VSCode: Graphical Bugs With Scaling On Ubuntu 25.10

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Hey guys! Having trouble with VSCode and screen scaling on Ubuntu 25.10? You're not alone! This article dives into a peculiar bug that can make VSCode almost unusable when scaling is enabled, especially when juggling between different screen resolutions. Let's break down the issue, explore the symptoms, and see what might be causing this frustrating problem.

The Scaling Bug: A Deep Dive

The graphical lock-out bug seems to surface specifically when screen scaling is cranked up, like to 125%. The real fun begins when you drag your VSCode window from, say, your laptop screen (rocking that 125% scaling) to an external monitor set at 100%. Suddenly, it feels like half the UI is playing hard to get. This is a major issue that needs addressing for a smoother user experience. Understanding the intricacies of how VSCode interacts with the operating system's scaling features is crucial for identifying the root cause of the problem. The symptoms described, such as unresponsive UI elements and partially working menus, suggest that the application is not correctly interpreting the scaling factors, leading to misaligned hitboxes and rendering issues. This could be due to a variety of factors, including bugs in VSCode's rendering engine, inconsistencies in how different desktop environments handle scaling, or even driver-related problems that affect how the graphics card interacts with the display. Further investigation would involve analyzing VSCode's rendering pipeline, examining the system's scaling configuration, and potentially profiling the application's performance to identify any bottlenecks or errors that occur when scaling is enabled. Additionally, testing with different graphics cards and display configurations could help narrow down the scope of the issue and determine whether it is specific to certain hardware setups. Ultimately, resolving this bug would require a collaborative effort between VSCode developers, operating system maintainers, and graphics driver vendors to ensure that applications can seamlessly adapt to different scaling factors without compromising usability.

Symptoms of the Bug

So, what exactly happens when this bug kicks in? Here’s a rundown:

  • Unresponsive UI: Almost nothing in VSCode seems clickable or interactable. Imagine trying to click a button and nothing happens – super annoying, right?
  • Alert Issues: Those handy VSCode alerts? Forget about interacting with them. They just sit there, taunting you.
  • Copilot Chat Problems: The Copilot Chat section, your AI coding buddy, becomes completely unresponsive. No chatting, no help, just silence.
  • Menu Hiccups: The file menu works... sort of. Only the top two-thirds are actually functional. Talk about a partial menu!

The problems typically disappear when you revert back to 100% scaling. But who wants to squint at tiny text all day?

The Culprit: Scaling and Resolution Changes

The main suspect here is the combination of screen scaling and changes in resolution when moving VSCode between displays. When you drag VSCode from a screen with 125% scaling to one with 100%, something gets lost in translation. VSCode seems to struggle to adjust its UI elements properly, leading to the interaction issues we've discussed. It's like the application's brain gets scrambled when it tries to reconcile the different scaling factors. This issue highlights the complexities of supporting multiple display configurations and the challenges of ensuring a consistent user experience across different devices. The root cause may lie in the way VSCode handles DPI (dots per inch) awareness, which is a crucial aspect of scaling. If VSCode is not correctly detecting or adapting to the DPI of each display, it can result in misaligned UI elements and unresponsive controls. Another potential factor could be the rendering technology used by VSCode, such as Electron, which may have its own limitations or bugs related to scaling. Further investigation would involve examining the code responsible for handling DPI changes and rendering the UI, as well as testing with different Electron versions to see if the issue persists. Additionally, it's important to consider the role of the operating system in managing display settings and providing the necessary information to applications. Inconsistencies or bugs in the OS's scaling implementation could also contribute to the problem. Resolving this issue would require a comprehensive approach that addresses all potential sources of error and ensures that VSCode can seamlessly adapt to different display configurations without compromising usability.

System Details

To help nail down what's going on, here’s the system info:

  • VS Code Version: Code 1.105.0 (03c265b1adee71ac88f833e065f7bb956b60550a, 2025-10-08T14:09:35.891Z)
  • OS Version: Linux x64 6.17.0-5-generic
  • CPUs: 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900H (20 x 399)
  • GPU Status: (A bunch of stuff disabled, likely related to the issue)
  • Memory: 61.22GB (plenty of headroom)
  • Desktop Environment: Ubuntu with Unity and Wayland

Extension Information

These extensions were installed:

  • Copilot: Git|1.372.0
  • Copilot Chat: Git|0.32.0

Potential Conflicts with Extensions

While the core issue appears to be related to scaling, it's worth considering whether the installed extensions, particularly Copilot and Copilot Chat, could be exacerbating the problem. Extensions can sometimes introduce unexpected behavior or conflicts with the host application, especially when they interact with the UI or modify the way VSCode renders elements. In this case, it's possible that the Copilot extensions are interfering with the scaling logic or causing rendering issues that become more noticeable when scaling is enabled. To investigate this possibility, it would be helpful to disable the extensions temporarily and see if the issue persists. If the problem disappears when the extensions are disabled, it would indicate that they are indeed contributing to the bug. Further investigation would then involve analyzing the extensions' code to identify any potential conflicts or errors that could be causing the issue. It's also possible that the extensions are relying on outdated or incompatible APIs, which could lead to unexpected behavior when VSCode is scaled. In addition to Copilot, it's important to consider other installed extensions as well, as they could also be contributing to the problem. A systematic approach of disabling extensions one by one and testing for the issue can help narrow down the list of potential culprits. Ultimately, resolving this issue may require updating the extensions to ensure compatibility with the latest VSCode version and addressing any potential conflicts with the scaling logic.

A/B Experiments

A/B experiments currently running, which may or may not be relevant.

Possible Causes and Solutions

Okay, so what could be causing this mess, and how can we fix it? Here are some ideas:

  1. VSCode's DPI Awareness: VSCode might not be correctly detecting the DPI (dots per inch) of each screen. This could lead to misaligned UI elements.
  2. Electron Issues: VSCode is built on Electron, which sometimes has its own quirks with scaling. An outdated Electron version could be the culprit.
  3. Driver Problems: Your graphics drivers might not be playing nice with the scaling settings. Outdated or buggy drivers can cause all sorts of display issues.
  4. Extension Conflicts: Though less likely, extensions could be interfering with the UI rendering.

Potential Solutions

Here's a few things that might help:

  • Update VSCode: Make sure you're running the latest version of VSCode. Updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements.
  • Update Graphics Drivers: Head to your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and grab the latest drivers.
  • Disable Hardware Acceleration: In VSCode settings, try disabling hardware acceleration. This can sometimes resolve rendering issues.
  • Tinker with Electron Flags: You can try launching VSCode with different Electron flags to see if they improve scaling. (This is more of an advanced fix).
  • Check Ubuntu's Scaling Settings: Ensure that Ubuntu's display settings are correctly configured for each monitor.

Diving Deeper into Graphics Driver Issues

Graphics driver issues are a common source of display-related problems, and they could very well be contributing to the scaling bug in VSCode. Outdated or buggy drivers can cause a wide range of issues, including incorrect scaling, rendering artifacts, and even crashes. When VSCode is running on a system with a faulty graphics driver, it may not be able to correctly interpret the display's DPI settings or render the UI elements at the appropriate size. This can lead to misaligned elements, unresponsive controls, and other visual glitches that make the application difficult to use. To address this issue, it's crucial to ensure that you have the latest graphics drivers installed. You can typically download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website, such as NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. When installing new drivers, it's recommended to perform a clean installation to remove any remnants of previous drivers that could be causing conflicts. In addition to updating the drivers, you can also try adjusting the graphics settings to see if it improves the scaling behavior. For example, you can try disabling certain features, such as anti-aliasing or anisotropic filtering, to reduce the load on the graphics card and see if it makes a difference. It's also worth checking the compatibility of the graphics card with the operating system and VSCode. If the graphics card is too old or doesn't meet the minimum requirements, it may not be able to handle the scaling properly. In such cases, upgrading to a newer graphics card may be necessary to resolve the issue.

Final Thoughts

This scaling issue in VSCode on Ubuntu 25.10 is definitely a headache, but hopefully, this breakdown helps you understand what's going on and gives you some steps to try and fix it. Keep an eye out for updates to VSCode, your graphics drivers, and even Ubuntu itself, as these updates often contain fixes for bugs like this. Happy coding, and may your UI always be interactable!