Subject: Re: the thorny font problem [was Re: abiword script shouldn't add font when it already exists]
From: Bryce Nesbitt (bryce@obviously.com)
Date: Fri Jan 18 2002 - 16:02:20 CST
Bryce Nesbitt wrote:
>
> Tomas Frydrych wrote:
> >
> > > Just for the record: modifying the global unix font path on the
> > > fly while AbiWord is running means that other applications operate
> > > differently, depending if Abi is running. This is highly unusual in
> > > the Unix world.
> >
> > There is nothing wrong with modifying the path on the fly, and I
> > cannot see a way around it as long as we distribute fonts with AW;
> > obviously we will have to seriously rethink the font management in
> > the future, but any system better than the present will require a
> > drastic rewrite, and is out of the question before 1.0. Also it is
> > worth keeping in mind that these problems stem from the nature of
> > the system and services it provides and does not. If the system
> > provided decent font API that would allow both display and printing,
> > we would not have to bend backwards to get a wysiwyg behaviour.
> >
> > As for other applications being affected by AW running, if an
> > application needs to use a specific font, it should request it
> > properly, i.e., specify the foundry. If the application does not care
> > about the foundry, then the appearance of the font it gets is not
> > guaranteed on X.
> >
> > I fear at the moment anything we will do, will be seen as wrong by
> > someone -- when we distribute fonts with AW, people complain;
> > when we rename them to come at the bottom of the X list not to
> > interfere, people complain about the foundry name, should we
> > decide not to distribute fonts, people would complain that setting
> > up the fonts is too complicated.
> >
> > I must say that I am seriously tempted to resort to the latter option,
> > and instead of our fonts provide a detailed instructions on how to
> > make AW use fonts on the system; or perhaps we should have two
> > packages, for the people who want it out of the box and do not
> > want to mess with anything, and for those who do not mind having
> > to setup the fonts directory themselves.
> >
> > Tomas
>
> Installing fonts is a legitmate function of the packager.
>
> If Abi's need for font metric files is made clear to the packagers,
> I feel confident that they will take care of installing appropriate
> system fonts for use by AbiWord.
>
> I support the idea of a "final solution" to this problem as:
> 1) Distribute no fonts with AbiWord.
> 2) Distribute an "Abi Fonts" package containing
> fonts with true names, and full metric files, to
> be permanently installed in the system font path.
> The foundary name, whatever it is, must sort after
> "monotype" and "adobe".
And:
3) The automatic bug report menu be extended to
list which font directories are in use.
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