[Bug 2000551] Re: [System Fonts] Replace default sinhala font from LKLUG to Noto

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

Hi Aurora, and thanks for your report.

I see that LKLUG is pulled by default by several meta packages, and I'd
prefer to avoid stopping them from doing that.

$ apt rdepends fonts-lklug-sinhala
fonts-lklug-sinhala
Reverse Depends:
  Recommends: ubuntu-desktop
  Recommends: xubuntu-desktop
  Recommends: xubuntu-core
  Recommends: vanilla-gnome-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntustudio-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntukylin-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntucinnamon-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntu-unity-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntu-mate-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntu-mate-core
  Recommends: ubuntu-budgie-desktop
  Recommends: lubuntu-desktop
  Recommends: kubuntu-desktop
  Recommends: ubuntu-desktop-minimal

Instead we can use fontconfig to achive the desired result. I have
played with the language-selector package and made a test version
available here:

https://launchpad.net/~gunnarhj/+archive/ubuntu/language-selector

The change is not huge. You can see what I did in the repo:

https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-desktop/ubuntu/+source/language-
selector/commit/?id=36d055d1

The point with the change is to make fontconfig give Noto Sans Sinhala
respective Noto Serif Sinhala higher precedence than LKLUG.

The fonts-noto-core package needs to be installed, of course, which it
currently is not for all users. So for a Sinhala speaking user, who
wants to use Noto fonts for rendering Sinhala, they can do either of
these steps:

* Select the Sinhala language when installing Ubuntu. That way fonts-
noto-core will be installed at first login.

* Open Language Support and add the Sinhala language from there, which
will pull fonts-noto-core.

As regards snaps, this approach makes a difference with the Firefox snap
at least.

Can you please install language-selector-gnome and language-selector-
common from the PPA I mentioned, and let us know what you think.

** Also affects: language-selector (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

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Title:
  [System Fonts] Replace default sinhala font from LKLUG to Noto

Status in language-selector package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in ubuntu-meta package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  **What's the problem?**

  Currently ubuntu comes with LKLUG font for sinhala (si). it's not
  clear. e.g. we cannot recognize vowel signs and read websites using
  that font. We can change it manually but such changes do not apply to
  some applications or application types e.g. snap apps etc.

  LKLUG (last active: 2012) no one maintain it now.
  https://web.archive.org/web/20220000000000*/http://www.lug.lk/
  http://www.lug.lk/fonts/lklug

  **What expected to happen?**

  We would like to see Noto serif sinhala as the default font for sinhala language
  https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Serif+Sinhala
  [Highlighs: clear (readable), thin, takes less space than sans sinhala]

  If noto sans is more suitable for ubuntuOS, you can add noto sans sinhala https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Sans+Sinhala
  [Highlighs: clear (readable), thick, takes more space than serif sinhala]

  **Additional details**

  Screenshots (see the difference: LKLUG/Noto)

  LKLUG
  https://i.ibb.co/nbHM5Mw/lklug.jpg

  Noto Sinhala
  https://i.ibb.co/k9dbtYb/noto.jpg

  If you need more examples or clarifications, please add a comment

  
  Random posts
  1. https://groups.google.com/g/Sinhala-Unicode/c/LYxuJ44dY3g
  2. https://twitter.com/thilinag/status/1598707165920825344#m (LKLUG bug with some apps)
  3. https://www.reddit.com/r/srilanka/comments/nzpl9p/change_sinhala_font_in_ubuntu/

  Also, some developers already have designed tools, scripts for that problem however many people do not try to find these scripts and switch to other OS
  1. https://github.com/IMS94/UbuntuSinhalaFont (developer: PMC chair @apache)
  2. https://gist.github.com/thilinag/66577033fafd00c3dfdaa898c2478c79
  3. https://github.com/hankyoTutorials/linux-system-sinhala-font-changer

  Please review details, screenshots and posts. This is not a personal
  opinion and atleast, i expect to see this change in the next interim
  or LTS release.

  Furthermore, please let me know if i can help to speed-up this
  replacement process

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