Package: xserver-xorg
Version: 6.9.0.dfsg.1-6
Severity: wishlist
Hi Branden, or whoever is maintaining the X server nowadays.
On my systems at least, X.Org is loading the "type1" font backend. I
have no idea whether this is the default behaviour, or an artefact of
my configuration -- if the latter, please disregard this report.
I would like to argue that the "type1" backend should not be loaded by
default.
The "type1" backend uses the IBM/Lexmark Type 1 rasteriser, which is
old, unmaintained and buggy. Since XFree86 4.3.0, the "freetype"
backend is used for Type 1 fonts if it is loaded, and the "type1"
backend is only used for CIDFonts.
Nobody understands CIDFonts. Nobody knows how to install a CIDFont in
the X server. CIDFonts are not supported by Xft. And fortunately
they are obsolete -- the format has been made obsolete by OpenType/CFF.
I would like to convince you that the "type1" backend should not be
loaded by default. If your users complain, please point them at
FontForge, which is supposed to be able to convert CIDFonts to the
OpenType/CFF format (which, unlike conversion to TTF format, is lossless).
Thanks,
Juliusz
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