fonts: what is a "point" in Linux/Gnome?

[G.Wolfgang Gaich]

Hello all,

I didn't read all the mails of this thread.

My suggestion:

In Ubuntu go to System/Preferences/Appearance/Fonts.
Activate Subpixel smoothing and click on details.
There you can adjust the resolution (dpi) to the needs of your display.
dpi = xres x 2.54 / the width of your display
For my display I have 116 dpi and the fontsizes are ok.

Regards,

Wolfgang





On Mon, 2010-03-01 at 15:41 -0800, Richard Gaskin wrote:
> Before I trudged off to the Gnome Usability List with my questions, I 
> figured I owed it to them and myself to first dig up what I can on my 
> own.  Glad I did - here are some highlights:
> 
> 
> [Usability] Gnome is Too BIG..
> <http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2008-March/msg00010.html>
> 
> Gnome is too big, indeed.
> <http://panospace.wordpress.com/2008/03/23/gnome-is-too-big-indeed/>
> 
> Default font size too large if using native DPI
> <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/310353>
> 
> The note there in comment #67 explains the Firefox "anomaly":
> 
>      Web browsers use pixel-based preferences for arcane reasons
>      that made a lot of sense in 1999 but that are making steadily
>      less sense over time. They'll probably switch to points a few
>      years after OSes do.
> 
> 
> So at least I'm not alone in my observations about Gnome, and it seems 
> it is indeed a Gnome issue and not specific to Ubuntu.
> 
> What I haven't found is how/if the Gnome team will attempt to resolve 
> this.  There are some serious backward compatibility issues at stake, so 
> I appreciate the many reports filed against this marked "Won't Fix".
> 
> Over the long term we can expect the Gnome team to come up with 
> something clever, Firefox will migrate to points over pixels, and Rev 
> will improve its GTK support to go along for the ride.
> 
> In the short term, I'll just use 12-point fonts with more 
> conventionally-sized controls than most Gnome apps, so I can ship on 
> time at the relatively small cost of a handful of users who won't be 
> grateful that I'm making better use of their screen real estate. :)
> 
> --
>   Richard Gaskin
>   Fourth World
>   Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
>   Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
>   revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv
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