View source for Fonts policy

[[Category:Packaging Policies]]
{{introduction|This policy governs the packaging and installation of fonts in the ROSA distribution. All packages containing fonts should follow it.}}


== Tools ==
=== fc-cache (fontconfig) ===
From {{prog|fc-cache}}(1) manpage:

 fc-cache scans the font directories on the system and builds
 font information cache files for applications using fontconfig
 for their font handling.

Should be run in {{macro|%post}} and {{macro|%postun}}, after adding/removing the font directory to the configuration with {{prog|chkfontpath}} (see below), to update the system's font cache.

<i>NOTE: should be Required?</i>


=== chkfontpath ===
From {{prog|chkfontpath}}(8) manpage:

 chkfontpath is mainly used by rpm in its %post and %postun
 sections to add and remove new directories to the server's
 config file at installation and de-installation time of
 packages containing fonts.

In summary, this means something like:

* In {{macro|%post}}: {{cmd|%{_sbindir}/chkfontpath -q -a %{_datadir}/fonts/%{name} }}
* In {{macro|%postun}}: {{cmd|%{_sbindir}/chkfontpath -q -r %{_datadir}/fonts/%{name} }}

<i>NOTE: should be Required?</i>

=== freetype-tools (ttmkfdir) ===
{{prog|ttmkfdir}} is an alternative to {{prog|mkfontdir}}, for Truetype fonts only. <i>NOTE: Should it be used at all? Preferred? In which cases?</i>

=== mkfontscale ===
Should be used to generate {{file|fonts.scale}}, at build time.

=== mkfontdir ===
Should be used to generate {{file|fonts.dir}} and {{file|encodings.dir}}, at build time, from fonts plus {{file|fonts.scale}} and {{file|fonts.alias}}.


== Rules ==
=== Naming ===
Package name should be like: {{pkg|fonts-$type-$name}}.

Where:
* $type would be one of:
**; ttf: TrueType fonts (*.ttf)
**; type1: Postscript Type1 fonts (*.pfb, *.pfa, *.afm, *.pfm)
**; bitmap: fixed size, bitmapped, fonts (*.pcf, *.bdf)

* $name would be either:
**; the font name: {{pkg|fonts-type1-hebrew}}
**; $foundryname-$fontname: {{pkg|fonts-ttf-bitstream-vera}}

Fonts subpackages of non-fonts main packages should follow these naming rules too, where $foundryname can be the main package name. See also the Location section below.


== Files ==
Type1 and bitmap font files should be compressed by gzip. TrueType fonts should not.

=== Location ===
Each font package should put its fonts in its own subdirectory under {{file|/usr/share/fonts/}}. Like {{file|/usr/share/fonts/fonts-ttf-bitstream-vera}}. 

Programs providing their own fonts should package them in subpackage(s), following the naming rules in this policy, and without requiring the main package as far as possible. The subpackage(s) should install the fonts in its own subdirectory under {{file|/usr/share/fonts/}}, named after the main package. Like {{file|/usr/share/fonts/fonts-type1-lilypond}}, or {{file|/usr/share/fonts/fonts-bitmap-fluxbox-artwiz}}.

For a fonts only package (i.e. not a subpackage of a non-fonts package), referring to the font directory by {{macro|%_datadir/fonts/%name}} should be valid.

The following alternatives are possible:
# %_datadir/fonts/fonts-ttf-bitstream-vera
# %_datadir/fonts/ttf/fonts-ttf-bitstream-vera
# %_datadir/fonts/ttf-bitstream-vera
# %_datadir/fonts/ttf/bitstream-vera


==== Packages sharing directories ====
Right now, some ttf packages put files in a shared {{file|/usr/share/fonts/TTF}} directory, others share {{file|/usr/share/fonts/ttf}} instead (small caps ttf...), others have their own subdirectory under {{file|/usr/share/fonts/ttf}}, others have their own subdirectory under {{file|/usr/share/fonts/}}...). Are there performance problems for having many fonts directories? See below ('Special files' and 'NOTES') for reasoning on per-package font directory.


=== Special files ===
These files are created by the font management tools and should be packaged because:
* avoiding unpackaged and/or {{macro|%ghost}} files lost in the system
* reducing run time dependencies (on the tools that generate them)
* they (at least some of them) may be hand edited for fixing/tuning (see {{prog|mkfontscale}}(1) and {{prog|mkfontdir}}(1) manpages)

See the cited manpages (specially {{prog|mkfontdir}}(1)) for more information.

; fonts.scale: used by {{prog|mkfontdir}}, created by {{prog|mkfontscale}}, may be edited by hand.
; fonts.alias: created by hand, used by {{prog|mkfontdir}}.
; fonts.dir: created by {{prog|mkfontdir}}.
; encodings.dir: created by {{prog|mkfontdir}}.


=== Configuration files ===
; {{file|/etc/fonts/}}: {{pkg|fontconfig}} configuration directory.
; {{file|/etc/X11/fs/config}}: {{prog|xfs}} configuration file, handled by {{prog|chkfontpath}}.


== Notes ==
* fonts coming from Xorg are being named x11-font-$name-$type
** should they be excepted from naming policy? or have own policy rules? or be adapted?
* fonts sharing directory must run {{prog|mkfontscale}} and {{prog|mkfontdir}} (or alikes) at {{macro|%post}} and {{macro|%postun}}.
* why some fonts require chkfontpath, while most simply test for and use if it exists?
* what is the relation of Xorg X chkfontpath?
* why Xorg fonts (x11-font-*) don't run fc-cache in %post/%postun?


== Some extra references ==
* [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/fonts-faq/part15/ Subject: 10.3. X11 Font Formats]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_1_font Type 1 and Type 3 fonts]
* [http://www.math.utah.edu/~beebe/fonts/postscript-type-1-fonts.html PostScript Type 1 fonts]

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{{message|This Policy is based on the [http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/Fonts_packaging_policy Mandriva Fonts Packaging Policy].}}