Re: What backend should be the default now on -nix?

[Alex Perez]

Fred Kiefer wrote:
> Adrian Robert wrote:
>
> >
>
> > On the Xlib back end, is there an obstacle to setting anti-aliased 
> > fonts on by default?  I personally only noticed this capability after 
> > months, and don't imagine this is that unusual among general users.  
> > Ideally, anti-alias should default to ON, but the code should 
> > autodetect if libfreetype is absent in in this case fall back to 
> > non-antialiased.
>
> It may be just me that prevented this :-)
>
> Although I implemented the original AA support for xlib (now extended 
> with great patches by Derek Zhou. BTW: There is still one I always 
> forget to commit) I don't use it myself and this may have blocked it 
> from becomming the default. To be honest, I don't liek AA fonts, most of 
> the time they just look bad. But if you, and a few others, really want 
> them as the default, I don't mind to switch them on, I know how to 
> switch them off for myself anyway.
> One thing to keep in mind: Our autodetection code for libfreetype is at 
> compile time not runtime.

Well, I think that the problem is that basically people expect AA fonts. 
 I have no problem with you not wanting them. I think that's very 
reasonable. I merely think that more people seem to want AA fonts than 
not, and those who dont will probably be longtime users and know how to 
turn it off with the default anyways.

Consider this my vote /for/ default-on AA fonts in xlib, assuming 
freetype is there.

By the way, what's the patch you haven't applied?

Cheers,
Alex Perez