i3wm GTK application have a big font

[Tom]

Hi,

Today, I upgraded my 16.04 packages and my i3 4.11-1 now displays any GTK apps with a massive font. i3wm has not been upgraded so it is not an i3 bug as such but if I start the standard Ubuntu desktop (Unity) everything is fine... So it only affects i3wm. Consequences are dmenu font is twice to three times bigger than usual; it feels firefox is on 800x600 screen and so and so forth. You cannot use it.

So what differs from Unity and i3 from a gtk point of view?

The packages I installed are the following and one of them at least triggered the issue:

# apt-get upgrade
 suru-icon-theme:amd64 (14.04+16.04.20160621-0ubuntu1, 14.04+16.04.20160804-0ubuntu1
 gnome-calendar:amd64 (3.20.2-0ubuntu0.1, 3.20.4-0ubuntu0.1
 gnome-settings-daemon-schemas:amd64 (3.18.2-0ubuntu3, 3.18.2-0ubuntu3.1
 unity-schemas:amd64 (7.4.0+16.04.20160801.2-0ubuntu1, 7.4.0+16.04.20160906-0ubuntu1
 gnome-session-common:amd64 (3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.1, 3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.2
 compiz-plugins-default:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 ifupdown:amd64 (0.8.10ubuntu1, 0.8.10ubuntu1.1
 gnome-system-monitor:amd64 (3.18.2-1, 3.18.2-1ubuntu1
 bamfdaemon:amd64 (0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20160701-0ubuntu1, 0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20160824-0ubuntu1
 libwbclient0:amd64 (2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.2, 2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.3
 gnome-sudoku:amd64 (1:3.18.2-1, 1:3.18.4-0ubuntu2
 libdecoration0:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 libgweather-3-6:amd64 (3.18.1-1ubuntu1, 3.18.2-0ubuntu0.1
 libsystemd0:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 libglapi-mesa:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 snapd:amd64 (2.12+0.16.04, 2.14.2~16.04
 p11-kit:amd64 (0.23.2-3, 0.23.2-5~ubuntu16.04.1
 libnm-gtk-common:amd64 (1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.3, 1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.4
 sudo:amd64 (1.8.16-0ubuntu1.1, 1.8.16-0ubuntu1.2
 ubuntu-session:amd64 (3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.1, 3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.2
 libpython3.5:amd64 (3.5.2-2~16.01, 3.5.2-2~16.04
 python3.5:amd64 (3.5.2-2~16.01, 3.5.2-2~16.04
 libxatracker2:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 gnome-settings-daemon:amd64 (3.18.2-0ubuntu3, 3.18.2-0ubuntu3.1
 python3.5-minimal:amd64 (3.5.2-2~16.01, 3.5.2-2~16.04
 xdiagnose:amd64 (3.8.4, 3.8.4.1
 udev:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 libegl1-mesa:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 unity:amd64 (7.4.0+16.04.20160801.2-0ubuntu1, 7.4.0+16.04.20160906-0ubuntu1
 network-manager-gnome:amd64 (1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.3, 1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.4
 p11-kit-modules:amd64 (0.23.2-3, 0.23.2-5~ubuntu16.04.1
 libudev1:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 gtk2-engines-murrine:amd64 (0.98.2-0ubuntu2.1, 0.98.2-0ubuntu2.2
 libgbm1:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 libbamf3-2:amd64 (0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20160701-0ubuntu1, 0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20160824-0ubuntu1
 samba-libs:amd64 (2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.2, 2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.3
 gnome-font-viewer:amd64 (3.16.2-1build1, 3.16.2-1ubuntu1
 libappstream-glib8:amd64 (0.5.13-1ubuntu2, 0.5.13-1ubuntu3
 cups-filters:amd64 (1.8.3-2ubuntu3, 1.8.3-2ubuntu3.1
 ubuntu-drivers-common:amd64 (1:0.4.17.1, 1:0.4.17.2
 metacity-common:amd64 (1:3.18.5-0ubuntu0.1, 1:3.18.7-0ubuntu0.1
 libcupsfilters1:amd64 (1.8.3-2ubuntu3, 1.8.3-2ubuntu3.1
 systemd-sysv:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 unity-services:amd64 (7.4.0+16.04.20160801.2-0ubuntu1, 7.4.0+16.04.20160906-0ubuntu1
 libwayland-egl1-mesa:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 libunity-core-6.0-9:amd64 (7.4.0+16.04.20160801.2-0ubuntu1, 7.4.0+16.04.20160906-0ubuntu1
 libmetacity-private3a:amd64 (1:3.18.5-0ubuntu0.1, 1:3.18.7-0ubuntu0.1
 libpam-systemd:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 libnma0:amd64 (1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.3, 1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.4
 compiz-gnome:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 systemd:amd64 (229-4ubuntu7, 229-4ubuntu8
 libnma-common:amd64 (1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.3, 1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.4
 libfontembed1:amd64 (1.8.3-2ubuntu3, 1.8.3-2ubuntu3.1
 ubuntu-mobile-icons:amd64 (14.04+16.04.20160621-0ubuntu1, 14.04+16.04.20160804-0ubuntu1
 libcompizconfig0:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 compiz:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 libgl1-mesa-dri:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 libsmbclient:amd64 (2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.2, 2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.3
 gnome-session-bin:amd64 (3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.1, 3.18.1.2-1ubuntu1.16.04.2
 libnm-gtk0:amd64 (1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.3, 1.2.0-0ubuntu0.16.04.4
 light-themes:amd64 (14.04+16.04.20160621-0ubuntu1, 14.04+16.04.20160804-0ubuntu1
 cups-filters-core-drivers:amd64 (1.8.3-2ubuntu3, 1.8.3-2ubuntu3.1
 ubuntu-artwork:amd64 (1:14.04+16.04.20160621-0ubuntu1, 1:14.04+16.04.20160804-0ubuntu1
 libgl1-mesa-glx:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 libp11-kit0:amd64 (0.23.2-3, 0.23.2-5~ubuntu16.04.1
 mtools:amd64 (4.0.18-2, 4.0.18-2ubuntu0.16.04
 mesa-vdpau-drivers:amd64 (11.2.0-1ubuntu2.1, 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
 libpython3.5-stdlib:amd64 (3.5.2-2~16.01, 3.5.2-2~16.04
 accountsservice:amd64 (0.6.40-2ubuntu11.1, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.2
 compiz-core:amd64 (1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160801.3-0ubuntu1, 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
 libpython3.5-minimal:amd64 (3.5.2-2~16.01, 3.5.2-2~16.04
 ubuntu-mono:amd64 (14.04+16.04.20160621-0ubuntu1, 14.04+16.04.20160804-0ubuntu1
 hipchat4:amd64 (4.26.0.1657, 4.27.0.1658
 libgweather-common:amd64 (3.18.1-1ubuntu1, 3.18.2-0ubuntu0.1
 libaccountsservice0:amd64 (0.6.40-2ubuntu11.1, 0.6.40-2ubuntu11.2
 cups-browsed:amd64 (1.8.3-2ubuntu3, 1.8.3-2ubuntu3.1)

# apt-get install ubuntu-core-launcher
 Install: snap-confine:amd64 (1.0.38-0ubuntu0.16.04.8, automatic)
 Upgrade: ubuntu-core-launcher:amd64 (1.0.27.1, 1.0.38-0ubuntu0.16.04.8)

Note:
- It seems this reddit user is experiencing the issue as well. https://www.reddit.com/r/i3wm/comments/4mrydd/i3wm_fonts_too_big_on_ubuntu_1604/

[Tom (tom-dmw)]

This is actually a HiDPI issue, I tried several possibles fixes, none of them are working (see ArchiWiki HiDPI).

Only Unity manages HiDPI properly. i3wm or xfce do not... How does Unity do it?!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Alexander Sagen (asagen)]

Did you find any workaround for this Tom?

[Tom (tom-dmw)]

No.

> Did you find any workaround for this Tom?
However, there is a good page about HiDPI on the archwiki blog
explaining how to rescale when you have 2 screens. It is just hacks.
None of them a perfect. I dunno how Unity manages to get it right
because xcfe nor i3wm get it right. I am thinking reinstalling (Debian)
because after 3 weeks working with Unity, I start to become nuts :)
Lazyness keeps me working with Unity.

Debian stable does not have the problem (maybe because libs are older).

Good luck, trying to make it work. My setup: Ubuntu 16.10 (hoping it
would fix the issue but it does not) + macbook pro 2015.

Thomas

[Alexander Sagen (asagen)]

I tried using debian stable but got the same issue. I had to install kernel and wifi-drivers from backports though, to get my 4th gen Lenovo X1 Carbon to work. It looked good when I set the nomodeset kernel flag though, but it looks like that made the driver fail somehow, so I couldn't add external monitors.