From: kmself@ix.netcom.com Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.setup Subject: Re: Netscape font is too small Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 23:38:30 -0700 Organization: Gestalt Institute Lines: 133 Message-ID: <6h6cj8.52o.ln@kmself.nntp.ix.netcom.com> References: <962013683.1539336592@news.alpha.net.au> blinddog wrote: > Newbie question! I am running Mandrake 7 with Netscape 4.7 and a lot of the > fonts when browing atre really small (and not just due to screen resolution) > how can I fix this This isn't just a newbie problem. Background: Linux ships with a smaller (and different) fontset than legacy MS Windows. Most Linux systems don't include TT fonts by default (install these, you'll love yourself for it -- just copy fonts from the nearest Win box once you've set it up, IIRC it's OK per the MS font license). Many web sites f*ck with font settings, specifically using the tag, and either hardcoding a size or differential, often one or two levels down from the default font selection. Your problem is that you don't have the specified face, and at the size specified, fonts are bloody fscking unreadable. Netscape uses a default font size step of 20%. This results in a maximum size range of 50% - 200% of normal. By choosing an increment of 5%, you compress this range to ~ 80% - 120% of normal. Most pages now render readably (and I find the exaggerated scaling differential annoying and insulting anyway). Solution: My fix is to modify Netscape resources with the attached resource file. It's commented, and fixes a number of bugs with Netscape including the shopping button. I also select the "fixed" font for all dialogs and menus, which results in less vertical real-estate lossage. You can find the unmodified form of this file as "Netscape.ad" under you Netscape installation directory (run "locate Netscape.ad"). I also use a Garamond variable space font (12 pt) and Courier New monospace font (11 pt) as my browsing defaults. I *do* have to manually set the point size of the Courier font each time I launch Netscape, I've been unable to find out how to set this permanently. Note that Mandrake also fscks with a number of keybindings under Netscape. IIRC, the sequences "O", "R", "L", etc., don't work. The resource file may fix these problems as well, I'm not sure. Install it under /etc/X11/Xresources, or in your personal X resources directory/file. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /etc/X11/Xresources/netscape --------------------------------< begin >------------------------------- !## NETSCAPE Netscape*drawingArea.translations: #merge\ : ArmLink() \n\ : ArmLink() \n\ ~Shift: ActivateLink() \n\ ~Shift: ActivateLink(new-window) \ DisarmLink() \n\ Shift: ActivateLink(save-only) \ DisarmLink() \n\ Shift: ActivateLink(save-only) \ DisarmLink() \n\ : DisarmLinkIfMoved() \n\ : DisarmLinkIfMoved() \n\ : DisarmLinkIfMoved() \n\ : DescribeLink() \n\ : xfeDoPopup() \n\ : ActivatePopup() \n\ Ctrl: PageUp()\n\ Ctrl: PageDown()\n\ Shift: LineUp()\n\ Shift: LineDown()\n\ None: LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()\n\ None: LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()\n\ Alt: xfeDoCommand(forward)\n\ Alt: xfeDoCommand(back)\n Shiftspace:PageUp()\n\ space:PageDown()\n\ BackSpace: xfeDoCommand(back)\n\ ! Left: xfeDoCommand(back)\n\ ! Right: xfeDoCommand(forward)\n Netscape*globalNonTextTranslations: #merge\ Shift: LineUp()\n\ Shift: LineDown()\n\ None:LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()LineUp()\n\ None:LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()LineDown()\n\ Alt: xfeDoCommand(forward)\n\ Alt: xfeDoCommand(back)\n Shiftspace:PageUp()\n\ space: PageDown()\n\ ! BackSpace: xfeDoCommand(back)\n\ ! Left: xfeDoCommand(back)\n\ ! Right: xfeDoCommand(forward)\n # Restrict the range of size increments allowed by directives to # the range 80% - 120% rather than 50% - 210%. Default increment is 20. # KMSelf Wed Dec 29 15:47:57 PST 1999 Netscape*documentFonts.sizeIncrement: 05 # Clean up the fscking toolbar Netscape*toolBar.search.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.destinations.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.myshopping.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.viewSecurity.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.print.isEnabled: true Netscape*toolBar.home.isEnabled: true # And some other brain damage Netscape*useStdoutDialog: false Netscape*useStderrDialog: false Netscape*noAboutSplash: true # Fonts -- dialogs and such Netscape*attachmentProps*XmLabelGadget.fontList: fixed Netscape*AddressBook*mainform.fontList: fixed Netscape*XmLGrid*fontList: fixed Netscape*attachItemLabel*fontList: fixed Netscape*prefs*fontList: fixed Netscape*statusBar*fontList: fixed # Document fonts -- scaling doesn't appear to take effect w/ TTF fonts Netscape*documentFonts.defaultFont*iso-8859-1.prop: -ttf-garamond-120-noscale Netscape*documentFonts.defaultFont*iso-8859-1.fixed: -ttf-courier new-90-noscale --------------------------------< end >------------------------------- -- Karsten M. Self http://www.netcom.com/~kmself Evangelist, Opensales, Inc. http://www.opensales.org What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand? Debian GNU/Linux rocks! http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/ K5: http://www.kuro5hin.org GPG fingerprint: F932 8B25 5FDD 2528 D595 DC61 3847 889F 55F2 B9B0