@WhisperingWind is that the latest 24.04.1 LTS Ubuntu that your using ?
who can use Linux but not windows? Share your Linux setup
- Edited
jordan currently i use zorin os(based on ubuntu) which uses x11, still feel some levels of discomfort(less when using white text on black background) , but
- There are a lot of reflection in the room i use my desktop, so this could be it
* - I've read conflicting information whether the display is 8-bit or 6-bit with frc.
*
- Edited
WhisperingWind for finding the register addresses, the manual may be helpful:
For example:
Not sure if the right manual for What card. But there are similar manuals.
jordan It's working well for me on a potato PC. Intel N95, So its lightweight, definetly.
The good thing about zorin Os linux, is that it feels like windows, so if we improve eye strain for it, it could help more people, which is good.
And more people using it would mean more effort in making it even more comfortable for eyes.
- Edited
autobot I just looked it up you're right it does look similar to Windows. I quickly asked chatgpt and seems it uses gnome? I remember some people said gnome wasn't the most comfortable so maybe that could be why ? I think I may start with cbpp since it seems the most light weight. I just need to find a safe baseline with a computer so I can start trying other distros. I don't have a safe PC yet
- Edited
Yes, its gnome. Maybe its because of that.
LUbuntu can work relatively well too.
https://ledstrain.org/d/238-i-found-a-linux-distro-that-fixes-my-eyestrain-with-the-default-setup/20
I will try 18.04. I used a later version and it was pretty good.
- Edited
autobot I don't have a safe PC yet. I was going to use a arc a770 and I have that spectrum view incandescent lit monitor I was going to use soon.
Edit: I mean I do have a HP spectre x360 13" that I occasionally use ONLY with an eink display but I don't count that since I'm sure eink bypasses alot of sw/driver strain. It's Intel iris gpu and 20h2 win10
- Edited
I have tried working for two days in Linux and Windows (one day in Windows and one day in Linux) with the A770.
In Windows 11, white isn't completely white; it has a sort of golden tint, which gives a 3D effect but quickly leads to eye strain when reading. Using the Basic Microsoft Driver offers slight improvements, but it doesn't fully solve the problem. However, when watching videos on YouTube, my eyes don't get tired.
Regarding Ubuntu Linux Desktop 24.04, my eyes feel less strained when reading because the golden tint effect is less pronounced. Watching videos on YouTube is also fine.
As I've been using macOS (with dithering disabled) as my daily driver for over 10 years, I have compared them. Linux is closer to macOS in terms of comfortable white color display and screen reading. However, there's still room for improvement; while I don't feel any strain with a macOS, I do feel slight tension with Linux, which currently prevents me from using Linux fully for 8 hours a day, five days a week.
In Windows 11, my eyes get very tired after 30-40 minutes of reading text, leading to brain fog. So, I can't work in Windows 11 fully yet. The standard A770 driver seemed slightly worse to me than the usual Intel UHD (which can be installed by force, even if the system warns about incompatibility, but it works). During experiments with "non-native" drivers, I noticed occasional flickering in YouTube videos, but it quickly passed.
I plan to try Windows 10, but probably only by the end of next week.
- Edited
WhisperingWind wow thanks for the update! Do you think a Linux distro not using gnome could make it more comfortable? Something that is basic like x11 + openbox? Also how did you force the uhd driver? Do you think a uhd driver would install on 1507/1511 win10? Supposedly those have zero os strain.
I thought macos wasn't the greatest nowadays? Which version and which Mac/specs? Thanks!
- Edited
I was unable to switch the A770 to 6-bit mode in Windows. The standard registers don't work. I went through a couple of dozen port addresses from the driver code, but nothing helps. No progress here yet.
- Edited
Do you think a Linux distro not using gnome could make it more comfortable?
I spent a lot of time with Linux in 2009-2013, but since then I returned to it a couple of months ago and have only tried Manjaro XFCE and Ubuntu Gnome. It's hard for me to compare them since it was on different hardware. But they feel roughly the same.
Something that is basic like x11 + openbox?
I haven't had the chance to try Openbox yet, but based on my experience, window managers typically don't manage rendering, and dithering usually isn't dependent on them. You need to check which library is used as the renderer, as it is responsible for turning everything into an 'image' and is usually where the chain of requests for enabling dithering begins. In Ubuntu Gnome, the renderer is Clutter.
- Edited
I thought macos wasn't the greatest nowadays? Which version and which Mac/specs?
I have an MBP M1 (16 Gb RAM, 1 Tb SSD, Sonoma 14.1.2). I use it with a Benq GL2450 monitor (TN 6bit+FRC). So far, this is the best setup I have. I've tried other monitors, such as the GIGABYTE G27Q, BenQ BL2711U, etc. But I can't work with them for long. I also have my old Mac Mini 2018 (i5 8400) connected to a Sony KD-49XG8096 TV, and this setup is also very comfortable. But recently, I bought an MBP M1 Max and sold it almost immediately because I couldn't work with it.
Do you think a uhd driver would install on 1507/1511 win10?
I'll try next week.
- Edited
WhisperingWind gotcha okay!
WhisperingWind
I'm shocked the mbp is fine. Do you use stillcolor app? The frc doesn't bother you on that monitor but GPU dithering does?
Sounds good! Would love to know if it's possible. I connected my a770 to my z390 strix itx board but it had no output during OS setup so I connected to the igpu on the 8700 i7 which felt uncomfortable when connected to my eink monitor. I tried win11 setup and crunchbang++ and both felt off during setups. I think I am going to go back to my 7950x / msi b650 unify itx which felt comfortable on its Raphael amd igpu. How would I force 8bit with the AMD igpu in Linux? Or would that xrandr command you told me earlier also work on this? Might even try the arc on this board too.
I think the motherboard/bios strain is definitely a thing because x670e on the same 7950x igpu felt AWFUL when the b650 unify itx / 7950x is fine. That was in the BIOS where I noticed the substantial difference in comfort. Also on the b650 unify board is felt comfortable booted into HiveOS distro when I was using it to mine crypto. I believe it uses open box / x11?
I'm thinking this z390 board also is just no good. I tried manually flashing a OLD bios but it wouldn't boot, assuming it lacked microcode for the 8700. Earliest is 2019 that worked, maybe if I had a compatible CPU for the 2018ver it maybe would be better ? Dunno. I used the cha341a in pic to force bios downgrade 
WhisperingWind also if 1507/1511 doesn't work I think the next good one would be 1809 win10. I know 20h2 is the minimum for arc driver but hopefully uhd driver install could allow older os 
WhisperingWind such as the GIGABYTE G27Q
this monitor has same panel as my xiaomi mi 27 2k which I sold week ago. Panel is M270DAN02.B with agressive vcom - look how it "refresh pixels"
I read in a few places here that LUbuntu 18.04 is best for eye strain.
Another thing that could be done, is to disable the gpu and use software rendering.
This may be done by using the vesa driver, which uses software rendering, and bypasses most of the gpu(but not sure if all of it).
I also wonder if changing configuration files can be done on a live usb, and that way, its possible to try similar configuration changes on different distros, fast.