Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery]

Stephen Kitt  writes:

> I’m attaching a revert and an update to the footnote (against the next
> branch):

Thanks!  Applied for the next release.

-- 
Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org)  

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

On Fri, 22 Nov 2019 23:07:01 +0100, Stephen Kitt  wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Nov 2019 09:09:24 -0800, Russ Allbery  wrote:
> > Julien Cristau  writes:  
> > > I don't think this change is good as-is.  The "don't depend on X font
> > > packages" is still very much relevant, for applications that use the
> > > "traditional" X font system, where the X server loads the fonts.  The X
> > > server can still be on a different machine from the client.
> > 
> > Argh, you are of course entirely correct, so I think this change may be
> > wrong.  I just tested and indeed traditional bitmap fonts are still loaded
> > from the X server, not from the client.  I had thought I'd tested that
> > before but tested it incorrectly.  
> 
> Yes, thanks Julien for pointing that out, I’ll follow up with a patch to
> revert the change and update the explanation to remove mention of font
> servers.

I’m attaching a revert and an update to the footnote (against the next
branch):

diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst index dbba4fc..747df56 100644
--- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
+++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
@@ -617,9 +617,10 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
 
 .. [#]
-   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
-   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
-   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
+   This is because an X client may be displayed by a remote X server,
+   in which case X fonts are provided by the remote X server, not
+   retrieved locally; the Debian package system is empowered to deal
+   only with the local file system.
 
 .. [#]
Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;


Regards,

Stephen
From fde9ba8bf36b61988638c92ea29caeab6ed7f1dc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stephen Kitt 
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2019 11:29:00 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Revert "Allow strong dependencies on X font packages"

This reverts commit 6db3b01a13cf5cf7f5e0ea96049c8f51abdb9cfd, which
ignored the fact that X clients can still run on remote X servers, and
the fonts are provided by the latter.
---
 policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 17 -
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
index dfe6ce4..dbba4fc 100644
--- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
+++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
@@ -380,10 +380,11 @@ themselves.
 1.  Fonts of any type supported by the X Window System must be in a
 separate binary package from any executables, libraries, or
 documentation (except that specific to the fonts shipped, such as
-their license information). Packages which require one or more of
-the fonts thus packaged should Depend on the font package; if the
-fonts merely provide an enhancement, a Recommends or Suggests
-relationship may be used.  [#]_
+their license information). If one or more of the fonts so packaged
+are necessary for proper operation of the package with which they
+are associated the font package may be Recommended; if the fonts
+merely provide an enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used.
+Packages must not Depend on font packages.  [#]_
 
 2.  BDF fonts must be converted to PCF fonts with the ``bdftopcf``
 utility (available in the ``xfonts-utils`` package, ``gzip``\ ped,
@@ -616,11 +617,9 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
 
 .. [#]
-   In the past, the X server could retrieve fonts from the local file
-   system or over the network from an X font server, so packages were
-   forbidden from declaring a Depends relationship with font
-   packages. This is no longer the case: the X font server shipped in
-   Debian no longer supports remote font retrieval.
+   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
+   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
+   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
 
 .. [#]
Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;
-- 
2.20.1

From 5801e76ca690d86c52f7a117ba188a99a40f72c9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stephen Kitt 
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2019 11:31:59 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Update X font dependency rule note
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

X fonts are still not in the remit of the Debian packaging system
only, but the font server justification isn’t relevant nowadays. The
use of remote X servers is still relevant, and has always been a
reason for the rule that packages must not depend on X font packages,
since fonts are provided by the server.

Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt 
---
 policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 7 ---
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git 

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

On Fri, 22 Nov 2019 09:09:24 -0800, Russ Allbery  wrote:
> Julien Cristau  writes:
> > I don't think this change is good as-is.  The "don't depend on X font
> > packages" is still very much relevant, for applications that use the
> > "traditional" X font system, where the X server loads the fonts.  The X
> > server can still be on a different machine from the client.  
> 
> Argh, you are of course entirely correct, so I think this change may be
> wrong.  I just tested and indeed traditional bitmap fonts are still loaded
> from the X server, not from the client.  I had thought I'd tested that
> before but tested it incorrectly.

Yes, thanks Julien for pointing that out, I’ll follow up with a patch to
revert the change and update the explanation to remove mention of font
servers.

Regards,

Stephen


pgpjDyHN1sWds.pgp
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery]

Julien Cristau  writes:

> I don't think this change is good as-is.  The "don't depend on X font
> packages" is still very much relevant, for applications that use the
> "traditional" X font system, where the X server loads the fonts.  The X
> server can still be on a different machine from the client.

Argh, you are of course entirely correct, so I think this change may be
wrong.  I just tested and indeed traditional bitmap fonts are still loaded
from the X server, not from the client.  I had thought I'd tested that
before but tested it incorrectly.

-- 
Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org)  

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Julien Cristau]

On Sat, Oct 05, 2019 at 09:44:25PM +0200, Stephen Kitt wrote:
> Policy section 11.8.5, point 1 says
> 
> > If one or more of the fonts so packaged are necessary for proper
> > operation of the package with which they are associated the font
> > package may be Recommended; if the fonts merely provide an
> > enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used. Packages must not
> > Depend on font packages.
> 
> The associated footnote explains that
> 
> > This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> > system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> > system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
> 
> While this is still technically true, it seems rather irrelevant
> nowadays: most GUI programs directly render fonts obtained locally,
> and even for “traditional” X fonts, the vast majority of systems will
> obtain the fonts locally. Debian hasn’t had xfs for 5.5 years
> (); there is another font server
> available, xfstt, but that only handles TrueType fonts.
> 
> It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
> see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While
> lintian objects to X font depencencies
> (),
> it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).
> 
> Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
> dependencies?
> 
I don't think this change is good as-is.  The "don't depend on X font
packages" is still very much relevant, for applications that use the
"traditional" X font system, where the X server loads the fonts.  The X
server can still be on a different machine from the client.

This was never meant to apply to clients that use things like Xft to
load and render fonts client-side.  But I would think these mostly use
truetype fonts not the old bitmap fonts.

So while this section could absolutely use an update, "don't depend on
xfonts-*" is still a good recommendation IMO.

Cheers,
Julien

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

On Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:55:41 -0700, Russ Allbery  wrote:
> Russ Allbery  writes:
> > Stephen Kitt  writes:  
> 
> >> Is the following suitable?  
> 
> > Yup, this looks great.  Seconded.  Once this gets one more second, we'll
> > apply it.  
> 
> And now applied for the next release.

Great, thanks!

Regards,

Stephen


pgpGe53dF3CAD.pgp
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery]

Control: tags -1 pending

Russ Allbery  writes:
> Stephen Kitt  writes:

>> Is the following suitable?

> Yup, this looks great.  Seconded.  Once this gets one more second, we'll
> apply it.

And now applied for the next release.

-- 
Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org)  

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Holger Levsen]

On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 12:13:00PM -0700, Russ Allbery wrote:
> > From d5895ca185fa1d678a098697d9e1c601c84f45dd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> > From: Stephen Kitt 
> > Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2019 21:09:52 +0200
> > Subject: [PATCH] Allow strong dependencies on X font packages
> 
> > The X server shipped in Debian no longer supports remote retrieval of
> > fonts from an X font server, so it no longer makes sense to forbid
> > packages from strongly depending on X font packages. On the contrary,
> > since local fonts are now the only way for an X program to obtain its
> > fonts, packages which require specific fonts to operate should depend
> > on the corresponding font package. (This is already common practice
> > for non-X font packages.)
> 
> > Closes: #941803
> > Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt 
> > ---
> >  policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 17 +
> >  1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
> 
> > diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst 
> > b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> > index dbba4fc..dfe6ce4 100644
> > --- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> > +++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> > @@ -380,11 +380,10 @@ themselves.
> >  1.  Fonts of any type supported by the X Window System must be in a
> >  separate binary package from any executables, libraries, or
> >  documentation (except that specific to the fonts shipped, such as
> > -their license information). If one or more of the fonts so packaged
> > -are necessary for proper operation of the package with which they
> > -are associated the font package may be Recommended; if the fonts
> > -merely provide an enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used.
> > -Packages must not Depend on font packages.  [#]_
> > +their license information). Packages which require one or more of
> > +the fonts thus packaged should Depend on the font package; if the
> > +fonts merely provide an enhancement, a Recommends or Suggests
> > +relationship may be used.  [#]_
> >  
> >  2.  BDF fonts must be converted to PCF fonts with the ``bdftopcf``
> >  utility (available in the ``xfonts-utils`` package, ``gzip``\ ped,
> > @@ -617,9 +616,11 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
> > Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
> >  
> >  .. [#]
> > -   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> > -   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> > -   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
> > +   In the past, the X server could retrieve fonts from the local file
> > +   system or over the network from an X font server, so packages were
> > +   forbidden from declaring a Depends relationship with font
> > +   packages. This is no longer the case: the X font server shipped in
> > +   Debian no longer supports remote font retrieval.
> >  
> >  .. [#]
> > Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;
 
seconded, thanks.


-- 
cheers,
Holger

---
   holger@(debian|reproducible-builds|layer-acht).org
   PGP fingerprint: B8BF 5413 7B09 D35C F026 FE9D 091A B856 069A AA1C



signature.asc
Description: PGP signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery]

Stephen Kitt  writes:

> Is the following suitable?

Yup, this looks great.  Seconded.  Once this gets one more second, we'll
apply it.

> From d5895ca185fa1d678a098697d9e1c601c84f45dd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Stephen Kitt 
> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2019 21:09:52 +0200
> Subject: [PATCH] Allow strong dependencies on X font packages

> The X server shipped in Debian no longer supports remote retrieval of
> fonts from an X font server, so it no longer makes sense to forbid
> packages from strongly depending on X font packages. On the contrary,
> since local fonts are now the only way for an X program to obtain its
> fonts, packages which require specific fonts to operate should depend
> on the corresponding font package. (This is already common practice
> for non-X font packages.)

> Closes: #941803
> Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt 
> ---
>  policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 17 +
>  1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

> diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst 
> b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> index dbba4fc..dfe6ce4 100644
> --- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> +++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> @@ -380,11 +380,10 @@ themselves.
>  1.  Fonts of any type supported by the X Window System must be in a
>  separate binary package from any executables, libraries, or
>  documentation (except that specific to the fonts shipped, such as
> -their license information). If one or more of the fonts so packaged
> -are necessary for proper operation of the package with which they
> -are associated the font package may be Recommended; if the fonts
> -merely provide an enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used.
> -Packages must not Depend on font packages.  [#]_
> +their license information). Packages which require one or more of
> +the fonts thus packaged should Depend on the font package; if the
> +fonts merely provide an enhancement, a Recommends or Suggests
> +relationship may be used.  [#]_
>  
>  2.  BDF fonts must be converted to PCF fonts with the ``bdftopcf``
>  utility (available in the ``xfonts-utils`` package, ``gzip``\ ped,
> @@ -617,9 +616,11 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
> Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
>  
>  .. [#]
> -   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> -   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> -   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
> +   In the past, the X server could retrieve fonts from the local file
> +   system or over the network from an X font server, so packages were
> +   forbidden from declaring a Depends relationship with font
> +   packages. This is no longer the case: the X font server shipped in
> +   Debian no longer supports remote font retrieval.
>  
>  .. [#]
> Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;

-- 
Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org)  

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

Hi Guillem,

On Sun, 6 Oct 2019 20:08:20 +0200, Guillem Jover  wrote:
> On Sat, 2019-10-05 at 21:44:25 +0200, Stephen Kitt wrote:
> > The associated footnote explains that
> >   
> > > This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> > > system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> > > system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.  
> > 
> > While this is still technically true,  
> 
> Actually, I don't think this is true nowadays. Font server support was
> disabled in libxfont 1:1.4.7-1 (in 2014-01-07).

Wow, I had forgotten that! So the current language is even less relevant.

> > it seems rather irrelevant
> > nowadays: most GUI programs directly render fonts obtained locally,
> > and even for “traditional” X fonts, the vast majority of systems will
> > obtain the fonts locally. Debian hasn’t had xfs for 5.5 years
> > (); there is another font server
> > available, xfstt, but that only handles TrueType fonts.  
> 
> I've kept xfstt in the archive mostly for two reasons:
> 
>   - sentimental; it's the first package I adopted in Debian (at the
> same time of taking over as upstream :).

I know the feeling ;-).

[...]

Thanks for the info,

Stephen


pgpanoZzonFoZ.pgp
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

Hi Russ,

On Sun, 06 Oct 2019 11:42:20 -0700, Russ Allbery  wrote:
> Guillem Jover  writes:
> > On Sat, 2019-10-05 at 21:44:25 +0200, Stephen Kitt wrote:  
> >> It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
> >> see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While lintian
> >> objects to X font depencencies
> >> (),
> >> it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).
> >> 
> >> Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
> >> dependencies?  
> 
> > Looks like it to me, yes.  
> 
> Thank you for raising this, Stephen!  I use remote display of X
> applications all the time and noticed a while back that fonts were being
> loaded on the local machine instead of on the machine hosting the X
> server, but never had a chance to dig into what had changed.
> 
> This change looks right to me as well.  Do you have time to propose a
> diff?

Is the following suitable?

Regards,

Stephen


From d5895ca185fa1d678a098697d9e1c601c84f45dd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stephen Kitt 
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2019 21:09:52 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Allow strong dependencies on X font packages

The X server shipped in Debian no longer supports remote retrieval of
fonts from an X font server, so it no longer makes sense to forbid
packages from strongly depending on X font packages. On the contrary,
since local fonts are now the only way for an X program to obtain its
fonts, packages which require specific fonts to operate should depend
on the corresponding font package. (This is already common practice
for non-X font packages.)

Closes: #941803
Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt 
---
 policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 17 +
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst 
b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
index dbba4fc..dfe6ce4 100644
--- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
+++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
@@ -380,11 +380,10 @@ themselves.
 1.  Fonts of any type supported by the X Window System must be in a
 separate binary package from any executables, libraries, or
 documentation (except that specific to the fonts shipped, such as
-their license information). If one or more of the fonts so packaged
-are necessary for proper operation of the package with which they
-are associated the font package may be Recommended; if the fonts
-merely provide an enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used.
-Packages must not Depend on font packages.  [#]_
+their license information). Packages which require one or more of
+the fonts thus packaged should Depend on the font package; if the
+fonts merely provide an enhancement, a Recommends or Suggests
+relationship may be used.  [#]_
 
 2.  BDF fonts must be converted to PCF fonts with the ``bdftopcf``
 utility (available in the ``xfonts-utils`` package, ``gzip``\ ped,
@@ -617,9 +616,11 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
 
 .. [#]
-   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
-   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
-   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
+   In the past, the X server could retrieve fonts from the local file
+   system or over the network from an X font server, so packages were
+   forbidden from declaring a Depends relationship with font
+   packages. This is no longer the case: the X font server shipped in
+   Debian no longer supports remote font retrieval.
 
 .. [#]
Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;
-- 
2.20.1



pgpW1ADQB4nOu.pgp
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery]

Guillem Jover  writes:
> On Sat, 2019-10-05 at 21:44:25 +0200, Stephen Kitt wrote:

>> It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
>> see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While lintian
>> objects to X font depencencies
>> (),
>> it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).
>> 
>> Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
>> dependencies?

> Looks like it to me, yes.

Thank you for raising this, Stephen!  I use remote display of X
applications all the time and noticed a while back that fonts were being
loaded on the local machine instead of on the machine hosting the X
server, but never had a chance to dig into what had changed.

This change looks right to me as well.  Do you have time to propose a
diff?

-- 
Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org)   

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Guillem Jover]

Hi!

On Sat, 2019-10-05 at 21:44:25 +0200, Stephen Kitt wrote:
> Package: debian-policy
> Version: 4.4.1.1
> Severity: normal

> Policy section 11.8.5, point 1 says
> 
> > If one or more of the fonts so packaged are necessary for proper
> > operation of the package with which they are associated the font
> > package may be Recommended; if the fonts merely provide an
> > enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used. Packages must not
> > Depend on font packages.
> 
> The associated footnote explains that
> 
> > This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> > system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> > system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
> 
> While this is still technically true,

Actually, I don't think this is true nowadays. Font server support was
disabled in libxfont 1:1.4.7-1 (in 2014-01-07).

> it seems rather irrelevant
> nowadays: most GUI programs directly render fonts obtained locally,
> and even for “traditional” X fonts, the vast majority of systems will
> obtain the fonts locally. Debian hasn’t had xfs for 5.5 years
> (); there is another font server
> available, xfstt, but that only handles TrueType fonts.

I've kept xfstt in the archive mostly for two reasons:

  - sentimental; it's the first package I adopted in Debian (at the
same time of taking over as upstream :).
  - remote usage; external non-Debian systems where their X server
still has font server support can still use these.

 But it has crossed my mind few times already, dropping it from Debian
 and probably also from upstream.

> It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
> see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While
> lintian objects to X font depencencies
> (),
> it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).
> 
> Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
> dependencies?

Looks like it to me, yes.

Thanks,
Guillem

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

On Sat, 05 Oct 2019 21:44:25 +0200, Stephen Kitt  wrote:
> Policy section 11.8.5, point 1 says
> 
> > If one or more of the fonts so packaged are necessary for proper
> > operation of the package with which they are associated the font
> > package may be Recommended; if the fonts merely provide an
> > enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used. Packages must not
> > Depend on font packages.  
> 
> The associated footnote explains that
> 
> > This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> > system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> > system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.  
> 
> While this is still technically true, it seems rather irrelevant
> nowadays: most GUI programs directly render fonts obtained locally,
> and even for “traditional” X fonts, the vast majority of systems will
> obtain the fonts locally. Debian hasn’t had xfs for 5.5 years
> (); there is another font server
> available, xfstt, but that only handles TrueType fonts.

Oops, that should be https://bugs.debian.org/733958

> It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
> see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While
> lintian objects to X font depencencies
> (),
> it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).
> 
> Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
> dependencies?

Regards,

Stephen


pgplErs3bpixu.pgp
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Stephen Kitt]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 4.4.1.1
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

Policy section 11.8.5, point 1 says

> If one or more of the fonts so packaged are necessary for proper
> operation of the package with which they are associated the font
> package may be Recommended; if the fonts merely provide an
> enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used. Packages must not
> Depend on font packages.

The associated footnote explains that

> This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.

While this is still technically true, it seems rather irrelevant
nowadays: most GUI programs directly render fonts obtained locally,
and even for “traditional” X fonts, the vast majority of systems will
obtain the fonts locally. Debian hasn’t had xfs for 5.5 years
(); there is another font server
available, xfstt, but that only handles TrueType fonts.

It’s common for packages to strongly depend on non-X fonts they need;
see for example the reverse dependencies of fonts-dejavu. While
lintian objects to X font depencencies
(),
it doesn’t have anything to say about non-X fonts (rightly so).

Wouldn’t it make sense to relax the constraints on X font
dependencies?

Regards,

Stephen


-- System Information:
Debian Release: 10.1
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-debug'), (500, 'stable'), 
(100, 'unstable-debug'), (100, 'testing-debug'), (100, 'unstable'), (100, 
'testing'), (1, 'experimental-debug'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 4.19.0-6-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_OOT_MODULE, TAINT_UNSIGNED_MODULE
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), 
LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

debian-policy depends on no packages.

Versions of packages debian-policy recommends:
ii  libjs-sphinxdoc  1.8.4-1

Versions of packages debian-policy suggests:
ii  doc-base  0.10.8

-- no debconf information