Fix Display Appearing Zoomed With Multi-Monitor Setup Using xrandr

Introduction

In modern computing environments, multi-monitor setups have become increasingly popular. However, sometimes, one or more monitors might display incorrectly, appearing zoomed in or distorted. This issue can be frustrating and affect productivity. This article focuses on how to fix the display appearing zoomed issue using the xrandr utility on Linux systems.

Understanding the Problem: Display Scaling

When connecting multiple monitors to a Linux system, the display server (X.Org Server or Wayland) tries to scale the output to fit the connected monitors. This scaling can lead to issues like text appearing too large or too small on a particular monitor. The xrandr utility provides a solution to fine-tune the display settings and fix the issue.

Steps to Fix the Display Appearing Zoomed Issue

Step 1: Identify the Connected Monitors

Before proceeding with the solution, it's essential to identify the connected monitors and their respective display identifiers. Run the following command in the terminal:

 xrandr --query | grep " connected"
 

The output will display the connected monitors and their display identifiers.

Step 2: Set the Primary Monitor

The primary monitor is the one where the system's mouse pointer stays when it's not on any other monitor. Set the primary monitor using the following command:

 xrandr --output  --mode  --primary
 

Replace with the identifier of the primary monitor and with the desired resolution.

Step 3: Set the Secondary Monitor

Set the secondary monitor using the following command:

 xrandr --output  --mode  --right-of 
 

Replace with the identifier of the secondary monitor, with the desired resolution, and with the identifier of the primary monitor.

Step 4: Scale the Secondary Monitor

If the text or images appear too large or too small on the secondary monitor, use the following command to scale the display:

 xrandr --output  --scale x
 

Replace with the identifier of the secondary monitor, and with the desired scale factor (e.g., 1.5 for 150% scaling).

• Identify the connected monitors and their display identifiers using the xrandr utility.
• Set the primary monitor using the xrandr utility and the desired resolution.
• Set the secondary monitor using the xrandr utility, the desired resolution, and the identifier of the primary monitor.
• Scale the secondary monitor using the xrandr utility and the desired scale factor.