[oclug] can someone explain this?

[Gilles J. Seguin]

burns wrote:
> 
> Michael P. Soulier wrote:
> 
>>     I'll check that HOWTO, thanks.
>>
>>     So far, the fonts available in the Gimp aren't too bad. My wife
>> is also using Corel PhotoPaint for Linux, which works through WINE
>> and includes it's own fonts in the Corel Fontastic font server.
>> She's complaining more about those fonts, so I guess we'll
>> harass Corel.

The problem Michael is seeing, is probably because of
the introduction/implementation of the standardization/rationalization
of the "font search path".
The location is suppose to be under /usr/share/fonts.
The X Window System keep the path /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts
and it should be symlink with /usr/lib/X11/fonts.
And is also obviously for raster monitor display device.
What happend if it is a vector driven display device ?

Contrary to what it is said, reading this email.
The font server is a very advance and old(15 years)
mechanism to localize fonts.  I will like to say the
same thing for the color manager.  In fact, where is it ?

First, you have to say where your display server(X server) is.
That is, the screen(monitor) associated with one server.
If the query say that you have a monochrome display, the
application must be able to adjust.

Second, you have to know where your application is.
Are you sure that this application understand what it
is trying to do.

On network, you may rationalize the location of those fonts.
The question of where are the fonts, being determine.
The next question is, for who ? And may be for what purpose.
Choosing bitmap font for printer with resolution of 1200-dpi
is a bad idea.  The idea being, choosing the right tools for
the right application.  It is not because it work or look nice
that it is the wright idea.

What I want you to say is.
You are doing infographic work, your production will be print
on a 4 by 8 feets board and require 10 different fonts.

Or are you saying that font is like a form of spam, and you
like the abuse it make on resources( at least 50KB by font).
If it is the thing to do.  Why is it that no video cards
accept download of fonts, is it not their job ?  they have
bitmap for the console.

> FWIW, the fonts in the basic version of StarOffice 5.2 aren't anything
> to brag about either. I have to admit that fonts are something that the
> Linux community has not done well (or apparently spent much effort on).

All the tools are there, happy hacking, send me the patch.

The other point, I have no document with mathematical equations
that have survive more than two years on non unix system.
You have to multiply by ten for unix system.  And I beleive to be
able to retreive them in another twenty years.

> If we ever expect Linux to be a serious proposition anywhere beyond the
> server room, fonts are on those small but important things that we are
> going to have to pay more attention to.
> 
> --
> burns