[Fedora-packaging] fonts packaging guidelines, or advices?

Patrice Dumas pertusus at free.fr
Wed Jan 10 14:02:15 UTC 2007


Hello,

I think it could be helpful to have some guidelines regarding fonts. I
guess people specialized in fonts packaging are allready following more
or less formal rules, but I have felt the need for guidelines when I 
package something and it has fonts within, or when there is a need for 
some fonts in a package.

A font SIG or something similar than what is found at Packaging/Perl
could be enough, since the lack may be more about a lack of information
regarding font packaging than about a lack of formal rules, although
I think that some advice could be best practices and then guidelines.

What would be interesting in my opinion would be:
- advices on when to package fonts and when not to package them
- advice on acceptable font uses, depending on the font (I guess that
  bitmap fonts, truetype and Type? fonts shouldn't be used for the same
  tasks)
- when to do subpackages
- advice on fonts installation location (to my knowledge there is
  nothing on that subject in the FHS), depending on the font.
- scriptlets for all the kind of fonts (truetype, Type? and bitmap) with
  more explanations about the scriptlets than what is today. An
  explanation on what subsystem begins aware of which font after which
  scriptlet is run would be a must in my opinion.
- explanation on how to avoid messing with fonts provided in other packages

Something along what is done for rpath, for example could be very
usefull in my opinion, especially now that all the core package
containing fonts are to be reviewed.

It may be possible that even more coordination that packaging best
practices are needed, to avoid messing with others fonts, I don't know
the underlying technology enough, but some mail exchanges on (if I
recall well on the fedora-devel-list) makes me think that way.
Guidelines would certainly be a good start.

--
Pat




More information about the Fedora-packaging mailing list