desktop-packages team mailing list archive

[greg <145604@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Like some others, I also object to keeping the "legacy" filter as the
default. Freetype doesn't call it legacy without reason: it is optimized
for one special rendering preference, full native hinting (IMO it's
doing badly even in that case), and is crap in all others. Moreover, if
the fonts do not have high-quality hinting instructions, it does a bad
job as well. I think this isn't even subjective, the color fringing of
the "legacy" filter is bad regardless of display and/or personal
preferences.

If you still think it matters to not "surprise" users (I certainly would
call improved text rendering a good surprise, though), the FIR3 filter
might be a good choice for the default, but I'd surely go for the
default (FIR5) by default. This is how it should be anyway.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop
Packages, which is subscribed to cairo in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/145604

Title:
  VRGB sub-pixel hinting causes black-on-black text rendering

Status in libcairo  -  cairo vector graphics library:
  Confirmed
Status in cairo package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in compiz package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in compiz-fusion-plugins-main package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: libcairo2

  There is a long-standing problem (Gutsy, Hardy, Intrepid - possibly
  Jaunty too) with sub-pixel rendering which affects metacity or compiz
  composition (see the images attached to this bug) when VRGB is chosen
  as the sub-pixel format. Comment #15 by MoMaT demonstrates a non-
  compiz scenario. My comments #2 and #10 demonstrate the issue with
  Compiz enabled.

  The underlying issue essentially seems to be: where should sub-pixel
  rendering should be done - in libcairo or in the font renderer
  (FreeType in this case) ?

  There have been two versions of the Ubuntu patch in
  libcairo/libcairo2. Reports seem to suggest that both versions may be
  responsible for the VRGB problem (however, that supposition needs
  checking - see Bob McElrath's comment #19).

  We need to be aware that libcairo (libcairo 1.5.4 in Universe) and
  libcairo2 (cairo 1.6.0 in Main) are similarly patched and will need
  similar fixes.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/libcairo/+bug/145604/+subscriptions