(Copypasting this from the mailing list since nobody replied there)
I have more computers than keyboards so I use a KVM. I have this Debian computer that always switches back to 1024x768 whenever the KVM returns control to it. It’s not a game breaking bug but it does get more annoying as more of my systems become “infected”.
Ever since I updated my Qubes computer to 4.2, it has been doing the same thing. I keep finding myself wondering why everything looks so big then I remember I have to change the resolution back lol. With Qubes specifically, this only happens when resuming from screen lock. If I come back to Qubes before the screen locks, then the resolution remains fine.
This didn’t happen in 4.0, and I’m guessing it could be related to xfce since both systems are running that now. Anyone here know a fix (without changing xfce)?
This is not Qubes specific, but it’s an absolutely miserable misfeature in every Linux distro I use.
step 1. set screen resolution to desired geometry.
step 2. save configuration
step 3. repeat steps #1 & #2 endlessly, because if there is a way to make a screen resolution stick, I’m not smart enough to find it.
If you Google seeking information about where the configuration file lives you will plunge into an endless nightmare of absolute junk that dates back to VESA frame buffer days.
If you decide you want to work at it and see if you can make the change stick, the help function will come to live not knowing anything about which browsers are available. If you mistakenly enter the browser command without the full path, the help will fail to run but the app WILL stash that bit of config. If you restart, it won’t remember what resolution you wanted, but it will darned sure NOT let you fix the help.
So yeah, if asked to show the most dysfunctional thing ever in Linux, this is hands down where I’d come.
I really understand you and how you feel by writing these comments. I’ve been using QubeOS for about six months, during which time I wanted to delete it 2 times =)
I was very angry, angry at everyone, at the forum, at the support, at the users of this operating system, for obvious reasons.
Over time, I came to the conclusion that this operating system is not for everyone, it is very difficult for me, because I have used Windows all my life, I recently started learning Linux, it is very difficult for me.
But despite all the difficulties that I faced, there was always a solution, sometimes the solution lay at great depths and very often there was not enough air to get to it.
I don’t know what will happen in the future and whether I will have the patience to continue using QubeOS, but today I am very glad that I did not delete this operating system, I really like the way virtualization is organized, I like the freedom that is limited only by my knowledge, but Despite everything that has been said, it’s very difficult for me =)
Why did I answer in this thread? I read what you write and remembered what I felt at the beginning of this journey, I don’t want to offend anyone, peace to all.
This isn’t so much anger for me, I come from a different place than you. My first Linux installation was in 1995 and I’d been using other forms of Unix for nine years prior to that. I made a career change … from enterprise to service provider work back in 1998, specifically so I could get away from Microsoft.
“When I use Windows I feel as if I am bothering it.” - me
So that is annoyed, snarky advocacy, seasoned by hardware grief. There are two desktops and two laptops in this house, there are several reasons I’m using Qubes, but at the moment the three other systems being dead or dying is part of it
Linux has gotten SO much better since Redhat 3.03, so much so that my expectation is that everything is just going to work without a lot of hassles.
This is a real crossroads kinda moment for me. 98% of what I do would be just fine in 1920x1080 - I could swap this 27" 4k out for a 24" FHD, but there are times in my life where Maltego is open all day every day, and this is one of those weeks.
In closing … it would be great if this stuff would just work
In the XFCE display settings in dom0, set up the displays as you want them to be and save the profile.
In the same tab where you manage the profiles, you can toggle a switch that automatically enables profiles when displays are connected.
I have 3 displays connected, one is connected to a KVM, I only had to make a profile for the setup with 3 displays connected, I never had any issues with disconnecting a display.
I turned my monitor on to a system in 3840x1920 mode with Signal glitching. Thinking I was about to remove Qubes AGAIN and install Ubuntu Budgie 2024.4, I rebooted.
And mysteriously, nay, magically, the resolution is indeed staying at 1920x1080.
I don’t know whether to be awestruck or irritated by this.
This is truly amazing. Being able to make resolution stick, I don’t have to switch back to Budgie for the sake of productivity. The next natural step was trying to correct the deficits in 3840x1920 mode and I am amazed that I have workable settings for shell, browser, Maltego, and Qubes management tools. Fixing this stuff on Budgie the first time took me a week of horsing around, things for Qubes just fell into place.
I am going to have to wrestle the storage demon next, and I miss ZFS just typing this, but onward and upward.