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The problem with Linux typography isn't a lack of fonts, it's bad rendering. I can buy a font from Adobe. I can't buy a better font renderer for Linux.
by noahlt 16y ago
The problem with Linux typography isn't a lack of fonts, it's bad rendering. I can buy a font from Adobe. I can't buy a better font renderer for Linux.
- dtf 16y agoWhen you say "bad rendering", do you mean glyph rendering (FreeType) or the layout stack?
- naner 16y agoIt sounds like he is talking about rasterization which is handled by FreeType.
- tptacek 16y agoKerning is a property of the font, not of the renderer.
- naner 16y agoI replied to this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1496177 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1496177 The problem with Linux typography isn't a lack of fonts, it's bad rendering. I can buy a font from Adobe. I can't buy a better font renderer for Linux. He couldn't have been talking about individual font properties since he said high quality fonts don't make any difference.
- tptacek 16y agoI agree. I think it's remarkable that in taking an overt step to improve Linux typography, they managed to compound their problems by introducing a weak, quirky new default font.
- jdub 16y ago... plus, the incredibly good Android "Droid" typeface is available under an open license and looks fantastic on mobile and desktop screens. So the new Ubuntu font certainly gives them/us something unique, but I'm not yet convinced that it gives them/us greater quality (I'm an Ubuntu member, and have tried this early release). Plus, you can install Droid on Ubuntu today: ttf-droid.
- joshfinnie 16y agoI did this for my new install of Ubuntu 10.04 and will never go back. I think Google took a lot of time to get that font right, and it looks great on my desktop.
- wolverian 16y agoI dislike the look of Droid Serif. I use Droid Sans as my UI font on my netbook (running Ubuntu), though. I'll certainly compare them when the Ubuntu font is released.
- naner 16y agoThe funny part is that all the pieces (FreeType, HarfBuzz, Pango) are really well done, just FreeType isn't tweaked properly. :/
- macco 16y agoWhat do you mean, with tweaked properly? Tweaked by developer oder user? BTW I think the droid fonts and dejaWeb look fucking awesome on my loptop. Much better than the fonts on my Windows maschine at work
- nailer 16y agoTweaked by the packager, who thinks the hinting patents are still valid and hence disables decent hinting during compilation.
- neves 16y agoHow do I configure it myself? Do you have a reference?
- nailer 16y agoModify the Debian packaging files to provide the correct compilation options - sorry I'm not experienced with this as I've only made RPMs before =- but it should be pretty easy to figure out.
- noste 16y agoI think that Ubuntu enables hinting on default. According to FreeType's docs/TRUETYPE the TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER macro should be defined, should you want to enable patent encumbered parts. On a karmic box: $ apt-get source libfreetype6 $ grep -h TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE freetype-2.3.9/debian/patches-freetype/* -/* #define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER */ +#define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER
- 16y ago
- sandGorgon 16y ago+1 This (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1239067 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1239067) is a question that I posed to Ubuntu brainstorm. The font hinting and rendering patents (held by Apple/Microsoft) are supposedly expired, therefore opening up the way for Freetype to jump ahead by leaps and bounds. Maybe a little money could be spent on patent due diligence.