Dear list,
The msttcore fonts package available at [1] is a widely used add-on package for Fedora/rpmfusion. I'm trying to make an official rpmfusion package (using lpf) to make it possible to install this without resorting to "out of Fedora" guides etc.
It's just that packaging fonts is real hard, at least for me. I have made a first attempt available in [3] and [4]. If anyone has time, it would be real nice to get some input... some questions:
- All fonts has as of now a .conf file, most of which are just placeholders. What should I do? Should there be alias or similar stuff defined for these fonts? Or should I just drop the .conf file?
- The upstream file packages a file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/. What should I do with this? Drop it? Put into a sub-package? Leave as-is?
- The upstream spec [2] does a lot of stuff in %post: (mkfontscale, mkfontdir...). How should I cope with this?
- Although not strictly about fonts, since this gives me the creeps: are the Obsoletes/Provides OK?
- Other thoughs?
Thanks for any help,
--alec
[1] http://sourceforge.net/projects/ mscorefonts2/?source=directory [2] http://leamas.fedorapeople.org/mscore-fonts/0/msttcore-fonts-2.1-2-1.spec [3] http://leamas.fedorapeople.org/mscore-fonts/0/mscore-fonts.spec [4] http://leamas.fedorapeople.org/mscore-fonts/0/mscore-fonts-1.0-1.src.rpm
On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 12:34:01PM +0100, Alec Leamas wrote:
The msttcore fonts package available at [1] is a widely used add-on package for Fedora/rpmfusion. I'm trying to make an official rpmfusion package (using lpf) to make it possible to install this without resorting to "out of Fedora" guides etc.
While these fonts were made freely downloadable, it's my understanding that they were never released under a free license -- and if I remember right, not even under one which allows redistribution (you needed to get them from Microsoft directly).
I don't know the details, though -- I think this is a question for Fedora Legal.
On 11 February 2014 16:17, Matthew Miller mattdm@mattdm.org wrote:
On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 12:34:01PM +0100, Alec Leamas wrote:
The msttcore fonts package available at [1] is a widely used add-on package for Fedora/rpmfusion. I'm trying to make an official rpmfusion package (using lpf) to make it possible to install this without resorting to "out of Fedora" guides etc.
While these fonts were made freely downloadable, it's my understanding that they were never released under a free license -- and if I remember right, not even under one which allows redistribution (you needed to get them from Microsoft directly).
Yeah, even Alec has provided proper license in spec file. [3] "License: non-redistributable, no commercial use, no modifications permitted"
It is clearly mention non-redistributable, so making rpm for redistribution looks not allowed. I think you can get better comments from Fedora legal.
Regards, Pravin Satpute
On 2/11/14, pravin.d.s@gmail.com pravin.d.s@gmail.com wrote:
On 11 February 2014 16:17, Matthew Miller mattdm@mattdm.org wrote:
On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 12:34:01PM +0100, Alec Leamas wrote:
The msttcore fonts package available at [1] is a widely used add-on package for Fedora/rpmfusion. I'm trying to make an official rpmfusion package (using lpf) to make it possible to install this without resorting to "out of Fedora" guides etc.
While these fonts were made freely downloadable, it's my understanding that they were never released under a free license -- and if I remember right, not even under one which allows redistribution (you needed to get them from Microsoft directly).
Yeah, even Alec has provided proper license in spec file. [3] "License: non-redistributable, no commercial use, no modifications permitted"
It is clearly mention non-redistributable, so making rpm for redistribution looks not allowed. I think you can get better comments from Fedora legal.
Regards, Pravin Satpute
This is where lpf comes into play. The rpms and specs I try to get some input on are lpf target packages. As such, they are built by the user who also downloads the sources directly from sourceforge. There is a lpf wrapper around these which more or less works like a downloader. So, rpmfusion does not re-distribute this.
This works the same way as lpf-skype and lpf-spotify, none of which allows re-distribution. The usage is cleared by spot.
That said, I really need some input on the package from people who understands this font stuff. I've tried to read the GL and tips, but I'm basically just confused on a higher level.
--alec
On 10 February 2014 17:04, Alec Leamas leamas.alec@gmail.com wrote:
Dear list,
The msttcore fonts package available at [1] is a widely used add-on package for Fedora/rpmfusion. I'm trying to make an official rpmfusion package (using lpf) to make it possible to install this without resorting to "out of Fedora" guides etc.
It's just that packaging fonts is real hard, at least for me. I have made a first attempt available in [3] and [4]. If anyone has time, it would be real nice to get some input... some questions:
- All fonts has as of now a .conf file, most of which are just
placeholders. What should I do? Should there be alias or similar stuff defined for these fonts? Or should I just drop the .conf file?
I think alias is not required. It will be good if you can at least update confs file with as per basic-font-template /usr/share/fontconfig/templates/basic-font-template.conf
- The upstream file packages a file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/. What
should I do with this? Drop it? Put into a sub-package? Leave as-is?
- The upstream spec [2] does a lot of stuff in %post: (mkfontscale,
mkfontdir...). How should I cope with this?
In fedora, fontpkg macro does all these things, so just ignore it.
- Although not strictly about fonts, since this gives me the creeps:
are the Obsoletes/Provides OK?
If this is first time you are packing it. Obsoletes/Provides not required.
Regards, Pravin Satpute
Le Lun 10 février 2014 12:34, Alec Leamas a écrit :
- The upstream spec [2] does a lot of stuff in %post: (mkfontscale,
mkfontdir...). How should I cope with this?
Legalities aside the upstream spec just uses a packaging style that was current in Fedora at the start of the millenium. It tries very hard to make stuff like X core fonts work, when Fedora and all knowledgeable people have long since determined it was hopeless and should be left to die quietly (go wayland go).
I guess the only reason it was not updated is that everyone with a clue has realised it was not a good idea to propagate an obsolete set of fonts that can not be updated or fixed due to legal reasons.
So to answer you questions: 1. you won't lose anything significant by using our current font packaging templates instead of the upstream one 2. it's a very very bad idea to package those fonts and expose them to anyone. It encourages developer laziness "I can hardcode windows fonts metrics they're available under Linux", it's a legal trap "I can bundle windows fonts with my app, after all the Linuxes do it", it's a lie (the actual MS fonts people get with windows are several generations later, with lots of technical fixes and coverage enhancements, so you'd be pushing spoiled goods to innocents).
Really there is a ton of nicer and more modern fonts on Google fonts library waiting for someone to package. Just ignore the mscorefonts "common knowledge" which has been cargo-culted in Linux user FAQs for years and you'll render a service to everyone involved. We're not in the 90's any more there are lots of other opentype fonts to choose from (don't you realise "core fonts" means "we are crushing you now Netscape". That's ancient history, a few browser wars away!)
-
Alec Leamas -
Matthew Miller -
Nicolas Mailhot -
pravin.d.s＠gmail.com