X-Windows screens, scaling, and font sizes

[bhorne at banet.net (Bill Horne)]

I was just thinking about X-Windows and fonts, and I hope someone else
has done what I'd like to do.

The default X-Windows setup (in Gnome) uses my full screen resolution,
and although I like using the full capability of the machine, I can't
see the resulting small print.  I'm looking for a way to solve several
problems at once:  I want to match logical to virtual desktop sizes,
adjust bitmaps, and compensate for scaling:  all automatically.

In other words, I want to switch resolutions (via Cntl-Alt-plus, for
example), and have the resulting desktop STAY EXACTLY THE SAME in terms
of how much physical CRT space it takes up, while the fonts, bitmaps,
etc., scale to match the new resolution, so that (for example) a
"Courier 12" font is still 12 characters per inch no matter what
resolution I'm using.

Now, of course I can change the font used by the application:  but
that's only for that one program, and in any case it doesn't affect the
menus, which still appear in small type.

Of course, I can change the resolution X-Windows uses, but I find the
"virtual" desktop very disorienting, with the windows sliding over the
edges, and although I know I could 'lock' the desktop to the lower (e.g.
640x480) resolution, and thus match the actual/virtual sizes,  I'm loath
to give up the higher capability if I don't have to.

Is there a solution to this problem?  I hope I've explained it clearly,
but feel free to say so if I didn't.

TIA.

Bill Horne

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