Screens and scaling

Text too small on a high-resolution screen

On a very dense screen, such as a 4K laptop panel, the desktop starts at double size (scale 2) by itself, so text is readable from the first login. Ordinary screens stay at normal size. The rule is the one GNOME uses: 192 dots per inch or more, on a screen at least 1200 pixels high.

To choose a different size, open System, Preferences, Hardware, Displays, select the screen, change Scale and press Apply. Whole numbers (1, 2) are sharpest. Values in between, such as 1.5, work and look slightly softer.

More than one monitor

A newly connected monitor always appears to the right of the others, because the system cannot know where it stands on your desk. Open Displays, drag the screens into the arrangement you have in front of you, and press Apply.

Your settings are kept

Any arrangement that stays in place for ten seconds is saved, separately for each set of connected screens. It is applied again at the next login and whenever the same screens are connected.

• A monitor is recognised by its make, model and serial number, so it can move to another port.
• Two monitors of the same model can report the same serial number. Those are told apart by the port each is plugged into, so keep them on the same ports.