Re: [PATCH v5] Fonts: Adding all Terminus fronts from 12 to 32 in bold, and normal versions

Re: [PATCH v5] Fonts: Adding all Terminus fronts from 12 to 32 in bold, and normal versions

[Helge Deller]

Hi Pavel,

please include the graphics mailing lists (fbdev, dri-devel).

* Pavel Nikulin <pavel@noa-labs.com>:
> This patch adds an option to compile-in all terminus fonts, and removed the old bold only terminus version
> 
> These fonts were converted from Terminus psf files with the help of psftools and a script.
> 
> This patch is non-intrusive, no options are enabled by default so most users won't notice a thing.

Sure, but you add a whole lot of fonts.
Why are both bold and non-bold fonts needed?
Why do we need all in-kernel?
They may be loaded after bootup via userspace too.

What does other people think?

Helge

 
> I am placing my changes under the GPL 2.0 just as source Terminus font.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Pavel Nikulin <pavel@noa-labs.com>
> ---
>  V4 -> V5: Added changed font.h to the patch
> 
>  include/linux/font.h       |   42 +-
>  lib/fonts/Kconfig          |  142 +-
>  lib/fonts/Makefile         |   15 +
>  lib/fonts/font_ter10x18.c  | 6412 ++++++++----------------------------
>  lib/fonts/font_ter10x18b.c | 1305 ++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter10x20.c  | 1305 ++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter10x20b.c | 1305 ++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter11x22.c  | 1561 +++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter11x22b.c | 1561 +++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter12x24.c  | 1561 +++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter12x24b.c | 1561 +++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter14x28.c  | 1817 ++++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter14x28b.c | 1817 ++++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter16x32.c  | 4107 +++++++++++------------
>  lib/fonts/font_ter16x32b.c | 2073 ++++++++++++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter6x12.c   |  537 +++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter8x14.c   |  537 +++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter8x14b.c  |  537 +++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter8x16.c   |  537 +++
>  lib/fonts/font_ter8x16b.c  |  537 +++
>  lib/fonts/fonts.c          |   45 +
>  21 files changed, 22124 insertions(+), 7190 deletions(-)
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x18b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x20.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x20b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter11x22.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter11x22b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter12x24.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter12x24b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter14x28.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter14x28b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter16x32b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter6x12.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x14.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x14b.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x16.c
>  create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x16b.c

Re: [PATCH v5 RESEND] Fonts: Adding all Terminus fronts from 12 to 32 in bold, and normal versions

[Pavel Nikulin]

Hello Helge,

> Why are both bold and non-bold fonts needed?

Because people have different screen densities. On those 4k 10 inch screens, people would probably go for bolder versions regardless of how much text they want to fit in.

> They may be loaded after bootup via userspace too.

Too many fonts are already baked into the kernel, and I would've advocated for eventually adding a function for PSFs to be more easily added at config, or boot time.

Terminus is a good font for the kernel for the reason that it covers a very wide range of font sizes.

On the sidenote, the previously incorporated Terminus font patch seemingly has a wrong FONTDATAMAX value

Re: [PATCH v5 RESEND] Fonts: Adding all Terminus fronts from 12 to 32 in bold, and normal versions

[Helge Deller]

Hello Pavel,

On 3/10/26 13:24, Pavel Nikulin wrote:
>> Why are both bold and non-bold fonts needed?
> 
> Because people have different screen densities. On those 4k 10 inch screens, people would probably go for bolder versions regardless of how much text they want to fit in.

Yes, but is there so much difference between 10x18, 10x18b,10x20,10x20b ?
I mean, this is a whole lot of source code (bloat?) which we would add to the kernel sources.
Even more worse, if most people won't even compile it then....

Just looking at the number of possible fonts, I wouldn't know which one to use myself:

  lib/fonts/font_ter10x18.c  | 6412 ++++++++----------------------------
  lib/fonts/font_ter10x18b.c | 1305 ++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter10x20.c  | 1305 ++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter10x20b.c | 1305 ++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter11x22.c  | 1561 +++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter11x22b.c | 1561 +++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter12x24.c  | 1561 +++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter12x24b.c | 1561 +++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter14x28.c  | 1817 ++++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter14x28b.c | 1817 ++++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter16x32.c  | 4107 +++++++++++------------
  lib/fonts/font_ter16x32b.c | 2073 ++++++++++++
  lib/fonts/font_ter6x12.c   |  537 +++
  lib/fonts/font_ter8x14.c   |  537 +++
  lib/fonts/font_ter8x14b.c  |  537 +++
  lib/fonts/font_ter8x16.c   |  537 +++
  lib/fonts/font_ter8x16b.c  |  537 +++

>> They may be loaded after bootup via userspace too.

And I still believe, that the fbconsole usually is used for:
a) older historic machines which can't use DRM/DRI, and
b) simple devices / embedded devices which still use fbdev, and
c) probably the majority: new x86 machines with DRM where it's only used shortly for bootup until graphical login appears.

For a) I believe the current fonts are sufficient (and mimic the architecture).
For b) I believe one of the current fonts will be hardcoded by the vendor.
For c) I think most people don't care about the additional fonts.

> Too many fonts are already baked into the kernel, and I would've
> advocated for eventually adding a function for PSFs to be more
> easily added at config, or boot time.

Yes, a function to compile in some PSF-font at build-time would
probably be more useful?

All that said, my believe is that we already ship enough fonts
and don't need a whole bunch of additional fonts.

Any opinions from dri-devel folks on that?

> Terminus is a good font for the kernel for the reason that it covers a very wide range of font sizes.
> 
> On the sidenote, the previously incorporated Terminus font patch seemingly has a wrong FONTDATAMAX value

Do you want to send a patch?

Helge

Re: [PATCH v5] Fonts: Adding all Terminus fronts from 12 to 32 in bold, and normal versions

[Thomas Zimmermann]

Hi

Am 27.02.26 um 21:59 schrieb Helge Deller:
> Hi Pavel,
>
> please include the graphics mailing lists (fbdev, dri-devel).
>
> * Pavel Nikulin <pavel@noa-labs.com>:
>> This patch adds an option to compile-in all terminus fonts, and removed the old bold only terminus version
>>
>> These fonts were converted from Terminus psf files with the help of psftools and a script.
>>
>> This patch is non-intrusive, no options are enabled by default so most users won't notice a thing.
> Sure, but you add a whole lot of fonts.
> Why are both bold and non-bold fonts needed?
> Why do we need all in-kernel?
> They may be loaded after bootup via userspace too.
>
> What does other people think?

I'm strongly against adding more fonts to the kernel. Fonts can (and 
should) be loaded from user space.

AFAICT this patch is just about someone trying to get their favorite 
font merged. Doing that is not going to work out long term.

Best regards
Thomas

>
> Helge
>
>   
>> I am placing my changes under the GPL 2.0 just as source Terminus font.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Pavel Nikulin <pavel@noa-labs.com>
>> ---
>>   V4 -> V5: Added changed font.h to the patch
>>
>>   include/linux/font.h       |   42 +-
>>   lib/fonts/Kconfig          |  142 +-
>>   lib/fonts/Makefile         |   15 +
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter10x18.c  | 6412 ++++++++----------------------------
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter10x18b.c | 1305 ++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter10x20.c  | 1305 ++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter10x20b.c | 1305 ++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter11x22.c  | 1561 +++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter11x22b.c | 1561 +++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter12x24.c  | 1561 +++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter12x24b.c | 1561 +++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter14x28.c  | 1817 ++++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter14x28b.c | 1817 ++++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter16x32.c  | 4107 +++++++++++------------
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter16x32b.c | 2073 ++++++++++++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter6x12.c   |  537 +++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter8x14.c   |  537 +++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter8x14b.c  |  537 +++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter8x16.c   |  537 +++
>>   lib/fonts/font_ter8x16b.c  |  537 +++
>>   lib/fonts/fonts.c          |   45 +
>>   21 files changed, 22124 insertions(+), 7190 deletions(-)
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x18b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x20.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter10x20b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter11x22.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter11x22b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter12x24.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter12x24b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter14x28.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter14x28b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter16x32b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter6x12.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x14.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x14b.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x16.c
>>   create mode 100644 lib/fonts/font_ter8x16b.c

-- 
--
Thomas Zimmermann
Graphics Driver Developer
SUSE Software Solutions Germany GmbH
Frankenstr. 146, 90461 Nürnberg, Germany, www.suse.com
GF: Jochen Jaser, Andrew McDonald, Werner Knoblich, (HRB 36809, AG Nürnberg)