Fonts in the GNOME login screen are disproportionately big

[bp]

The login screen has disproportionately big fonts, and it sometimes also applies to the titlebar font during a GNOME session. Approximately, the size is 72 where it's supposed to be 10. I regularly get this on the Ubuntu LiveCD titlebars, on the Ubuntu Desktop login screen, and sometimes on the Ubuntu Desktop titlebars (but a Ctrl-Alt-Backspace solves that.) Ctrl-Alt-Backspace does not solve the login screen.

This does not apply with Sans only: I kept getting the huge font issue for the titlebar also after I changed it to Free Sans (haven't had it yet with DejaVu Sans Condensed yet tho).

On any themed greeter, the only parts affected are the input box, the user list, the menus and the dialog boxes (which take more than the full screen to display!); on the standard greeter it instead affects everything on screen (you're practically typing blindly).

I found a workaround: setting the font size to 1 (or was it zero?) gives approx. a 10 pt font (or at it fixed the titlebars on Ubuntu Live).

My laptop is a Toshiba Equium M70-272.

[jtholmes (jtholmes)]

Thank you for your report.

In each of the instances above where you mention various CD's installation etc. could you please detail the following
for each

Version of Ubuntu
Kernel Version

[bp (badpazzword)]

Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Ribbon, Kernel 2.6.22.14.21

[bp (badpazzword)]

I forgot to mention, the Fedora 8 LiveCd does not show this problem.

[bp (badpazzword)]

I am sorry to report that even a fully updated (as of post timestamp) version of Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 4 with xserver-xorg-core at version 2:1.4.1~git20080131-1ubuntu1 (installed a few minutes ago) still shows the problem.

[bp (badpazzword)]

I was forced today to install Ubuntu 7.04 over my previous installation. This fixed the issue even after updating back to 7.10; my guess is the install media must have been corrupt.

[lucasvo (lucasvo)]

I freshly installed Ubuntu Hardy Heron today(updated from feisty). I have the same problem. I was unable to take a screenshot of gdm. I installed guifications, a plugin for pidgin, and it also displayed too big fonts. I think it's the same style. I attached a screenshot.

[Jan Groenewald (jan-aims)]

Confirmed on Hardy.

The login screen, the user/password box cannot be read, it is too huge.
The options menu on the login screen cannot be closed once open or read.

Some pages in firefox have huge fonts (the page 2 3 4 5 6 links at the bottom of a google search)
Galeon does not have this problem.

I just set the System -Appearance -Fonts- Details - DPI to 72 instead of 96, and firefox crashed.

It happens whethermy default SANS and SERIF is sans, freesans, bitstream vera sans, dejavu sans, etc.

[Jan Groenewald (jan-aims)]

Related threads?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=235214
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=363958
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=706788
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=3609621
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=575978&highlight=huge+fonts+login
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/141001 (claims to be fixed)

Setting about:config layout.css.dpi to 72 pr 96 in firefox fixes the firefox fonts, except they look horrible

In /usr/share/gdm/themes/Human/Human.xml I don't see any problem:
<!-- password box --> has <normal color="#000000" font="Sans 12"/>
and
<!-- bottom bar --> has <item type="label">
            <normal font="Sans 11" color="#ffffff"/>
            <prelight font="Sans 11" color="#ff9c36"/>
            <active font="Sans 11" color="#dc292b"/>
            <pos y="50%" anchor="w"/>
            <stock type="options"/>

I'll try the gdm.conf fix in one thread above, but cannot log out of this computer now, due to some foreground long running jobs

[jwilson (jwilson-nwsoftware)]

Confirmed... I installed Hardy last night and also have the disproportionate fonts on the login form. Additionally? The font size is also not correct when you click on the Options button on the login form. They are not correct either.

Computer: H/P dv4005 w/Intel Graphics Driver...

[Dick Franks (rlfranks1)]

I had the same problem with 8.04 upgrade from 7.10 on 4/30/08. I tried to fix it, the system became unusable and I eventually restored the partition to 7.10 and tried again on 5/2/08, this time accepting the new version of the few configuration changes I had made. I still have the same problem. This is on a Toshiba Satellite A105

[Robbie G (robbie-cartwood-nee-grimwood)]

Thanks Jan Groenewald for the x-referencing and workaround suggestions however this really needs to be fixed upstream so that it does not appear in the relases of Ubuntu.

Threads 363958 & 575978 reference only the font size / login screen issue (Not sure about 706788) and temporary workarounds were suggested.

Threads 235214, 3609621 and bug 141001 reference issues with large fonts appearing in gnome window titles AND the login screen. I previously experienced both.

The issue with the large fonts in the window titles has been resolved (bug 141001) - thanks to all involved.

However... It is now apparent that there were 2 separate issues here as the login font issue remains. For clarity I attach a screenshot of the login font issue that remains (this is unashamedly copied from a January 2007 post which shows the problems been around for a while!).

[Robbie G (robbie-cartwood-nee-grimwood)]

This login screen problem is *still* present in an Intrepid Ibex Alpha6 clean install.

This really does need to be addressed !

[bp (badpazzword)]

I got this again in a Xubuntu 8.0.4 live CD. I am pretty sure the problem is DPI related, as setting the DPI (changing wasn't required) did restore normal font size for applications started after the change.

However, killing X did no good, as the DPI setting got "forgotten."

[bp (badpazzword)]

Reassigning this bug to xorg. However this may not be correct.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automated message]

Hi badpazzword,

Thanks for including an image to demonstrate the issue. Could you also please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[Eduardo Leiva (eleiva)]

Section "Screen"
       Identifier "Default Screen"
       Monitor "Configured Monitor"
       Device "Configured Video Device"
       Defaultdepth 24
       SubSecton "Display"
              Depth 24
              Virtual 1024 768

Does the job

[Dick Franks (rlfranks1)]

I initially had this problem with Ubuntu 7.8 and again with Ubuntu 8.4 on a Toshiba Satellite A105. I only notice it on the log in screen. It went away with Ubuntu 8.10 (again on the Toshiba Satellite. I haven't noticed it only any other system.)

[Eduardo Leiva (eleiva)]

post your xorg.conf please

On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 7:07 PM, Dick Franks <email address hidden> wrote:

> I initially had this problem with Ubuntu 7.8 and again with Ubuntu 8.4
> on a Toshiba Satellite A105. I only notice it on the log in screen. It
> went away with Ubuntu 8.10 (again on the Toshiba Satellite. I haven't
> noticed it only any other system.)
>
> --
> Fonts in the GNOME login screen are disproportionately big
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/180881
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
Eduardo Leiva

[Robbie G (robbie-cartwood-nee-grimwood)]

Jaunty alpha 2 still has this large font issue.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

I've written up a troubleshooting page for large font issues:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/HugeFonts

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

As documented in the previous link, these issues generally occur because of a fault in the monitor; in most such cases, the monitor will produce inaccurate EDID information. So the next step for this bug is to examine the edid - see the above link for how to collect this.

[Paul Dufresne (paulduf)]

Badpazzword, please attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log to these bug.
Same thing for others with crazy huge (or insanely tiny) system font sizes.

I'll take a look at the reported monitor size, and model.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.