Please allow the conversation to continue. The very fact that it is still being discussed, shows the importance of the problem. Maybe some will be swayed by some arguments, and others by others. Some creative solutions have already been proposed.
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IMO, the Ubuntu installer should install by default fonts that match the locale but also provide a font installer to install extra fonts (If you really like one or need to type in another language). This would save on font bloat and let users quickly install as necessary.
I just ran this script in a new Ubuntu installation (in case you wanna try it, run it with bash, not with sh). It seems the situation is much worse than only the Noto fonts (which in any case could be better packaged). There are many non-Latin fonts installed by default that don’t belong to Noto fonts. I hadn’t even thought that even Libreoffice/Firefox’s help was also installed in many languages by default (which the above script made obvious). Could it be that these dependencies are forcing the installation of many non-Latin fonts so that help in Libreoffice and Firefox can be displayed in any conceivable language on Earth? If that is the case, then the packaging problem is not only regarding Noto fonts but also Libreoffice and Firefox being prepared to display help in every language irrespective of user’s language and region.
God Dammit - what a great idea!
Show me how!
I totally agree with Dandv and others who think along the same lines - been pressuring the people in Ubuntu, Libre Office and WPS office, to OFFER font selections based upon preferences instead of EVERY FONT in EVERY LANGUAGE under the sun - and thus ending up with hundreds of fonts to scroll through on choosing the very few fonts I actually need to use in documents.
In my travels I have saved every font set from every program I have owned or came for free on compuer magazine CD’s etc.,and I have picked up files - so cumulatively I have access to some 150,000 fonts.
And do you know what? I never use them.
I have long since figured out that the very fine art of LEGIBLE font design is based upon line weight, simplicity and openess of character, spacings etc., and the simpler the font is, the easier it is to read in bulk - think 20 to 2000 page court documents, AND the more elaborate and decorative they are, their use becomes very limited to book covers and artistic work, and they fail totally at legibility enmass.
So I only run my word processors with perhaps 3 to 6 different font sets… and that is it - based purely on ease of reading.
Bookman Old style, Courier New, MS Line Draw, Times New Roman etc…
So having to wade through HUNDREDS of fonts that come from the install of Ubuntu, and all the other word processing programs, I am beginning to think that the lack of simple programming in all their font installation components - is both a lack of forethought and consideration and respect - as well as just plain bad planning.
All the programs need in the installer process is LANGUAGE / s and FONTS of choice.
Instead of just installing 150 or 300 languages and dialects, and their 500 odd fonts, to cater for everyone…
My choice it to ONLY install one language, ENGLISH and only 4 or 5 fonts…
AND I know that most people in most countries - feel the same way.
But the multilingual - can pick out the number of languages that they speak or have to cater too.
And like in some areas they might have 12 or 14 different languages… but they don’t need to install the fonts for the the other 200 odd languages.
So - choices on the install people, choices.
Here is my solution among other scripts: https://github.com/alexmyczko/autoexec.bat/blob/master/config.sys/ubuntu-remove-fonts
That’s an awesome font library! Could you share it?
I just posted Let selection of default fonts be based on Noto . While the starting point for that proposal was not to address this “excessive fonts issue”, I still think it would come with a nice side effect: You would be able to reduce the number of installed fonts significantly by uninstalling one single package.
Please read and let me know if you think the proposal would be a step in the right direction with respect to the problem discussed in this topic.
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