Visual graphical artefacts on a debian minimal qube

User Support General
1

On a ThinkpadX220 laptop, I have a TempateVM which is a debian-11-minimal clone. On that, I have started an AppVM for practicing zshell.

Here’s the setup script for the AppVM, so that you can see the packages added to the minimal template:

qvm-clone debian-11-minimal d11m-zsh

packs="qubes-core-agent-networking pciutils psmisc xfonts-terminus vim man doas rxvt-unicode zsh"

qvm-run --pass-io -u root d11m-zsh "apt install -y ${packs}"
qvm-run --pass-io -u root d11m-zsh 'echo "permit nopass user as root" > /etc/doas.conf'

qvm-run --pass-io -u root d11m-zsh 'dpkg-reconfigure locales'

qvm-shutdown d11m-zsh

qvm-create --label=blue --template=d11m-zsh zsh-practice

My .Xresources file is basically the same as the one example given in the qubes os docs:

I just added a line for dpi scaling:
Xft.dpi: 96

Here are the pictures of the artefacts:

IMG_20220907_154558_699
IMG_20220907_154558_6991920×1440 197 KB

IMG_20220906_173303_354
IMG_20220906_173303_3541920×1440 351 KB

You can see that there are rendering (?) bugs with the fonts. That is, the file name fonts are not fully displayed, they seem to cut at the left-most side.

My hunch with the solution is that I should have the Xresources file preprocessed at the boot time for the AppVM. This is what the rxvt configuration doc is saying.

On the TemplateVM, I have created the /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt file and I also have created the file /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/urxvt.sh as instructed on the bottom of the doc. And filled that file with:

#!/bin/sh

[ -r /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt ] && xrdb -merge /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt

However the doc doesn’t mention getting that /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt file executable (i.e., chmod +x), Should that be made executable? Otherwise, the Xresources.urxvt file isn’t affecting my terminal. How can I be sure that that my Xresources.urxvt is getting sourced?

Or any other suggestions to resolve these visual artefacts?

2

Bump. I want to use Qubes as my daily-driver. So, fixing this visual glitch would be nice.

Edit: The following script doesn’t seem to be executed when starting the AppVM:

From the rxvt configuration guide:

Then create script to automatically merge those to xrdb. File /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/urxvt.sh :

#!/bin/sh

[ -r /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt ] && xrdb -merge /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt

I don’t think the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/urxvt.sh script is getting activated, since the AppVM’s terminal is still the default fonts and colors.
How to get it activated during AppVM startup?

Edit 2: I tried adding the if-clause

if [ -r /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt ] ; then
    xrdb -merge /etc/X11/Xresources.urxvt
fi

to the bottom of the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc file. However, the Xresources.urxvt file stil having NO effect. Why is that? Isn’t the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc file being executed whenever the AppVM starts? Should I add the aforementioned if-clause to my ~/.profile file?

3

Hey, since yesterday I’ve been having the same exact problem on all my Qubes, dom0 included

4

Sorry to hear that. However, I am not having this problem on my dom0. I am having this in a debian-11-minimal qube with Xresources modifications. I mean, running with the default fonts do not cause the above-mentioned (and screenshotted) problems.

5

I feel like this is a problem with minimal debian’s font settings. This hunch of mine is due to the fact that the normal debian-11 terminal doesn’t have these visual artefacts.

However, I am STILL looking for the suggestions to solve this from the QubesOS community.

Edit: Also, this error happens with the “terminus” font settings. It doesn’t occur with the default fonts of the debian-11-minimal.

Edit 2: Another edit: the visual artefacts problem seem to stem from urxvt, too. Xterm doesn’t have such artefacts.

So, at this point, I am leaning on the hypothesis that the urxvt and the terminus fonts are having some incompatibility issues?

6

Update: I gave up on fixing this issue. So, I am now using Xterm + DejaVu Sans Mono fonts, which doesn’t have such artefacts on a minimal debian install.