On Nov 29, 2015, at 12:28 PM, René J.V. Bertin wrote:
>
> Is there a policy regarding ports that install fonts (for the host, not X11
> fonts, or fonts for TeX etc)?
>
> From what I know one cannot add system-wide font locations, and there is no
> need for calling any kind of helper application; font files can simply be
> copied into /Library/Fonts. Is that acceptable for a port to do, or should
> (dependent) ports that require a specific (free) font family to be installed
> simply request the user to do so via the notes mechanism?
/Library/Fonts is a location which users expect to be in control of. They
expect to be able to install and uninstall files here, and not to have files
there owned by MacPorts or other software. What would happen if the user had
already installed the font there, and then MacPorts tried to install it there?
(MacPorts would fail with an activation error.) What would happen if the user
tried to remove the font MacPorts installed there by dragging it to the trash?
(The Finder would say they are not authorized to do that.) What would happen if
the user's MacPorts registry becomes corrupted somehow and they have to follow
the emergency uninstallation instructions? (These font files would not be
uninstalled, because they were not installed in a directory MacPorts owns.) For
these reasons, I would say no, you should not write a port that installs
anything in /Library/Fonts. I'm not aware of any existing ports that do that.
Maybe install the fonts in ${prefix}/Library/Fonts, or another directory inside
the prefix where other ports already install fonts, and try to convince
whatever port you're working on that requires that specific font to use it from
that location.
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