Unity launcher badges too small for smaller icons

[gazhay]

If, using unity-tweak, you drop the size of launcher icons down to a smaller size - say 32px - the badges that count things like unread messages are too small.

This has been a bug since 14.04 and persists through 15.04.

There should be a minimum size for badges so that they are always readable.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: unity-services 7.3.2+15.04.20150420-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-22.22-generic 3.19.8-ckt1
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 346.59 Tue Mar 31 14:10:31 PDT 2015
 GCC version: gcc version 4.9.2 (Ubuntu 4.9.2-10ubuntu13)
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,decor,grid,imgpng,vpswitch,unitymtgrabhandles,move,compiztoolbox,mousepoll,resize,regex,gnomecompat,place,session,wall,animation,expo,workarounds,fade,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Jul 16 08:12:57 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: vivid
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 bbswitch, 0.7, 3.19.0-15-generic, x86_64: installed
 bbswitch, 0.7, 3.19.0-22-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-346-updates, 346.59, 3.19.0-15-generic, x86_64: installed
 nvidia-346-updates, 346.59, 3.19.0-22-generic, x86_64: installed
ExecutablePath: /usr/lib/unity/unity-panel-service
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GM204 [GeForce GTX 970] [10de:13c2] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Device [1458:3683]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-11 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. Z97X-UD3H
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-22-generic root=UUID=33ba1dec-b49f-45c6-bd17-aa4011f8abfb ro priority=low acpi=off nomodeset quiet splash nomodeset video=uvesafb:mode_option=1680x1050-32,mtrr=3,scroll=ywrap
SourcePackage: unity
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/21/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F8
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: Z97X-UD3H-CF
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrF8:bd04/21/2015:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnZ97X-UD3H:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnZ97X-UD3H-CF:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: Z97X-UD3H
dmi.product.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.1+15.04.20150410.1-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.60-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.5.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917-1~exp1ubuntu2.2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.11-1ubuntu2build1
xserver.bootTime: Wed Jul 15 20:01:29 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input DasKeyboard KEYBOARD, id 6
 input DasKeyboard KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Logitech M570 MOUSE, id 8
 input UVC Camera (046d:0990) KEYBOARD, id 9
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:

xserver.version: 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3

[Stephen M. Webb (bregma)]

'Too small' is a function of screen size, pixel density, viewing distance, and user preference. For that reason, the only reasonable solution for this would be to provide a user-visible per-display configuration option with a reasonable default based on the display's scaling factor.

This would make a good first project for someone looking to dive in to Unity development.

[gazhay (gazhay)]

I understand the metrics, and difficulties in 'too small' in modern computing. My only issue is that whatever function does the badge sizing is allowing metrics which render the badge unreadable.

I would have thought there are other locations where text is sized according to graphical elements successfully. Nautilus file manager?

With that respect it might be simpler to have someone familiar with these issues to fix?