Nvidia Driver - Large Objects

[b0rkedbear]

First off I apologise if I’ve not given the correct information or using the correct terms in the below, I’m trying to get back into Linux not running it for a few years.

I’ve attempted to switch my graphics drivers from nouveau to the official video-nvidia drivers on my install (21.0.7 with KDE) and am finding that a lot of objects are way oversized. I’ve done some searching over the last day and believe the issue’s caused by the screensize and dpi being off in X.org as shown by the below outputs from inxi --admin --verbosity=7 --filter --no-host --width in the terminal with the nouveau and video-nvidia drivers running. Unfortunately I’m not really having any luck figuring out how to correct this or if I’m even looking in the right place.

I’ve only included the ‘Graphics’ information as I’m not sure if the rest would be relevant, but can supply the full outputs if required.

nouveau

Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA GM204 [GeForce GTX 970] vendor: eVga.com. driver: nouveau
v: kernel bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:13c2 class-ID: 0300
Display: server: X.Org 1.20.11 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: loaded: nouveau
unloaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,nv,vesa display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x285mm (40.0x11.2")
s-diag: 1055mm (41.5")
Monitor-1: DVI-D-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 102
size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.6") diag: 551mm (21.7")
Monitor-2: HDMI-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 305 size: 160x90mm (6.3x3.5")
diag: 184mm (7.2")
OpenGL: renderer: NV124 v: 4.3 Mesa 21.1.2 direct render: Yes

video-nvidia

Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA GM204 [GeForce GTX 970] vendor: eVga.com. driver: nvidia
v: 465.31 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:13c2
class-ID: 0300
Display: server: X.Org 1.20.11 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: loaded: nvidia
display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-dpi: 304 s-size: 321x90mm (12.6x3.5")
s-diag: 333mm (13.1")
Monitor-1: HDMI-0 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 305 size: 160x90mm (6.3x3.5")
diag: 184mm (7.2")
Monitor-2: DVI-D-0 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 102
size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.6") diag: 551mm (21.7")
OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 465.31
direct render: Yes

[omano]

Please explain what you are talking about.

@b0rkedbear

finding that a lot of objects are way oversized

This means nothing, we can guess with other information

@b0rkedbear

believe the issue’s caused by the screensize and dpi being off in X.org

Still we’re not here for a guess game so give more info so people can actually help you.

[b0rkedbear]

In regards to objects being oversized I’ve included a couple of screenshots below. The first being with the nouveau drivers and the second with the video-nvidia drivers. The size issues occur when using the video-nvidia and video-nvidia-390xx drivers out of the Hardware Configuration menu on System Settings.

I believe it’s being caused by the DPI being off in X.org because the outputs I supplied in the OP show that after changing drivers it reports the screen size as being 12.6x3.5" rather than the 40.0x11.2" shown when using the nouveau drivers so figured finding a way to change those would be a good place to start.

[omano]

OK it’s clearer now.

I don’t know how you can fix that as the Nvidia Settings tool doesn’t allow to set DPI as far as I know.
Did you try the DPI setting in the System Settings after you install Nvidia (and use the latest driver, video-nvidia, so you don’t rely on an old v390 driver)?

From what I understand, the Screen1 3840x1080 gets the DPI fitting for the main monitor, which apparently is different when you have Nvidia driver or not.

//EDIT:

---

No Nvidia = 96 DPI for 102:

Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x285mm (40.0x11.2") s-diag: 1055mm (41.5")
Monitor-1: DVI-D-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 102 size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.6") diag: 551mm (21.7")

---

Nvidia 304 DPI for 305:

Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-dpi: 304 s-size: 321x90mm (12.6x3.5") s-diag: 333mm (13.1")
Monitor-1: HDMI-0 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 305 size: 160x90mm (6.3x3.5") diag: 184mm (7.2")

---

//EDIT2:

So try to force DPI setting in System Settings, or try to change which is the main monitor in Nvidia Settings (and make sure to save these settings in the Nvidia Xorg config file at /etc/X11/mhwd.d/nvidia.conf by running nvidia-settings with sudo to be able to). See if one of these changes works.

Also for the sake of it always give a full inxi -Fazy so no need to ask more later. Provide one now (and to properly share it, not like above where it is not properly displayed, lines are cut, tabulations are wrong, things like that, paste your terminal output in your message, select it all, click the </> button and it will format it properly, note that your terminal output should have new line before it so it doesn’t touch the text above).

[b0rkedbear]

Thank you very much for your help, Omano! Just got a chance to switch back to the Nvidia driver and work through your tips.

I did have a look around for a DPI setting in System Settings yesterday but couldn’t see anything I thought was relevant. I did a search in there and saw you can force DPI on fonts under ‘Appearance > Fonts’. Set that to the 96 and appears to be back to normal. Guess I over-complicated this issue so thanks again for pointing me in the right direction! I’ll be sure to use the preformatted text with the whole outputs in future also.

[omano]

Cool. Yeah that was the setting I was talking about.