BCI-hinting-enabled libfreetype PET packages
Posted: Thu 23 Jul 2009, 05:04
Example
This is a fonting improvement which works on some, but not all, Puppies. Where it works, it works very very well. But it costs 660 kilobytes before expansion, 2 megabytes after (I kept in the headers in case you want to compile things that depend on libfreetype), and so I suggest that, before you try these pets, first go here and see if iguleder's simple change brings your fonting up to greatness.
***
Several Puppy users have advised that my screen fonting improvement procedure (http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=10576) is too complicated. Here is an attempt to put it within reach.
First, please understand that you *must* go read http://freetype.sourceforge.net/patents.html. The subject of that webpage is the world's best method of screen font rendering, called "BCI hinting." Apple owns the patents. What these patents mean is, you are legally prohibited from giving yourself supreme perfect fonting, by installing one of the attached PET packages and following the three easy after-install steps, unless you either:
a) own the relevant BCI hinting license from Apple,
or
b) live in a country where none of the patents apply,
or
c) otherwise comply with Apple's legal intellectual property rights.
So: by installing one of the attached PET packages, you hereby promise, affirm, aver, avow, allege and cross-your-heart-'n'-hope-to-die, that you meet one of the above criteria. I am not responsible if you don't.
The attached PET packages do two things:
1. Installs a version of libfreetype which supports BCI hinting on fonts which can use it (which is, most TrueType and OpenType fonts).
2. Installs modified versions of the fonting configuration files /etc/fonts/font.conf and /etc/fonts/local.conf.
These PET package are designed to be uninstallable, but should be considered experimental, so the usual caveats apply. Back up everything before you try these. I am not responsible for whatever happens.
During the early weeks of release of these packages, it was discovered that boxpup-413, if running with XVesa as the X server, loses its native screencapture ability if a bci libfreetype .pet is installed. Uninstalling the .pet does not bring back the screencapture ability.
Therefore, provisionally, I am specifying these PET's only for use with Puppies running the XOrg X server. Try them on XVesa if you dare, but expect problems. Report back if you have success.
Plain black = on my agenda to create.
Blue = link to place below in this thread where you can download.
Red = BCI hinting has been tested and gives no improvement.
If you don't see it, feel free to ask for it!--that is, if you will PM me with a request to supply a PET package for your version, I will put it on my agenda to create, and post the link to it here, as I have time to fulfill the requests.
Puppy 4.12 k2.6.25.16
boxpup-k2.6.25.16-413-r1
boxpup-retro-k2.6.21.7-421
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-420 ttuuxxx's no-bling version
puppy-k2.6.29.1-v1-xorg-420-rt-smp
puppy-420-DAW-Pup
puppy-k2.6.21.7-v1-xorg-421-retro
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-421
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-422 (woof pps-422)
puppy-k2.6.29.6-v1-xorg-422 (woof ppa-422)
upup-466
(to be continued...)
Next: the three easy after-install steps.
And then: some fontpack PET packages.
This is a fonting improvement which works on some, but not all, Puppies. Where it works, it works very very well. But it costs 660 kilobytes before expansion, 2 megabytes after (I kept in the headers in case you want to compile things that depend on libfreetype), and so I suggest that, before you try these pets, first go here and see if iguleder's simple change brings your fonting up to greatness.
***
Several Puppy users have advised that my screen fonting improvement procedure (http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=10576) is too complicated. Here is an attempt to put it within reach.
First, please understand that you *must* go read http://freetype.sourceforge.net/patents.html. The subject of that webpage is the world's best method of screen font rendering, called "BCI hinting." Apple owns the patents. What these patents mean is, you are legally prohibited from giving yourself supreme perfect fonting, by installing one of the attached PET packages and following the three easy after-install steps, unless you either:
a) own the relevant BCI hinting license from Apple,
or
b) live in a country where none of the patents apply,
or
c) otherwise comply with Apple's legal intellectual property rights.
So: by installing one of the attached PET packages, you hereby promise, affirm, aver, avow, allege and cross-your-heart-'n'-hope-to-die, that you meet one of the above criteria. I am not responsible if you don't.
The attached PET packages do two things:
1. Installs a version of libfreetype which supports BCI hinting on fonts which can use it (which is, most TrueType and OpenType fonts).
2. Installs modified versions of the fonting configuration files /etc/fonts/font.conf and /etc/fonts/local.conf.
These PET package are designed to be uninstallable, but should be considered experimental, so the usual caveats apply. Back up everything before you try these. I am not responsible for whatever happens.
During the early weeks of release of these packages, it was discovered that boxpup-413, if running with XVesa as the X server, loses its native screencapture ability if a bci libfreetype .pet is installed. Uninstalling the .pet does not bring back the screencapture ability.
Therefore, provisionally, I am specifying these PET's only for use with Puppies running the XOrg X server. Try them on XVesa if you dare, but expect problems. Report back if you have success.
Plain black = on my agenda to create.
Blue = link to place below in this thread where you can download.
Red = BCI hinting has been tested and gives no improvement.
If you don't see it, feel free to ask for it!--that is, if you will PM me with a request to supply a PET package for your version, I will put it on my agenda to create, and post the link to it here, as I have time to fulfill the requests.
Puppy 4.12 k2.6.25.16
boxpup-k2.6.25.16-413-r1
boxpup-retro-k2.6.21.7-421
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-420 ttuuxxx's no-bling version
puppy-k2.6.29.1-v1-xorg-420-rt-smp
puppy-420-DAW-Pup
puppy-k2.6.21.7-v1-xorg-421-retro
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-421
puppy-k2.6.25.16-v1-xorg-422 (woof pps-422)
puppy-k2.6.29.6-v1-xorg-422 (woof ppa-422)
upup-466
(to be continued...)
Next: the three easy after-install steps.
And then: some fontpack PET packages.