Enlarge the font sizes of the boot process - both GRUB & after GRUB (tty)

[handy]

This morning I got around to enlarging the fonts of the GRUB menu (same method as other non-Debian based distros that I've used), followed by the console font that kicks in after the kernel modules are loaded (KMS). I'll go through each of the two processes below:

1.) This is how you do the GRUB fonts (for those of us that don't use a GUI program to do it for us ):

This one requires you to choose a font that you like (mono fonts are easiest to read). For my 1080p display I choose the DejaVuSansMono20 , here is the command line that creates this font in a GRUB compatible format, in the size that you have chosen & places it in what can be a newly created /boot/grub/fonts directory, though this directory exists already in antiX at least (its a long one line command):

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 sudo grub-mkfont --output=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono20.pf2 \ --size=20 /usr/share/fonts/TTF/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttf

On using the above command in the CLI you will get an error - IGNORE the error. :)

Then we need to open the /etc/default/grub file in our text editor as root (use sudo) & add the following line (or lines, if your memory is as bad as mine):

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 ##==========================_HANDY_================
 # More readable font on high dpi screen, generated with the following
 # 2 lines on ONE line, terminal command (ignore the error messages it works!:
 # sudo grub-mkfont --output=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono20.pf2 \
 #    --size=20 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttf
 ##==================================================
 
 GRUB_FONT=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono20.pf2

Save the edited file & then enter the following at the Terminal prompt:

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 sudo update-grub

Having done that, if you reboot the GRUB menu will be bigger & so will a shortish portion of the boot process, up until the GPU driver kernel module is loaded (KMS), where you'll go back to the default console font.
__________________________________

2.) Now we can use a second process to enlarge the console font, which has the effect of making the text in the boot process that is shown after GRUB (& after the KMS font size change has kicked in) larger & easier to read on higher res' displays.

This process is quite a bit quicker & simpler than it is on Arch systems (I only learned about this "Debian" way, today - the day I wrote this ):

To resize the font used on the boot messages/console we need to configure the font on tty console with the following command:

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sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup

Move your way through the requester (it will make sense when you see it) leave all settings as they are but when you get offered the opportunity to change the font, choose a font type, as you need to do that so as to be offered a requester where you can chose the size. On my 1080p res' display I went for the largest size & it is fine, as in it is not too big. You can use trial & error with this one if needs be.

That's it, as simple as that. :D

You have to of course reboot to make it work... :)

[Jerry3904]

Thanks, nice how-to

[asqwerth]

Nice, handy.

I always wondered about the font change partway through the boot up.

Your tutorial explained why that happened very well.

[handy]

Thanks guys. :)

I wasn't sure whether my post was just a repeat of stuff that was already here or not, so I appreciate the feedback. It is unfortunately too easy to not be able to find info' in a forum (especially as the amount of content it holds keeps on growing). That is why I like wikis. It is just a pain that you need to get enough people to use the things instead of just posting the same old questions over & over again in forums. Also, getting people to contribute content, & then there's the maintenance over time... as time goes by things go out of date & people move on to other distros/OS's...

[Jerry3904]

I intend to move this to the Wiki, just wanted to see user feedback first.

[handy]

Cool. Jerry I'll post some other stuff that may be of use for the wiki, see how it goes. No ego in it, use whatever you think is suitable.

[Jerry3904]

That would really be awesome, it gets lonely in there...

[Richard]

I tried the 2nd part, config the console font, which worked as expected.
Thanks for another how-to.

[handy]

That would really be awesome, it gets lonely in there...

I understand that one, been in that lonely place on the Manjaro wiki myself. Lately there looks to be a bit more going on over there than there had been, but after ~ 5 years or so contributing to that wiki I've moved on (have been for a while now). I of course wish them the best of luck with it & do still participate in their forum in a very minor way.

@Richard, glad to hear it worked for you. :)

[markwiering]

Hello there,

The font size of GRUB is fine for me; I followed your second step instead.
I ran

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sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup

and then I press Next until I could modify the font size.
Here, the largest I can go with is 16x32, which is already a very small font. Why is this the largest font I can choose?

Isn't there any other way to increase the font of the tty terminal screen?