Improved subpixel font rendering for Feisty

[mlind]

For reference see hugmenot's related Edgy thread. There's also a thread for Gutsy users.

Patched libraries are built against freetype 2.3.x (not currently in feisty) and include David Turner's subpixel rendering patches.

deb http://www.telemail.fi/mlind/ubuntu feisty fonts
deb-src http://www.telemail.fi/mlind/ubuntu feisty fonts

[edit]
for amd64 binaries use RAOF's repository

deb http://raof.dyndns.org/falcon feisty experimental
deb-src http://raof.dyndns.org/falcon feisty experimental

Alternative repository, for experimental builds only.

deb http://www.telemail.fi/mlind/ubuntu feisty experimental
deb-src http://www.telemail.fi/mlind/ubuntu feisty experimental

Notes

• To install the packages
  

  sudo aptitude update
  sudo aptitude install libfreetype6 libcairo2 libxft2

• After the install, you may want reconfigure font settings. I'm currently using Feisty defaults (Native, Always, No bitmapped fonts) myself.
  

  sudo dpkg-reconfigure fontconfig-config
  sudo dpkg-reconfigure fontconfig

• If you get errors about missing gpg key
  

  wget http://www.telemail.fi/mlind/ubuntu/937215FF.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

  (or alternatively)
  

  gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv-keys 937215FF
  gpg --export --armor 937215FF | sudo apt-key add -

• GPG key to RAOF's repository (amd64 packages)
  

  wget http://ubuntu.moshen.de/2F306651.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

• If you later decide to go back to Ubuntu packages, you must downgrade all three installed packages
• You'll probably need to restart X-server after installing the packages to see the changes apply

[hugmenot]

The name’s David, news at eleven .

Oh, and mentioning the repo signing key can’t hurt.

[mlind]

Originally Posted by hugmenot The name’s David, news at eleven . Oh, and mentioning the repo signing key can’t hurt.

oops

[hugmenot]

Originally Posted by mlind oops

Considering he is a Frenchman I wonder how that name sounds in french ...

BTW, I had a serious laugh looking at the link in his last post there.

[mlind]

@ firephoto
There should work with any application using freetype, libxft2 or libcairo2 I guess.

@ hugmenot
Have you tried out packages in experimental repo using
fontconfig-config:
* Native, Automatic, No bitmapped fonts
GNOME font settings
* Subpixel smoothing, Full hinting

I think there's been improvement since edgy with newer libfreetype6 and libcairo2.
Font's seem more clear to my eyes and there's less artifacts. Any opinions?

[hugmenot]

Originally Posted by mlind @ hugmenot Have you tried out packages in experimental repo using fontconfig-config: * Native, Automatic, No bitmapped fonts GNOME font settings * Subpixel smoothing, Full hinting I think there's been improvement since edgy with newer libfreetype6 and libcairo2. Font's seem more clear to my eyes and there's less artifacts. Any opinions?

I found to get the best results with the settings you give apart from hinting, which I set to »slight«. I already suggested in that other thread that ›experimental‹ is better. I don’t really think that just moving from Edgy to Feisty changed much, if at all.

[mercurysquad]

David Turner, indeed

Thanks for the repository, I was using my own patched debs, but I just reinstalled Herd 2 from scratch and my debs affected everything but Firefox. Your repository fixed that!

The 'older' patches are definitely better looking. That's not even subjective, because with Autohinter turned on, sites like Wikipedia have weird mono-space font like spacing between letters and words. Native hinter fixes that but the fonts themselves look like crap.

Downgrading to your feisty fonts (rather than experimental) patches fixed all such issues.

[firephoto]

Is this only for gnome or will it work with KDE also?

[caryb]

W: GPG error: http://www.elisanet.fi feisty Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY D0AFFF5E937215FF
W: You may want to run apt-get update to correct these problems
root@STINKPAD:/etc/apt#

It no worky!



Cary

[mlind]

Originally Posted by caryb W: GPG error: http://www.elisanet.fi feisty Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY D0AFFF5E937215FF W: You may want to run apt-get update to correct these problems root@STINKPAD:/etc/apt# It no worky! Cary

see first post about missing gpg key,