trinity-devel@lists.pearsoncomputing.net

Message: previous - next
Month: August 2016

[trinity-devel] bad UI fonts in apps built with GTK3 toolkit used with GTK3 libs >3.16

From: Felix Miata <mrmazda@...>
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2016 23:12:06 -0400
I asked about a possible solution to this elsewhere, generating no response 
as yet:
https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gtk-devel-list/2016-July/msg00028.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/kde@.../thread/ZPIFOVGR6572ZR7L4TXMUXRYHQESBOPW/

Apparently, a fix from mozilla.org is unlikely forthcoming, while a 
particular Gnome commit is highly likely responsible for the regression in 
Firefox and SeaMonkey built by mozilla.org with GTK3 toolkit:
"UI text sizes no longer inherited from Linux system"
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1269274

Screenshot of mozilla.org's FF48 in TDE on openSUSE 1920x1080 @132DPI display 
showing the problem:
http://fm.no-ip.com/SS/Moz/uifontsRV48-s422tde-132.jpg

Screenshot of mozilla.org's FF48 in TDE on openSUSE 1680x1050 @108DPI display 
showing the problem:
http://fm.no-ip.com/SS/Moz/uifontsRV48-s422tde-108.jpg

Screenshot of mozilla.org's FF48 in TDE on openSUSE 1680x1050 @108DPI display 
showing no such problem before the update of GTK3 from 3.16 to 3.20:
http://fm.no-ip.com/SS/Moz/uifontsRV48-s421tde-108.jpg

Screenshot of mozilla.org's FF48 and FF45 on Fedora 24 with Plasma5 @168DPI 
display showing problem is not unique to TDE, and doesn't exist in FF45:
http://fm.no-ip.com/SS/Moz/uifontsRV48-f24K5-168.jpg

Mozilla.org's FF ESR 45 is still built with GTK2, so doesn't have the 
problem. SeaMonkey 2.40 is also built with GTK2, so also has no problem. All 
the mozilla.org alphas and betas are being built with GTK3, so all manifest 
the problem unless used with system GTK3 libs 3.16 or older.

Whether this problem shows up in Firefox or SeaMonkey provided by individual 
distros depends on which toolkit is used to build them. In Fedora, the switch 
to GTK3 has been made, as have been the GTK3 libs past 3.16, the last before 
the upstream patch. Thus, all current rpms from Fedora produce the problem. 
In openSUSE Tumbleweed, Firefox 48 is still built with GTK2, so even though 
it has switched to 3.20 GTK3 libs, the problem there hasn't yet appeared. 
Stretch has 3.20 GTK3 libs, builds FF 45ESR with GTK2, so has the problem in 
FF with mozilla.org builds but not with its available FF .deb package. Jessie 
is OK, with only GTK3 lib 3.14. Buntu 16.04's GTKs3 lib is 3.18. Its FF 48 
buildconfig screen doesn't include the string gtk anywhere, but apparently 
it's using the GTK3 default, and thus also not obeying TDE's UI font 
specification.

So, to eventually restore parity to all distro and version installations, 
always having the Geckos use the UI fonts specified in Trinity desktop 
settings, something needs to be done. The question is where. Is getting 
upstream patch reversion the right answer? Would some new or altered 
gtk-*qt*-trinity package be good, only, or better answer? Would some new or 
altered theme package be a right answer? Is there already some solution that 
just hasn't been installed yet?
-- 
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)

  Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/