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

[Chih-Hsuan Yen]

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 05:53:28PM -0400, Eli Schwartz via arch-dev-public wrote:
> 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
> 


Hi Eli,

I saw the new TODO has been created. Thanks a lot for that! Just one
question: https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/66012 also mentions
xorg-font-utils. Should that be removed from dependencies as well?

Best,

Chih-Hsuan Yen
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