GNU bug report logs - #36014
Allow console-font service to use fonts other than those packaged with kbd

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
To: bug-guix <at> gnu.org
Subject: Allow console-font service to use fonts other than those packaged
 with kbd
Date: Thu, 30 May 2019 12:21:28 -0700

The console font service only allows fonts installed by default in the kbd package (tamzen, for instance, has a nice bitmap font available). I don’t know what the solution might be. I do know that setfont looks in the default font directory only for fonts and the available fonts are those that come packaged with the kbd package. 

Message #8 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
To: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by kbd if they are
 installed
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 14:27:15 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi maintainers,

I looked hard at a nicer way to provide a flag to start kbd pointing to a
directory or file. There is a flag to point to a file for a font which
could be nice. However setfont also prioritizes the current directory over
the kbd directory. The following patch attempts to chdir to a directory
where more console fonts may be installed.

- John

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[0001-gnu-Try-using-any-system-installed-console-fonts.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #11 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
Cc: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:49:41 +0200

Hi John,

John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu> skribis:

> I looked hard at a nicer way to provide a flag to start kbd pointing to a
> directory or file. There is a flag to point to a file for a font which
> could be nice. However setfont also prioritizes the current directory over
> the kbd directory. The following patch attempts to chdir to a directory
> where more console fonts may be installed.

What about doing something like this in your config

  (console-font-service "tty1"
                        (file-append some-font-package
                                     "/share/consolefonts/whatever"))

?

Does it work for you?

This approach has the advantage that the service doesn’t need to be
changed, and it doesn’t need to change the current directory of PID 1
either.

Thanks,
Ludo’.

Message #14 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:29:28 -0700

Thanks Ludo!

I really appreciate how engaged you are btw. Thanks so much. But yes I agree I’d rather not change the directory either. I will see what I can do and report back. 

John

> On Jul 11, 2019, at 1:49 PM, Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi John,
> 
> John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu> skribis:
> 
>> I looked hard at a nicer way to provide a flag to start kbd pointing to a
>> directory or file. There is a flag to point to a file for a font which
>> could be nice. However setfont also prioritizes the current directory over
>> the kbd directory. The following patch attempts to chdir to a directory
>> where more console fonts may be installed.
> 
> What about doing something like this in your config
> 
>  (console-font-service "tty1"
>                        (file-append some-font-package
>                                     "/share/consolefonts/whatever"))
> 
> ?
> 
> Does it work for you?
> 
> This approach has the advantage that the service doesn’t need to be
> changed, and it doesn’t need to change the current directory of PID 1
> either.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ludo’.

Message #17 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2019 09:05:45 -0700

Ok so I tried your suggestion and it works! I’m so surprised but I think I’ll update the docs to reflect this possibility instead of the current patch.

- John

> On Jul 11, 2019, at 1:49 PM, Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi John,
> 
> John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu> skribis:
> 
>> I looked hard at a nicer way to provide a flag to start kbd pointing to a
>> directory or file. There is a flag to point to a file for a font which
>> could be nice. However setfont also prioritizes the current directory over
>> the kbd directory. The following patch attempts to chdir to a directory
>> where more console fonts may be installed.
> 
> What about doing something like this in your config
> 
>  (console-font-service "tty1"
>                        (file-append some-font-package
>                                     "/share/consolefonts/whatever"))
> 
> ?
> 
> Does it work for you?
> 
> This approach has the advantage that the service doesn’t need to be
> changed, and it doesn’t need to change the current directory of PID 1
> either.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ludo’.

Message #20 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
Cc: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2019 22:40:04 +0200

Hi John,

John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu> skribis:

> Ok so I tried your suggestion and it works! I’m so surprised but I think I’ll update the docs to reflect this possibility instead of the current patch.

That’s a good idea, thank you!

Ludo’.

Message #23 received at 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 36014 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:01:14 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi Ludo,

I am not familiar with the info and html documentation build process. Will
this patch suffice?

Thank you,

John

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[0001-gnu-Update-console-font-service-docstring.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #28 received at 36014-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu>
Cc: 36014-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36014: [PATCH] Attempt to use console-fonts not provided by
 kbd if they are installed
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 18:00:00 +0200

Hello,

John Soo <jsoo1 <at> asu.edu> skribis:

> I am not familiar with the info and html documentation build process. Will
> this patch suffice?

Sure; I pushed a slightly modified variant as commit
74a98b5cddd0430dd7229d4045f4885191c624b7.

Thanks,
Ludo’.

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