Pamac-gtk (gui): Bad font rendering with anti-aliasing disabled (hinting enabled!) after update to version 11.0.1-2 in Manjaro KDE
Pamac --version
Pamac-GTK 11.0.1-2 - libpamac 11.5.7-2
Variant in use
GUI
Distribution
Manjaro
Desktop environment
KDE
What's not working
Bad font rendering with anti-aliasing disabled (hinting enabled!). Tested with kernels 515lts and 61lts on two different machines (main/real machine and virtual machine). In the screenshots you see font Verdana, but it's similar with for example DejaVu Sans or also with the preselected Noto Sans.
Pamac-GTK 10.5.1-1:
Pamac-GTK 11.0.1-2:
How to reproduce?
-
1. Use a current Manjaro KDE. -
2. Make sure that you have installed an appropriate font, e.g. Verdana or the preinstalled DejaVu Sans or the preselected Noto Sans in Manjaro KDE is suitable. The difference is even a bit more visible with Verdana. -
3. Go to System Settings -> Appearance -> Fonts and make the following settings (both options achieve the same effect): -
3.1 (Option 1, I took a screenshot of this:) First, make sure that some kind of hinting is enabled, either "Light", "Medium" or "Full" (it doesn't matter which), because after anti-aliasing is disabled, hinting is grayed out and no longer adjustable. But Hinting must be activated in background, even if it is grayed out afterwards (and supposedly should have no function anymore!). Then: Anti-Aliasing -> Disable/Checkmark out -
3.2 (Option 2:) Anti-Aliasing -> Enable/set checkmark; Exclude range from anti-aliasing -> Enable (8 - 15 pt -> the font size to be tested, e.g. 12 pt must be excluded); Sub-pixel rendering -> Best not to change, for me it is set to RGB; Hinting -> Light, Medium or Full <- important! Force font dpi -> Disable/Checkmark out -
4. Remember that the changes made will only affect programs that are restarted afterwards! I have even experienced having to make and save changes twice until they were fully applied. -
5. Open Pamac and you should see now the same bad font rendering as I've shown on the second screenshot.