HOWTO: Install the best screen magnifier - xlupe

Vernon · 2020-07-27 00:05:35

Xlupe is a screen magnifier that starts magnifying the screen as soon as it is invoked and has a slider bar to easily change magnifications. Xlupe has two modes available. In mode one, it follows the mouse and displays everything that is under it. This is the default mode. In the other mode it displays a static area. You can enter this mode by clicking into the display window and dragging the appearing rectangle to the desired region. You stop/return to mode one by pressing the right mouse button. If you have a display with different visuals and want to zoom an area in a window not laying in the default visual, you will find the "jump" option very handy. Just press the button and click on the appropriate window.
xlupe window

Since xlupe is not packaged, we need to build it from source at least until maybe Head_on_a_Stick graciously packages it .

Install the needed build packages

As root, issue the following command.

apt-get install build-essential libx11-dev xutils-dev xaw3dg-dev libxaw7-dev

Get the source code

wget https://web.archive.org/web/20070518221826/http://core.de/~coto/projects/xlupe/xlupe-1.1.tar.gz

Extract the source code

tar -xvzf xlupe-1.1.tar.gz

Build the source code

cd xlupe-1.1

Modify the Imakefile to build with the nicer looking 3d Athena Widgets library instead of the basic Athena Widgets.

sed -i '7s/.*/LOCAL_LIBRARIES = -lXaw3d XawClientLibs -lXmu -lXpm -lm/' Imakefile

Generate the Makefile with the following command.

xmkmf

Compile and link xlupe by issuing the following command.

make

Install xlupe on your system

mv xlupe /usr/local/bin/

Add xlupe to your LXQt Desktop

The following was tested with a clean Devuan Beowulf installation with the LXQt desktop. In theory, this should work with XFCE as well. As root, use your favorite text editor to create text file /usr/share/applications/xlupe.desktop with the following contents.

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Screen Magnifier
Exec=xlupe
Icon=system-search
Categories=Utility;

You should now have an entry named Screen Magnifier in your Accessories menu.

Thanks to the author of xlupe, Thomas Runge whose archived home page is here

Last edited by Vernon (2020-07-27 01:49:47)

HevyDevy · 2020-07-27 15:49:30

vmg is in the debian repos, is xlupe a better option ?

https://blends.debian.org/accessibility/tasks/mag

Head_on_a_Stick · 2020-07-27 17:26:44

Vernon wrote:

we need to build it from source at least until maybe Head_on_a_Stick graciously packages it

Perhaps the next time I boot into Debian but I'm enjoying my new OpenBSD box too much atm.

Here's the packaging guide I use: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debmake-doc/

For xlupe it should be fairly simple, just download the source tarball and rename it to xlupe_1.1.orig.tar.gz then unpack it and

# apt install build-essential devscripts
export DEBEMAIL="your.email@email.com"
export DEBFULLNAME="Vernon Surname_goes_here"
cd xlupe-1.1
debmake

The debmake command will create a basic debian directory with template files that can be filled in.

To apply your suggested changes just run the sed command in the source directory then use this command to generate a patch:

dpkg-source --commit

debian/control is for listing the (build-)dependencies, package name, source URL and a few other details.

debian/rules is for building the package, debhelper(7) will manage most build systems automagically but to create the Makefile for Xlupe you may have to add this line:

override_dh_auto_configure:
        xmkhf

If the Makefile doesn't have an install target then use debian/xlupe.install, like this:

xlupe /usr/bin/
debian/xlupe.desktop /usr/share/applications/

^ The second line installs the .desktop file, which should be placed in the debian directory.

Once all of the templates are filled in then build the package with

debuild -us -uc

HTH

EDIT: install the lintian package to run checks on the .deb once it's built, it will give advice on any problems.

See also https://lintian.debian.org/tags.html

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2020-07-27 17:33:06)

Vernon · 2020-07-27 18:42:33

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Perhaps the next time I boot into Debian but I'm enjoying my new OpenBSD box too much atm.
Here's the packaging guide I use: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debmake-doc/

Thanks very much for this info. I want to get a couple more HOWTOs out before I forget what I did and then I will try out your instructions.

Vernon · 2020-07-27 18:47:13

HevyDevy wrote:

vmg is in the debian repos, is xlupe a better option ?
https://blends.debian.org/accessibility/tasks/mag

Yes . For example, xlupe has a nice slider bar to easily change magnifications. Once you select a window with the jump feature, it will be magnified even if it is obscured by another window.

Did you build xlupe as per my instructions and decide you like vmg better? If so, why?

golinux · 2020-07-27 20:15:46

Vernon wrote:

Yes . For example, xlupe has a nice slider bar to easily change magnifications.

Isn't that what the scroll wheel is for? Why go fumbling about for a slider . . .

Vernon · 2020-07-27 21:13:19

golinux wrote:

Vernon wrote:
Yes . For example, xlupe has a nice slider bar to easily change magnifications.
Isn't that what the scroll wheel is for? Why go fumbling about for a slider . . .

Scroll wheels are great for - scrolling. For controls, I typically find myself spinning the scroll wheel too much and overshooting. I find a slider gives me more precise control.

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#1 2020-07-27 00:05:35