Arch Linux

ryan0270

Member

Registered: 2010-08-31

Posts: 25

Fonts: Cannot convert string .... to type FontStruct

I'm updating an old Motif application and get the following warnings when running

Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-190-100-100-*" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*" to type FontStruct

Unfortunately, the appearance of the application relies on text being of that height; without those fonts rows aren't lining up correctly.

Updating the application to something more modern isn't really an option at the moment, so I need to find a way to get those fonts to work. The old systems that normally run this software have a font server running that, I suspect, is building the missing fonts. I'm under the impression that font servers are now out of vogue and can't even find instructions for how to install one on arch linux.

So how do I go about getting the missing fonts? Is there a utility that will build the missing fonts?

thisoldman

Member

From: Pittsburgh

Registered: 2009-04-25

Posts: 1,172

Re: Fonts: Cannot convert string .... to type FontStruct

Without more details, I can't really do more than point you to the wiki, https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/X_ … escription and give the following hints.

The font strings are not quite matching with the Adobe Helvetica fonts installed through 'extra/xorg-fonts-100dpi'. xlsfonts is in the package xorg-xlsfonts.

$ xlsfonts -fn '-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-190-100-100-*'
xlsfonts: pattern "-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-190-100-100-*" unmatched

$ xlsfonts -fn '-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*'
xlsfonts: pattern "-*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*" unmatched

$ xlsfonts -fn '-*-helvetica-medium-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*'
xlsfonts: pattern "-*-helvetica-medium-r-normal-*-90-100-100-*" unmatched

The closest size match for the 19 point Helvetica font is the 18 point, -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-180-100-100-*, with nine matches.  There is a 24 point too: -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-240-100-100-*

There are also 8 and 10 point Helvetica fonts that might substitute for the 9 point fonts you ask for.  Where your fontname strings have 90, substitute 80 or 100.

Searching Google Books, I wasn't able to find a mention of a 19 point Helvetica in X Users Guide Motif R5: Motif Edition (1994) within the list of 75 dpi fonts. 19 points is such an odd size, I wonder if anyone ever released a version.

ryan0270

Member

Registered: 2010-08-31

Posts: 25

Re: Fonts: Cannot convert string .... to type FontStruct

I do have the 8 and 10 point versions. When I substitute them things are close, but for rows of things to line up in the GUI it requires the 9pt helvetica specifically (it's very old software and doesn't really take advantage of any automatic row alignment).

Actually, the old production machines that this was developed on also do not have those sizes installed according to /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/fonts.dir. The old-timer I was talking to about it said the font server somehow created the missing fonts.

thisoldman

Member

From: Pittsburgh

Registered: 2009-04-25

Posts: 1,172

Re: Fonts: Cannot convert string .... to type FontStruct

Well, hardware has probably changed considerably since the Motif era..  Think CRTs, where a 19-inch monitor was absurdly expensive. How old a piece of software are you trying to update?

ryan0270

Member

Registered: 2010-08-31

Posts: 25

Re: Fonts: Cannot convert string .... to type FontStruct

15-20yrs since the first iterations   The hardware that currently runs it is a power PC chip with linux kernel 2.6.14. My first task it to just get the software running on "standard" pc hardware with the latest kernel.