[arch-dev-public] Removing dependency on fontconfig/xorg-mkfontscale of font packages

[Eli Schwartz]

On 3/31/20 12:36 PM, Eli Schwartz wrote:
> On 3/30/20 6:35 AM, Chih-Hsuan Yen via arch-dev-public wrote:
>> On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 01:26:11AM +0200, Frederik Schwan via arch-dev-public wrote:
>>> We received a Feature Request today to remove fontconfig and xorg-mkfontscale dependencies from our font packages according to our own font packaging guidelines [0].
>>>
>>> I discussed with Eli on #archlinux-bugs and we think it's a no-brainer but before creating a TODO we'd like to ask for your opinions first.
>>>
>>> Thank you
>>>
>>> [0] https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/66012
>>>
>> Just as a reference - in another similar feature request [1], Doug
>> Newgard mentioned that not everyone agrees on removing fontconfig and/or
>> xorg-mkfontscale. I believe the following two mails in the mentioned
>> arch-dev-public thread are most relevant: [2][3].
>>
>> Having said that, I agrees on removing fontconfig & xorg-mkfontscale.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Chih-Hsuan Yen
>>
>> [1] https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/59164
>> [2] https://lists.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2016-April/027946.html
>> [3] https://lists.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/2016-April/027948.html
> 
> heftig, City-busz, could you elaborate on just what this means? All I
> see there is mention that "it ensures the hooks are available", but that
> simply says "it needs to be installed for the sake of being installed".
> Is there an underlying reason here?
> 
> Note that regardless of whether a font package depends on fontconfig,
> and regardless of whether you have any fonts installed, the fontconfig
> post_install and post_upgrade scripts run fc-cache --really-force during
> install time and on every single pkgver or pkgrel update, and then if
> fonts are installed it runs *again* at the end of the transaction. It's
> impossible to have fontconfig installed and *not* have the fontconfig cache.
> 
> xorg-mkfontscale does the same thing to run
> /usr/share/libalpm/scripts/xorg-mkfontscale but in post_install only.

Since there were no objections after several months and the bug reporter
is asking for a status update, I will assume the objection from 2016 no
longer applies. I'll create a TODO for this later tonight.

-- 
Eli Schwartz
Bug Wrangler and Trusted User

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 1601 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <https://lists.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/attachments/20200625/0d1ee580/attachment.sig>