Arch Linux

nixitinthebud

Member

Registered: 2006-07-17

Posts: 5

Arch Font, Jacman & Banking Issues

I recently installed Arch Linux again. I am looking to leave my previous distro since it is time for something different (and much faster). The install went off without a hitch, ssh and samba are running, allowing me to access the debian router/proxy server/file server, etc. However, there are some very odd issues I have found with Arch Linux that I have so far not been able to resolve.

For some reason, Arch Linux completely ignores my font preferences in the KDE Control Center Font Selection Dialog. I opened the KDE Control Center, selected 'Appearance and Themes,' then selected 'Fonts.' I then selected 'Adjust All Fonts,' checked the 'Font' box, then selected "URW Gothic L' as my preferred KDE font. In doing so, the font preview box located at the bottom of the 'Adjust All Fonts' window, doesn't show the correct font, unless I first select a different font, then select URW Gothic L again. The font preview dialog then shows the correct font. However, once I click the 'Apply' button, the font remains the same ugly extra-thick font (so thick it looks to be bold, even though it isn't) throughout the entire KDE desktop, leaving my font preferences completely overruled by Arch Linux

I attempted to remove xfs, since xfs can often be responsible for not allowing one to use fonts which may be installed on the system. However, I received a message stating xfs is a dependency of xorg, which means it can't be removed. (I haven't used xfs for years for this very reason. It's so much simpler to specify preferred fonts via xorg.conf.)

I then viewed the fontconfig files in /etc, but have no clue how to edit these files so that it will allow me to use the fonts I prefer on my system. Can I just delete the fontconfig files, or would it be simpler to simply rename the fontconfig and xfs binaries?

Or is there any other way one can use the font of their own preference on their own system from within Arch Linux?

Also, what is the deal with jacman? Are the fonts so tiny as to be wholly illegible on a 1280x1024 resolution screen to anyone but me? Also, is there any way to change the UI of jacman so that it matches my desktop, or am I stuck with having this application stick out like a sore thumb on my desktop?

Additionally, for some reason, when attempting to do online banking from within Konqueror, the web server of the bank sends Error 403 to my attempts to log into the bank website. I know beyond all doubt this is not a Konqueror issue, since the bank backend is java-based and I have been accessing my bank online using Konqueror only for years now. Is there some configuration file I can alter within the Arch Linux KDE version so that logging into my bank 'just works' as it does with KDE on every other distro I have tried for the last 6 years?

Any help with these issues would be greatly appreciated.

arooaroo

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-01-13

Posts: 1,268

Website

Re: Arch Font, Jacman & Banking Issues

For some reason, Arch Linux completely ignores my font preferences in the KDE Control Center Font Selection Dialog.

Very odd.  This has worked fine for me in the past. Are you using the latest version? Perhaps there's bug with the version you're currently using

I attempted to remove xfs, since xfs can often be responsible for not allowing one to use fonts which may be installed on the system. However, I received a message stating xfs is a dependency of xorg, which means it can't be removed. (I haven't used xfs for years for this very reason. It's so much simpler to specify preferred fonts via xorg.conf.)

You can still remove with pacman -Rf (IIRC) if you so wish.

I then viewed the fontconfig files in /etc, but have no clue how to edit these files so that it will allow me to use the fonts I prefer on my system. Can I just delete the fontconfig files, or would it be simpler to simply rename the fontconfig and xfs binaries?

I'm no expert with fontconfig. There has been lots of help with it in the forums. There's also documentation on the AL wiki that may be of use.

Also, what is the deal with jacman? Are the fonts so tiny as to be wholly illegible on a 1280x1024 resolution screen to anyone but me? Also, is there any way to change the UI of jacman so that it matches my desktop, or am I stuck with having this application stick out like a sore thumb on my desktop?

Yeah, I've heard that complaint a couple of times. As I have a laptop with a much lower resolution, I wasn't thinking much about these issues at the time. I do hope to address it in the future. Of course, the manner in which you ask means I'm not inspired to do so for your sake.

Jacman is a Java app which is rendered in Java's Swing GUI API. It therefore doesn't try and match your KDE UI; or your GNOME UI; or your XFCE UI; or your Fluxox UI; or your {insert DE/WM of choice here}. There are some pacman frontends written in KDE that ought to be much more suitable if you are keen to match DE fidelity. Of course, the best UI for pacman is the CLI.

Additionally, for some reason, when attempting to do online banking from within Konqueror, the web server of the bank sends Error 403 to my attempts to log into the bank website. I know beyond all doubt this is not a Konqueror issue, since the bank backend is java-based and I have been accessing my bank online using Konqueror only for years now. Is there some configuration file I can alter within the Arch Linux KDE version so that logging into my bank 'just works' as it does with KDE on every other distro I have tried for the last 6 years?

Can you confirm for sure that it's only a Konq issue? E.g., have you tried a different browser on your current setup to check if that can login to your bank website? Typical issues would be cookies setup, but Konq normally prompts you about those things. I must admit, I tend to use Firefox and I've found it better than konq on most factors. I'm just surprised that there is something Arch-specific that has been done to interfere with it's standard behavour. The KDE packages are rather vanilla from my understanding. I can't recommend anything other than keeping uptodate, and searching the forums.

---

arooaroo | Jacman (Pacman GUI) | Getting to Grips with LaTeX | flickr

nixitinthebud

Member

Registered: 2006-07-17

Posts: 5

Re: Arch Font, Jacman & Banking Issues

Very odd.  This has worked fine for me in the past. Are you using the latest version? Perhaps there's bug with the version you're currently using

I just installed Arch this afternoon. pacman -Syu reports system is up to date for current, extra and community. (I don't use unstable repos.)

You can still remove with pacman -Rf (IIRC) if you so wish.

Except I have no way of knowing if the xorg will run without xfs. If xorg wouldn't run without it, it would be simple enough to resintall xfs, but I am switching distros in the hopes of having less maintenance, not more. I also have never seen an issue like this before, which makes me wonder if I should stay with Arch or not.

I'm no expert with fontconfig. There has been lots of help with it in the forums. There's also documentation on the AL wiki that may be of use.

I checked both wiki and the forums and found nothing that addressed this. I only registered and posted here as an absolute last resort.

As I have a laptop with a much lower resolution, I wasn't thinking much about these issues at the time. I do hope to address it in the future.

Excellent!

Of course, the manner in which you ask means I'm not inspired to do so for your sake.

None here asked you to. It was you yourself who stated you have had others make the same complaint. You are obviously bright enough to note the problem and fix it, since you stated it is in the plans for the future.

Actually, from what I understand, there is a library which allows java apps to be translated into the KDE UI at execution. I haven't found it yet in the Arch repos, however.

There are some pacman frontends written in KDE that ought to be much more suitable if you are keen to match DE fidelity.

I haven't been able to search the forums for those as of yet. I have been too busy attempting to deal with the fonts and online banking up to this point.

Of course, the best UI for pacman is the CLI.

Depends on your needs. Sometimes, most of the time actually, I prefer the CLI. Other times, I prefer to be able to see a clearly (hopefully) printed list of all possible candidates for install (or removal).

Can you confirm for sure that it's only a Konq issue?

Yes.

E.g., have you tried a different browser on your current setup to check if that can login to your bank website?

Works fine in Opera.

Typical issues would be cookies setup, but Konq normally prompts you about those things.

Exactly, as it has always done for the past 6 years and I have always been able to log in. I run privoxy on my desktop, which passes http requests off to squid on the router, which fetches the pages. Https and ftp requests fetch to squid directly, bypassing privoxy, which doesn't handle those protocols. I have had this setup for at least 6 years now and never had a problem with online banking through Konqueror. In fact, online banking works with Konqueror on every other system I have installed here, however many that may be.

I must admit, I tend to use Firefox and I've found it better than konq on most factors.

Sorry, I won't switch fonts or browsers. I would instead switch to a distro where such things work properly, as they do on every other distro I have tinkered with for the last 6 years. Besides, I can't stand gtk+ slowness. I like my UI fast. Thanks qt.

I'm just surprised that there is something Arch-specific that has been done to interfere with it's standard behavour.

There may not be. I have simply assumed that is the case because it works on every other system I have across the various partitions of my hard drives with the exact same setup.