Feature Request: Allow UI Interface Zooming in Preferences Topic is solved

[marigold]

I use a 2k resolution non-Apple monitor with my Mac Mini and when it is set to a high resolution macOS makes the text of many application UI (like PaleMoon and Epyrus) too small. A workaround I found from this forum for PaleMoon and Epyrus is to set layout.css.devPixelsPerPx to 1.0 (or higher - I use 1.75) in about:config. So far it doesn't appear to break anything and PaleMoon and Epyrus are so much easier to use with this setting enabled and set. Perhaps this feature can be included in the Preferences pane itself for macOS users?

[Moonchild]

It's up to Athenian, of course, to add this or not, but here's my 2¢ about this. I don't see this common enough to be included in the preferences (and it's not present in Pale Moon's prefs either for that reason). By default, UXP applications will follow the device pixel size as set in the system (overall UI scale) with the setting of -1.0 for that pref. It's assumed users want UI scaling to be consistent (so if the UI is too small in applications, one would change the system scaling for all applications, not just one).

[marigold]

By default, UXP applications will follow the device pixel size as set in the system ... It's assumed users want UI scaling to be consistent (so if the UI is too small in applications, one would change the system scaling for all applications, not just one).

Yes, you are correct.

The issue though with Apple is that if you use a non-Apple display with a Mac, macOS doesn't enable optimal UI scaling. So if you choose a high-resolution you are stuck with everything being tiny and if you choose low resolution everything will be bigger but fuzzy and not clear. A Guide for Creating Scaled Resolutions in MacOS explains this better with a convoluted hack to enable proper scaling on macOS for non-Apple monitors. With M1 Macs, Apple now reserves Retina or HiDPI display scaling options for monitors with at least 4K resolution (This M1 Mac display hack is a must for 1440p monitors).

If you search online for "macOS 2k resolution" or "macOS enable HiDPI" you'll find this is a common issue that many mac users face. The addition of the feature requested in Epyrus and PaleMoon (atleast for macOS) will allow us to use these apps on macOS comfortably, at high resolution, without needing to use these convoluted hacks.

The following screenshot of PaleMoon on macOS illustrates how PaleMoon looks on non-Apple display with no UI scaling (the macOS default) PaleMoon without XUL Scaling on 2k Resolution vs how its usability increases when XUL UI scaling is set PaleMoon with XUL Scaling on same 2k Resolution.

[Moonchild]

I think the (very) few people who already need to apply a convoluted hack for their choice of display can also include an about:config entry to fix it at application level for Epyrus.

[BenFenner]

Apple gunna Apple.

How dare you step out of their peripheral walled garden.

[JoeyG]

There's an add-on called "Theme Tweaker" that I think addresses your issue.

It's listed on the Epyrus Add-Ons page https://addons.epyrus.org/addon/theme-tweaker/.

I've installed it - apparently successfully - on the latest version of Epyrus on Windows 7 Pro x64. However, I can't get it to function at all, although the Epyrus Add-ons Manager indicates it's installed.

I have no idea whether it works on non-Windows installations.

Off-topic:
I know the OP is talking about the UI, but I'm just wondering whether Ctrl + scroll wheel works on Macs, too, to change the text size. I did a fast web search and found a wide range of comments, a lot of which were contradictory.

[athenian200]

Well, if it already has a pref, it would be easy enough to add the feature. This might actually be something I can do... honestly, most of the features people ask for are things that I don't really know how to do yet.

Though in the meantime, I should point out that I already added a feature to make "about:preferences" more accessible in Epyrus precisely because I find myself needing to tweak those all the time and wanting to be able to check the real value. If you click on the big orange button and just go to "Config Editor," there should be a shortcut straight to the preferences without having to take the longer route through the Options->Options->Advanced->Config Editor dialog.

[marigold]

I think the (very) few people who already need to apply a convoluted hack for their choice of display can also include an about:config entry to fix it at application level for Epyrus.

If they know about it. I found this setting by sheer luck (don't even remember where - I think in WhiteStar's forum?). If I hadn't found it, I would definitely have stopped using PaleMoon (and now Epyrus). (And I wasn't clear - I don't use those convoluted monitor hacks with my Mac for various reasons. If I did, I wouldn't have to resort to using this config in PM.)

But, I understand your reasoning too and appreciate the clarification.