fontconfig packaging suggestion

fontconfig packaging suggestion

[Ken Brown]

Yaakov,

There is a problem with having fontconfig include the Windows Fonts 
directory in /etc/fonts/fonts.conf.  Namely, the font cache for that 
directory is very likely to be out of date [*], but most users have no 
idea that they need to run fc-cache to keep it up to date.  This can 
cause slowdowns or worse for applications that use fontconfig.  See, for 
instance http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2013-12/threads.html#00246 and 
several similar reports that came later.

I propose that fontconfig *not* include the Windows Fonts directory, but 
that a new package (perhaps called fontconfig-windows-fonts) be created 
that takes over this functionality.  This could either be a subpackage 
of fontconfig or an independent package, in which case I would be glad 
to maintain it.

This package would handle the Windows Fonts directory by creating the 
appropriate file in /etc/fonts/conf.d, and it would also provide a 
script that calls fc-cache to update the Windows Fonts cache.  The 
release announcement would warn users that the script should be called 
whenever the Windows Fonts directory changed.  And I would explicitly 
advise emacs-X11 users *not* to install the package unless they really 
want to be able to use Windows fonts while running emacs under X.

WDYT?

Ken

[*] This can happen because of a Windows Update, or because software was 
added or removed, or because the user knowingly installed or removed fonts.

Re: fontconfig packaging suggestion

[Corinna Vinschen]

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On Apr  3 18:52, Ken Brown wrote:
> Yaakov,
> 
> There is a problem with having fontconfig include the Windows Fonts
> directory in /etc/fonts/fonts.conf.  Namely, the font cache for that
> directory is very likely to be out of date [*], but most users have
> no idea that they need to run fc-cache to keep it up to date.  This
> can cause slowdowns or worse for applications that use fontconfig.
> See, for instance
> http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2013-12/threads.html#00246 and several
> similar reports that came later.
> 
> I propose that fontconfig *not* include the Windows Fonts directory,
> but that a new package (perhaps called fontconfig-windows-fonts) be
> created that takes over this functionality.  This could either be a
> subpackage of fontconfig or an independent package, in which case I
> would be glad to maintain it.
> 
> This package would handle the Windows Fonts directory by creating
> the appropriate file in /etc/fonts/conf.d, and it would also provide
> a script that calls fc-cache to update the Windows Fonts cache.  The
> release announcement would warn users that the script should be
> called whenever the Windows Fonts directory changed.  And I would
> explicitly advise emacs-X11 users *not* to install the package
> unless they really want to be able to use Windows fonts while
> running emacs under X.
> 
> WDYT?

I'm not Yaakov, but, may I throw in a dumb idea?

What if fontconfig installs scripts for sh and csh in /etc/profile.d,
which has only one task:  It checks if the fc cache is older than the
modification date of the Windows fonts directory.  If so, it either
calls fc-cache or, if that takes too long, it simply informs the user
in distinct words that fc-cache needs running.

Would that work?  Does it make sense?


Corinna

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Re: fontconfig packaging suggestion

[Yaakov (Cygwin/X)]

On 2014-04-04 03:40, Corinna Vinschen wrote:
> On Apr  3 18:52, Ken Brown wrote:
>> There is a problem with having fontconfig include the Windows Fonts
>> directory in /etc/fonts/fonts.conf.  Namely, the font cache for that
>> directory is very likely to be out of date [*], but most users have
>> no idea that they need to run fc-cache to keep it up to date.  This
>> can cause slowdowns or worse for applications that use fontconfig.
>> See, for instance
>> http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2013-12/threads.html#00246 and several
>> similar reports that came later.
>>
>> I propose that fontconfig *not* include the Windows Fonts directory,
>> but that a new package (perhaps called fontconfig-windows-fonts) be
>> created that takes over this functionality.  This could either be a
>> subpackage of fontconfig or an independent package, in which case I
>> would be glad to maintain it.
>>
>> This package would handle the Windows Fonts directory by creating
>> the appropriate file in /etc/fonts/conf.d, and it would also provide
>> a script that calls fc-cache to update the Windows Fonts cache.  The
>> release announcement would warn users that the script should be
>> called whenever the Windows Fonts directory changed.  And I would
>> explicitly advise emacs-X11 users *not* to install the package
>> unless they really want to be able to use Windows fonts while
>> running emacs under X.
>>
>> WDYT?

The concern is definitely valid and I'm considering various options.

> I'm not Yaakov, but, may I throw in a dumb idea?
>
> What if fontconfig installs scripts for sh and csh in /etc/profile.d,
> which has only one task:  It checks if the fc cache is older than the
> modification date of the Windows fonts directory.  If so, it either
> calls fc-cache or, if that takes too long, it simply informs the user
> in distinct words that fc-cache needs running.
>
> Would that work?  Does it make sense?

That's one option, but I'm not sure yet if it covers all possible scenarios.


Yaakov