[SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

VirtualTorus · 2018-07-30 03:09:00

Hi everyone,

Forgive my ignorance about fonts, I am not sure how to diagnose my current issue. I would like to use bdf-unifont in various applications such as Emacs, xmobar, and urxvt, however the font renders strangely (at least to me).

Emacs screenshot

I've tried searching up on the web to see if other people have similar issues but I've found absolutely nothing. Any ideas?

Edit: My system is fully up to date and if it helps, I haven't tinkered with any font settings (I have only used "fc-cache" and "fc-list" as commands relating to fonts but that's it). Here is a list of all the fonts on my machine.

NOTE: I am not using bdf-unifont in my xmobar here, but I get the large spacing if I do use it just as in Emacs and urxvt.

Last edited by VirtualTorus (2018-08-05 19:27:13)

Trilby · 2018-07-30 03:34:31

At least in urxvt those symptoms are indicative of the specified font not being found/matched my font-config and urxvt using a (hideous) fallback font. This should be easy to confirm by intentionally inserting typos in the font string: the result should look the same as without the intentional typos.

If that is the case, then please post your Xdefaults and/or Xresources.

VirtualTorus · 2018-07-30 04:09:47

Trilby wrote:

At least in urxvt those symptoms are indicative of the specified font not being found/matched my font-config and urxvt using a (hideous) fallback font. This should be easy to confirm by intentionally inserting typos in the font string: the result should look the same as without the intentional typos.
If that is the case, then please post your Xdefaults and/or Xresources.

Forgive me, I thought I had

URxvt.letterSpace: -1

set in my .Xresources but it was commented out, so I thought urxvt was handling Unifont in a way that I wanted it to. Here is another screenshot of what it looks like in xmobar (and I guess urxvt, which doesn't have any issue).

xmobar/urxvt Screenshot

Last edited by VirtualTorus (2018-07-30 04:10:51)

Trilby · 2018-07-30 04:33:03

Eh, ok, another screenshot. How about trying that diagnostic test I suggested or posting those config files I requested.

VirtualTorus · 2018-07-31 00:56:26

Trilby wrote:

Eh, ok, another screenshot. How about trying that diagnostic test I suggested or posting those config files I requested.

I tried the diagnostic test, it falls back to a nice font. Here is my .Xresources.

jasonwryan · 2018-07-31 00:59:51

Dina is a bitmap font, your declaration is wrong: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Rx … on_methods

Trilby · 2018-07-31 01:03:57

So the diagnostic test tells us two relevant things - one, the "bad" appearance with the font you are trying to specify is not simply a fallback, and two, Xresources is being loaded and used. But the content of the Xresources doesn't add up. You said you are trying to use bdf-unifont (which should be specified as "unifont"), but your Xresources specifies Dina which would be [community]/dina-font.

Which are you trying to use?

EDIT: JWR, the line in Xresources should work for dina font if that's what's desired. Even though it could be specified with the XLFD, font-config will also find it:

$ fc-match Dina
DinaMedium10.pcf.gz: "Dina" "Regular"

Last edited by Trilby (2018-07-31 01:05:28)

VirtualTorus · 2018-07-31 01:32:09

My dudes, I already mentioned that I am not having issues with urxvt when using Unifont. My initial post remarking that I did was due to my own misunderstanding, I thought I had

URxvt.letterSpace: -1

written in .Xresources, and that this was causing the letters in Unifont to be spaced close together in urxvt. So I assumed there was an additional issue with Unifont in urxvt, besides xmobar and Emacs. However, this was wrong because I actually had

!URxvt.letterSpace: -1

in my .Xresources, where the exclamation mark is syntax for a comment (so it was never set). And why my pastebin has 'Dina' was because I decided to keep it that way earlier today until I can get Unifont to appear in the way that I want it to on Emacs and xmobar.

Last edited by VirtualTorus (2018-07-31 01:40:15)

Trilby · 2018-07-31 02:18:08

Not having the letterSpace setting should not result in what was shown in your first screenshot - but ok, if you are happy with what urxvt looks like, then post the relevant configs for the programs that are still not how you want them to be. I'm also confused as to why you'd use Dina in urxvt if the font you really wanted worked just fine in urxvt - but I guess that can be left a mystery.

VirtualTorus · 2018-07-31 04:27:54

Emacs config
Xmobar config
Xmonad config
Screenshot of urxvt, xmobar, Emacs with Unifont enabled

VirtualTorus · 2018-08-05 19:25:51

After doing a bit of research online and inspecting what fonts I have available, the conclusion I drew is, either, I do not have the required settings for BDF fonts or the programs I am using do not support BDF fonts.

My workaround was to simply use the TTF version of Unifont: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/ttf-unifont/

I could have also used the lightweight pcf-unifont, however this is good enough for me.

Last edited by VirtualTorus (2018-08-05 19:32:05)

Arch Linux

#1 2018-07-30 03:09:00

[SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#2 2018-07-30 03:34:31

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#3 2018-07-30 04:09:47

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#4 2018-07-30 04:33:03

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#5 2018-07-31 00:56:26

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#6 2018-07-31 00:59:51

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#7 2018-07-31 01:03:57

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#8 2018-07-31 01:32:09

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#9 2018-07-31 02:18:08

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#10 2018-07-31 04:27:54

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

#11 2018-08-05 19:25:51

Re: [SOLVED] bdf-unifont issue

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