[SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

KitchM · 2025-06-04 20:22:58

How does the user set the resolution the display will show when logging into the desktop?

Last edited by KitchM (2025-09-23 20:36:31)

kwizzz · 2025-06-04 21:05:20

KitchM wrote:

How does the user set the resolution the display will show when logging into the desktop?

I guess that you want to adjust the resolution due to HiDPI?

On my system, the login screen is taken care of by lightdm, so I adjusted the DPI settings (`xft-dpi`) in `/etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf`

[greeter]
background=/usr/share/wallpapers/openSUSEdefault/contents/images/1600x1200.png
theme-name=Greybird-geeko
# xft-dpi = Resolution for Xft in dots per inch (e.g. 96)
xft-dpi=120
indicators = ~host;~spacer;~clock;~spacer;~language;~layout;~session;~a11y;~power;

eriefisher · 2025-06-05 10:43:22

There is a way to set the resolution of lightdm greeter in lightdm.conf. I can post an example but not until later as I'm travelling today.

KitchM · 2025-06-05 12:38:49

Thanks. Any help is appreciated. Enjoy your travels.

eriefisher · 2025-06-05 12:55:32

I will try this from memory. Open /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf in you favorite editor as root. Scroll down until you find a line

#display-setup-script =

Remove the # and add xrandr -s 1024x768(whatever your resolution is) and save and close and reboot.

display-setup-script = xrandr -s 1024x768

You can also create a script if the options get complicated. Then just insert the path of the script instead of the xrandr command. Lightdm must have access to the path of the script. So not in your home directory.

KitchM · 2025-06-05 14:25:32

Thanks. However, entering:

display-setup-script=xrandr -s 640x480

did nothing. There was no change whatsoever.

eriefisher · 2025-06-05 14:41:41

Ok, I'll have to get back to you later when I can confirm the details.

Make sure the monitor is actually capable of the resolution.

640x480 is a real low resolution.

KitchM · 2025-06-05 19:12:49

Thanks for your help. I'm not in a rush. I've put up with it this long, so I can certainly practice a little patience to improve my character. Heaven knows I need it. roll

My monitor is a 49" that can handle just about everything one can imagine, and certainly all the current standards including that one. It sure looks good during boot at 640x480. The GRUB menu is easy to see at a distance. Once at the desktop, things look great at 1280x800. My xrandr shows the ability to display 18 choices. It is always just a choice to get the resolution to display correctly without causing unused screen real estate, warped fonts and images or text too tiny to read.

Anyway, thanks again.

eriefisher · 2025-06-05 19:38:43

I just checked my laptop and I didn't need to make adjustment for it to work at 1600x900.

However, for the VM with a stripped down xfce4 I have to make this change. As mentioned, edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf as root and added:

display-setup-script=xrandr -s 1600x900

This allowed the greeter to display at full resolution. It was originally a much lower resolution but not sure what it was.

I would try different resolutions to see if one would work. It may also have to do with how the monitor is connected and type. You may need to also include this info. xrandr will give you the info. See

man xrandr

for details and options.

Also, for more details https://askubuntu.com/questions/73804/w … resolution

KitchM · 2025-06-05 22:18:41

xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 16384 x 16384
HDMI-A-0 connected primary 1280x800+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 800mm x 450mm
3840x2160 30.00 + 24.00 29.97 23.98
4096x2160 30.00 24.00 29.97 23.98
1920x1200 30.00
1920x1080 60.00 59.94 30.00 24.00 29.97 23.98
1600x1200 30.00
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1360x768 60.02
1280x800 59.91*
1152x864 75.00
1280x720 60.00 30.00 59.94 29.97 24.00 23.98
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32
720x480 60.00 59.94
640x480 75.00 72.81 60.00 59.94
720x400 70.08
DVI-D-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DisplayPort-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DisplayPort-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Maybe I should try 320x200?

ZmJmZGE2YWIzNWEwZTgxNDI2Y · 2025-06-17 00:18:27

Thank you for this:

display-setup-script=xrandr -s 1600x900

I was able to change my login screen resolution to 1368x768. It worked after a reboot.

KitchM · 2025-06-17 12:46:46

There remains an obvious flaw somewhere in the setup procedure which appears to hide the method of making things easy to set, and which appears to override whatever we users are able to figure out in our settings.

Currently, my boot-up display is very good up until the LUKS password comes into play. At that point, the settings are overridden and the text reverts to something very tiny on the screen. After that, the rest of the boot display gets too small again.

Once the login for the Xfce desktop is reached, it too is too small.

The whole process is a mess in that it lacks user control in a simple and centrally-located manner.

eriefisher · 2025-06-17 13:06:59

I don't know if LUKS has anything to do with it but you can set the resolution at boot in /etc/default/grub as root using your favourite editor.

nano /etc/default/grub

look for #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480. Remove the # and edit the resolution. You can also keep that resolution after grub with GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep in the same file. Once edited and saved you must run as root/sudo

update-grub

Reboot. The resolution must be supported by the frame buffer I believe. You can list several resolution and it will use whatever it supports.

KitchM · 2025-06-17 18:07:53

These are the pertinent settings as they have been currently:

GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=640x480x24
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD="keep"
GRUB_TERMINAL="gfxterm"

KitchM · 2025-09-14 15:44:50

I added:
display-setup-script=xrandr -s 800x600
to the end of /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf in Debian 12 with Xfce 4.18 and got no change at all.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks.

ToZ · 2025-09-14 16:20:11

I believe it needs to go in the /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf file instead.

KitchM · 2025-09-15 22:26:47

Already tried it there too. No joy.

ToZ · 2025-09-16 01:12:32

Had a closer look. It needs to be in the [Seat:*] section to be valid.

KitchM · 2025-09-16 15:00:43

Bingo! You got it! That's what I was looking for. Sad that it isn't a part of the basic settings, but at least now we can get a display that one can read. What an absolute blessing.

The solution included finding that section entitled "[Seat:*]", as you pointed out, and then adding "display-setup-script=xrandr -s 800x600" at the end of the section, saving the file and rebooting to test it out. The login window now popped up on the screen as big as life and easily used.

I may have some tweaking to do because it failed to fill the screen as one would desire, but I can choose a different resolution for the next time I try. I will change it now, and that way it is available for the next reboot. One resolution will match the combination of monitor limitations, desktop environment and desired readability, so a little trial and error never hurts.

Thank you very much.

eriefisher · 2025-09-16 18:01:18

Config files like this are set up so the program can read it as needed. Just randomly adding a line will do nothing because it won't be read. Each section has a different purpose.

Under normal condition it shouldn't be necessary to edit the config file. It's hardware dependent. If the kernel can properly probe the hardware and has a usable driver you would likely get a good resolution. I also think if you get a good grub screen resolution the lightdm login screen will be good. This may change with secondary or large screen monitors with hdmi. Hdmi is started a bit later in the boot process so may need some instructions to know what to do.

Glad you got it working.

KitchM · 2025-09-16 18:50:25

Yes, this large TV/Monitor is all HDMI. GRUB was edited and worked to change the resolution at the menu, but then LUKS comes into play and messes up the command line. I haven't figured that one out yet. But then, after unlocking the drive, Xfce login does not conform to the settings that exist once logged in. Which seems odd. How did the programmers miss that one?

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#1 2025-06-04 20:22:58

[SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#2 2025-06-04 21:05:20

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#3 2025-06-05 10:43:22

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#4 2025-06-05 12:38:49

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#5 2025-06-05 12:55:32

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#6 2025-06-05 14:25:32

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#7 2025-06-05 14:41:41

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#8 2025-06-05 19:12:49

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#9 2025-06-05 19:38:43

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#10 2025-06-05 22:18:41

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#11 2025-06-17 00:18:27

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#12 2025-06-17 12:46:46

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#13 2025-06-17 13:06:59

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#14 2025-06-17 18:07:53

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#15 2025-09-14 15:44:50

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#16 2025-09-14 16:20:11

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#17 2025-09-15 22:26:47

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#18 2025-09-16 01:12:32

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#19 2025-09-16 15:00:43

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#20 2025-09-16 18:01:18

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

#21 2025-09-16 18:50:25

Re: [SOLVED] Setting Display Resolution For Login Screen

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