Package: devscripts Severity: Wishlist X-Debbugs-CC: Debian Fonts Task Force <pkg-fonts-de...@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Based on the suggestion by Paul Wise on pkg-fonts, it would be useful if Lintian were able to validate .ttf/.otf Truetype-based files and issue warnings for those fonts that have DRM bits set. The presence of such bits is designed to prevent the prevent full Free use of the fonts; thread at: http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-fonts-devel/2011-July/thread.html#6916 The DRM bits ('OS/2'.fsType != 0) can restrict the user's freedom by preventing activities such installing/embedding/printing/editing. Catching these bits will allow informing upstream font developers that their fonts have such restrictions and therefore encouraging upstream authors to free their fonts further. Many are simply aware, or have been the victim of default export settings. Proof that this is valuable and can generate results is at: "Technical: Metadata: set OS/2.fsType=0 (Installable Embedding)" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-font-family/+bug/648406 Indeed, such a check proved so useful have it was added to the build process for the Ubuntu Font Family, causing an error condition and bailing out if required. For Lintian the check can simply be a warning, or perhaps a error condition for fonts entering 'main'. Example GPLv3 Python/fonttools code to check can be found at: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~sladen/ubuntu-font-family/midstream/view/head:/midstream/validate-libre-ttf.py and for resetting the DRM bits: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~sladen/ubuntu-font-family/midstream/view/head:/midstream/patch-truetype.py --remove-drm Paul Wise notes that something can probably be done with existing Perl-based font libaries too. Full documentation on the Truetype/Opentype file format and the meaning of the 'fsType' DRM flags can—and the GUI interface in Fontforge to change them—can be found at: http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/opentype/index_os2.html#fst http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/fontinfo.html#TTF-Values -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
