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Date:      Wed, 28 Oct 1998 08:36:27 -0500 (EST)
From:      Chuck Robey <chuckr@mat.net>
To:        Satoshi Asami <asami@cs.berkeley.edu>
Cc:        dawes@rf900.physics.usyd.edu.au, ports@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.05.9810280835110.2963-100000@picnic.mat.net>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9810280816000.2963-100000@picnic.mat.net>

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On Wed, 28 Oct 1998, Chuck Robey wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Satoshi Asami wrote:
> 
> > Hi David,

Sorry, typo below

> > 
> > What do you think about adding a new font directory (shipped empty)
> > where applications can install fonts?  Right now ports that install
> > fonts either have to create their own directory (leaving it to the
> > user to edit /etc/XF86Config or add it to their private font path by
> > xset +fp) or stuff it in misc (getting it all mixed up with what the
> > system ships).
> > 
> > Most ports put them in misc and run mkfontdir themselves, but
> > the fonts.alias file might get overwritten when X is upgraded.  (I
> > haven't tested this myself---I always install it in a separate
> > directory and build a symlink tree.  Please correct me if it does
> > something more sophisticated like trying to merge the new aliases with 
> > existing ones.)
> 
> I think that adding a fonts dir is pretty obviously a good thing, but
> you might want to think about forcing a connection between just ONE of
> the apps that use fonts, versus maybe making it more general.  I'm
> thinking specifically about postscript fonts for groff, which aren't
> gettibly hard to do.
  ^^^^^^^^  terribly, altough "gettibly" doesn't sound bad :->

> Our present groff buildworld blithely goes about destroying any extra
> fonts (and the font support files you create) so that it doesn't last,
> but if there were a defined directory for fonts, part of the base system
> that would ship empty, both X11 stuff AND groff could use them, and
> the groff build could be modified, so as not to step on user-supplied
> fonts.
> 
> Although, perhaps if such a directory were to be defined with an
> environmental variable, maybe it wouldn't be an entire disaster to link
> it with X11, if that's truly the only way you want it.  My point is,
> it's not needed to link fonts to the X11 hierarchy, in order to use them
> in the X11 hierarchy.  /usr/local/share/fonts would do fine, or some
> such.
> 
> > 
> > All the problems could be solved if XFree86 ships with an empty font
> > directory (say, /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local) where ports can
> > install whatever they want.  That way the users don't have to worry
> > about editing /etc/XF86Config and ports don't have to worry about
> > fonts.alias getting overwritten.  The XFree86 distribution can include 
> > no fonts.alias and run mkfontdir upon installation (to make sure a
> > fonts.dir exists).
> > 
> > This also makes it easier for people to see exactly what came with the
> > distribution and what are add-ons.
> > 
> > What do you think?
> > 
> > Satoshi
> > 
> > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> > with "unsubscribe freebsd-ports" in the body of the message
> > 
> > 
> 
> ----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
> Chuck Robey                 | Interests include any kind of voice or data 
> chuckr@glue.umd.edu         | communications topic, C programming, and Unix.
> 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1  |
> Greenbelt, MD 20770         | I run Journey2 and picnic (FreeBSD-current)
> (301) 220-2114              | and jaunt (NetBSD).
> ----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> with "unsubscribe freebsd-ports" in the body of the message
> 
> 

----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Chuck Robey                 | Interests include any kind of voice or data 
chuckr@glue.umd.edu         | communications topic, C programming, and Unix.
213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1  |
Greenbelt, MD 20770         | I run Journey2 and picnic (FreeBSD-current)
(301) 220-2114              | and jaunt (NetBSD).
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------





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