me, as you don’t have access to my PC). I can and will try around, but changing the cables - I don’t think that I will do that, because it costs money and it did work just a week ago with the cables I have in use. What I will do is remove one monitor (the one with the lower res) or rather turn it off or disconnect it and see what’s happening then. At least then I can pinpoint that the issue has to do with the double monitor setup (or not).
Scaling is at 100% already for a while.
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Ok, Now I disconnected the second (lower res) monitor. In wayland, this didn’t have any effect. The Samsung monitor with the higher resolution still was missing the panel, and the max resolution was said to be 2560x1440. However, using X11, the resolution is back at 3840x2160, the desktop looks fine, the panel is there, no worries. Only the second monitor is missing. I’ll keep it this way until the next Manjaro upgrade takes place and try then again.
Wayland has still a long way to go, it seems. Someone said a while ago: “Wayland is always the future and never the present”. I have the feeling that person is right (he said that 2 years ago, if I recall correctly).
How, I cannot say; all I can say, is that it can apparently help with multiple monitor configurations.
Then obviously this won’t work for you.
I recall one or two similar cases within the last few months – unfortunatelt, I don’t recall what the solution was, or if there was actually a solution found. Search the forum, and you might find the topics I refer to.
Anecdotal:-
I’ve used Wayland excusively for some 2 and 1/2 years now: A single monitor 1920x1080, AMD RX 580 graphics, and KDE Plasma on Manjaro, Debian and FreeBSD (though only recently), without any significant issues.
My point is simple – Opinions are subjective, at best. 
Of course, I agree. I remember when KDE did a major step, I don’t know if it was from version 2.x to version 3 or from 3.x to 4, and a lot of things didn’t work right then. I think that was the time when I explored other DEs, like Gnome and the like. None really fit me (and that is my opinion based on my personal experience), hence I went back to KDE, and during the time I was exploring, most issues had been solved. Since then I’m stuck with KDE. I know that Wayland is not KDE, my point is simply that there are times when things go wrong and it needs a little time until it is fixed. I will try wayland after one or two system upgrades, and then maybe everything is fine again.
The issue here could be condensed to this:
Under Wayland, the monitor (in a single monitor setup) reaches a max res of 2560x1440, while under X11 it reaches it’s max res of 3840x2160 (both confirmed with kscreen-doctor -o). And no solution found yet.
At least that option is there, unlike with Gnome.
The topic can be left open a while, but sooner or later it may be closed due to inactivity. If that happens, just PM a Moderation staff member and request it be re-opened, rather than create a new topic.
Regards.