cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18838538

Wuuttup. I’m here complaining again about Framework’s Linux unfriendly display. The new one this time.

https://frame.work/products/display-kit?v=FRANJF0001

Old display, 2256 x 1504 (3:2)

GNOME

100% scale

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Everything is tiny
  • Unusable

100% scale + large text accessibility

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Most apps scale appropriately
  • Some apps don’t respect GNOME’s large text setting (Alacritty)

125% scale

  • Most apps look blurry (Picard, Firefox, Spotify, Alacritty)

200% scale

  • Everything is way too big
  • Unusable

Plasma

100% scale

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Everything is tiny
  • Unusable

125% scale + Apply scaling themselves

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Most apps scale appropriate
  • Some apps can’t scale themselves and look tiny (Picard)

125% scale + Scaled by system

  • Most apps look blurry (Picard, Firefox, Spotify, Alacritty)

200% scale

  • Everything is way too big
  • Unusable

New display, 2880 x 1920 (3:2)

GNOME

100% scale

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Everything is tiny
  • Unusable

100% scale + large text accessibility

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Most apps scale appropriately
  • Some apps don’t respect GNOME’s large text setting (Alacritty)
  • Everything is tiny

150% scale

  • Most apps look blurry (Picard, Firefox, Spotify, Alacritty)

200% scale

  • Everything is way too big
  • Unusable

Plasma

100% scale

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Everything is tiny
  • Unusable

150% scale + Apply scaling themselves

  • Nothing looks blurry
  • Some apps can’t scale themselves, but look a little better here? (Picard)

150% scale + Scaled by system

  • Most apps look blurry (Picard, Firefox, Spotify, Alacritty)

200% scale

  • Everything is way too big
  • Unusable

tl;dr

In the old display, GNOME at 100% + large text was the best compromise. In the new display, Plasma at 150% + Apply scaling themselves is the best compromise.

Interestingly, Picard scaling itself looks super tiny in the old display, but in the new display it looks… better. It’s still not correctly scaled like native Wayland apps, but it’s better.

Warning

If you can’t stomach moving from GNOME to Plasma, then 🚨 DO NOT BUY THE NEW DISPLAY 🚨. The new display is worse for GNOME.

Once again

I am once again begging Framework to just give us a damn regular DPI display that works! Without workarounds. Without forcing users on specific DEs. Without forcing users to stop using their favorite apps. This new display has basically all of the flaws as the previous one.

  • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
    0·
    4 months ago

    I don’t understand. If an OS or piece of software can’t handle scaling on certain resolutions or aspect ratios, then that’s unironically the software’s problem, not the hardware. Insisting that hardware follows software would eventually lead to a total stagnation in technology. If the hardware doesn’t exist then the software can’t exist either.

    Am I misunderstanding the issue? Like, what is this display doing differently other than the aspect ratio?

    • Fliegenpilzgünni@slrpnk.net
      0·
      4 months ago

      Yeah, I agree. That’s why I switched from Gnome to KDE a while ago.

      I really like Gnome, but then just came the time I had enough. The whole “Then don’t buy xy monitor” just drove me mad. Before Plasma 6, Gnome just felt more premium. But even then, fractional scaling just worked on KDE, while on Gnome, I had to apply bandaid solutions all the time and still couldn’t read anything because it was either too small, too big or completely blurry.

      Now, I prefer KDE, and would recommend it over Gnome if someone asked me.
      Gnome just feels backwards in so many aspects, e.g. VRR, HDR, etc.
      Sure, some things on KDE get half-assed from time to time, but at least the devs show some interest in at least trying to takle some issues.