[bug #64577] [grops] can't embed/download fonts from a subdirectory

[Phil Chadwick]

Follow-up Comment #11, bug #64577 (project groff):

I decided to tidy up the Type 1 fonts and put them all the pfa, pfb, and ps
files into /usr/local/share/fonts/Type1, which is where X11 (and numerous
other applications) expect to find them.

[These path names are FreeBSD specific, but Linux will be analogous.]

Everything went fine until I started forefox.  It went to 100% CPU. So I tried
chrome, and iridium, all with the same result.

Truss showed that they were stuck in an infinite loop repeatedly traversing
the devps "directory" (/usr/local/share/fonts/Type1/devps -> .). It seems that
these web browsers can't handle a self-referential sym link.
 
Luckily I provide Type 1 fonts to groff in "ps" format, and I can put them
back into a separate directory, not used by web browsers.  So I can call it
"devps" or I can add the "devps -> ." symlink.  
 
But, I expect that many users will want groff to be able to use pfa fonts also
used by X11 applications like web browsers.  The "devps -> ." hack won't work
for them.

Nobody will want to keep a separate copy of Type 1 fonts just for the sole use
of groff.

I understand you have a security issue.  May I suggest you review the meaning
of GROFF_FONT_PATH and its requirement to contain a directory named  "devps". 
Maybe consider looking at ghostscript's GS_LIB (either a single directory or a
list of directories separated by a character appropriate for the operating
system) as a starting point model?


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