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Re: Gnu Emacs 20.7 and international fonts



jsbien@mimuw.edu.pl (Janusz S.=?iso-8859-2?q?_Bie=F1?=) writes:
> According to /usr/doc/xfonts-intl-asian/copyright, the
> `xfonts-intl-asian' package is missing the Tibetan fonts because of
> "unclear copying conditions". What is exactly the problem with the
> copying conditions? Aren't the *GNU* fonts distributed according to
> *GNU* license? Anyway, I think that any distribution problem can be
> sorted out with Kenichi Handa, the maintainer (if I understand
> correctly) of the GNU international fonts.

> As for Ampahric and Tigrina, they need Ethiopic fonts, which are
> included in GNU Internationals fonts 1.1, but are not available as a
> Debian package (at least dselect does not list them on my computer).

Actually, copying conditions of those Ethiopic fonts
included in intlfonts package is now written as:
	 COPYRIGHT "GNU Copleft"
but I don't know whether it is legally valid or not.

When, I first asked Dr. Daniel Yacob (as far as I know, he
is the author of the fonts) about the copying conditions, he
wrote me that they were free.  So, I included them in
intlfonts 1.1.

When, I released intlfonts 1.2, I tried to access a page
where he distributed Ethiopic fonts, but, for unknown
reason, I couldn't reach that page.

Now, I'm preparing intofonts 1.3.  To udpate files and
clarify copyright issue, I again tried to access all sites
that contains original fonts.  I found the page:
	http://www.AbyssiniaCyberGateway.net/fidel/fonts.html
contains the latest Ethiopic BDF font, and it says:
	 COPYRIGHT "GNU Copleft"

> As for printing multilingual texts, to the best of my knowledge Emacs
> requires international fonts in the BDF format in the directory
> pointed by the `bdf-directory-list', by default in
> "/usr/local/share/emacs/fonts/bdf", while the packages install them
> only as *.pcf.gz in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/.

> Now the main question:

> What is the recommended way to configure Emacs for handling correctly
> the HELLO file, and in consequence other multilingual files?

If you just want to see them correctly on screen, I think
installing intlfonts-1.2, including the installed PCF font
directory at the head of your font path, and setting X
resource Emacs.Font to "fontset-standard" is the best way.

But, printing is a difficult issue.  If you use BDF fonts
(by setting ps-multibyte-buffer to bdf-font), you can surely
print all characters.  But, the result is usually uglier
than printing by printer's builtin fonts.  What I'm now
doing is to use buitin fonts usually, and use BDF fonts only
for special cases.

I have a plan of making ps-print facility to select the best
font method for the target text automatically (according to
users preference order).  But, now we are working for the
release of Emacs 21.1 and we have already freezed features,
such a new facility is for 21.2.

---
Ken'ichi HANDA
handa@etl.go.jp



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