7
November
2022
Screen scaling in Linux LXLE. Setting up keyboard and clock layout switching
16:47

Screen scaling in Linux LXLE. Setting up keyboard and clock layout switching

7 November 2022 16:47

An article about setting up the Linux LXLE (Lubuntu Extra Life Extension) desktop shell.

On a small 13'-14' netbook screen it is quite difficult to fit an application program interface while keeping the text readable. To do this, there is a setting for scaling the image on the screen. Also, immediately after installation, you need to add a keyboard layout for the national language and configure the time display in accordance with the accepted format.

Contents:

  1. Screen scaling in LXLE
  2. LXLE keyboard layout switch
  3. Setting the clock format
  4. Change time zone

1. Screen scaling in LXLE

In the LXLE shell, the scaling setting is set for each user separately.
I did not find a graphical tool for changing the scale. Maybe I didn't search well.
Changing scaling in LXLE using a configuration file .Xresources:

1) Open PCManFM Explorer (accessible through the Quick Launch Programs menu next to the Start button on the Desktop).

desktop0

2) In the PCManFM menu, enable the display of hidden files:
"View" - "Show hidden files":
desktop1
desktop2

3) Find the file .Xresources in the user's home folder.

desktop3

4) Open it by double clicking to edit it.

desktop4

5) Add a parameter at the end of the file:

Xft.dpi: 120

desktop5

Where the number 120 means scale.
72 - 25% smaller,
77 - 20% smaller,
96 - default,
115 - 20% larger,
120 - 25% larger.

For hardware Klog and screen resolution 1024x600, the optimal parameter value is Xft.dpi: 80.

6) save the changes to the file (File - Save (Ctrl+S))

7) Log out of the current session:Start - Shutdown - Exit
and log back into the user session.

To temporarily change the scaling, you can use Xorg's built-in tools:
xrandr | grep connected | grep -v disconnected | awk '{print $1}'
xrandr --output VGA1 --scale 0.8x0.8
xrandr --output VGA1 --scale 1.2x1.2

2. Setting up switching LXLE keyboard layout

The layout is configured using the element "Keyboard layout handler",
which must first be added to the system panel.

1) Open the system panel parameters using the right mouse button.

In the context menu, select the item "Add/remove panel elements".
nastr1

2) A window will open with a table listing the panel elements. Press the button "Add":
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3) Choose "Keyboard layout handler"
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4) On the right side press the button "Options".
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5) At first the parameters are locked using a lock "Save system layouts".
Uncheck this box.
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7) Now all keyboard and layout options are available for change.
Press the button "Add".
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8) A form will open with a list of available languages.
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9) Find your keyboard language and press "OK".
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We have successfully added a second keyboard layout - for the national language.

10) Use the switch to change the icon - country flag to text.
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At the bottom, click the button to configure hot keys for switching keyboard layouts.

11) Set hotkeys - Ctrl+Shift and/or Alt+Shift
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12) If you are using a laptop, at the top of the window click the button next to the inscription "Keyboard model",
to change the keyboard model pc105 to another.
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13) For a laptop: specify the keyboard model by selecting it from the list. For example ASUS Laptop.
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14) Press the buttons "OK" and "Close".

Pay attention to the system panel: it has changed its appearance - a keyboard layout switch has appeared in the right corner.
(In this example, switch from US to RU and vice versa).
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Switching layouts - using the keys specified in step 11, for example, Alt+Shift.

3. Setting the clock time format

After installing the system, the time is displayed on the taskbar in the wrong format. For example, instead of 17 o'clock it says 05, which is due to the incorrect indication of the mask in the clock parameters. Setting the clock format - see below:

1) Right-click on the clock in the central part of the system tray - item "Set up Digital Clock"

2) Specify the clock format %H:%M:%S
time6

3) Now the clock displays the time in the correct format:
time7

4. If necessary, change the date and time zone

1) Double click on the clock (left mouse button).

In the window "Date and Time Settings" press the unlock button "Unlock":
time1

3) Enter the user password to perform administrative actions.
time2

4) In the first item “Time zone” you can change the time zone.
time4

5) In the second item “Configuration” you can disable or enable time synchronization with servers on the Internet using the NTP protocol.

When time and date synchronization is disabled, you can set a different date and time:
time3

To have your computer clock automatically synchronized over the Internet, leave the default value:
"Synchronize time with Internet servers".



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