Java applications missing font smoothing - ugly fonts

[doktor5000]

Well not very ugly, but fonts are far from beautiful.
Do i need some special font package?
Other trick?
mga2-64, KDE

[doktor5000]

Can you please give an example which java application shows that problem, or better post a screenshot?

[morgano]

Here a screenshot of Yapbam, Yet Another Personal Bank Manager, http://www.yapbam.net
The italic font is especially annoying when reading long lists...
I think i have decided anyhow to not use yapbam, but skrooge instead, bit it would be nice to fix the problem.
I see same issue with my invoicing program JFSfakt that also is java, but it do not use italics so it is better readable.

I guess smoothing of fonts is not supported?
Maybe there is a way to change which fonts java use?

[doktor5000]

I guess smoothing of fonts is not supported?
Maybe there is a way to change which fonts java use?

Yes, seems like it doesn't use it. Sorry, can't help you with that, i'm not that much into Java ...
BTW: I've adjusted the thread title to something more suitable and meaningful ...

[martinw]

Here, with Mageia-2 64-bit, GNOME, OpenJDK 1.7.0, anti-aliasing is working. Using the HelloWorldSwing example, I get

Example with anti-aliasing disabled

without-smoothing.png (4.46 KiB) Viewed 2431 times

Example with anti-aliasing enabled

with-smoothing.png (6.08 KiB) Viewed 2431 times

Under GNOME, this can be changed whilst the Java program is running, using the GNOME Tweak Tool.

[morgano]

OK Thanks, now i see what the problem is.
Now i just need to know what tool to use under KDE.
I could not find any i could understand from a net search... only talk about how to to if you write th eprogram and that seem not to be easy either. GNOME Tweak Tool was mentioned also. But nothing for KDE i found.

[martinw]

Don't know if this will work, but you could try installing and running gnome-tweak-tool. It may pull in other parts of GNOME, but unless you are short of disk space, that shouldn't hurt.

[morgano]

Yes it installs 50-60 MB packets. But still refuse to run.

Code: Select all

# /usr/bin/gnome-tweak-tool                       
WARNING : Error detecting shell                                                   
Traceback (most recent call last):                                               
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/tweaks/tweak_shell_extensions.py", line 149, in __init__                                                           
    shell = GnomeShellFactory().get_shell()                                       
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/utils.py", line 38, in getinstance
    instances[cls] = cls()                                                       
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/gshellwrapper.py", line 143, in __init__                                                                           
    proxy = _ShellProxy()                                                         
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/gshellwrapper.py", line 44, in __init__                                                                             
    result, output = self.proxy.Eval('(s)', js)                                   
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/gi/overrides/Gio.py", line 148, in __call__                                                                             
    kwargs.get('flags', 0), kwargs.get('timeout', -1), None)                     
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/gi/types.py", line 43, in function     
    return info.invoke(*args, **kwargs)
GError: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.gnome.Shell was not provided by any .service files
WARNING : Shell not running
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/tweaks/tweak_shell.py", line 58, in __init__
    self._shell = GnomeShellFactory().get_shell()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/utils.py", line 38, in getinstance
    instances[cls] = cls()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/gshellwrapper.py", line 143, in __init__
    proxy = _ShellProxy()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/gshellwrapper.py", line 44, in __init__
    result, output = self.proxy.Eval('(s)', js)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/gi/overrides/Gio.py", line 148, in __call__
    kwargs.get('flags', 0), kwargs.get('timeout', -1), None)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/gi/types.py", line 43, in function
    return info.invoke(*args, **kwargs)
GError: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.gnome.Shell was not provided by any .service files
WARNING : Could not list shell extensions
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/tweaks/tweak_shell.py", line 63, in __init__
    extensions = self._shell.list_extensions()
AttributeError: ShellThemeTweak instance has no attribute '_shell'
WARNING : Testing for expected AutostartCondition failed: Got (None)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/gtweak/utils.py", line 152, in uses_autostart_condition
    return asc.split(" ", 1)[0] == autostart_type
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'split'

(gnome-tweak-tool:14942): GLib-GIO-ERROR **: Settings schema 'org.gnome.nautilus.desktop' is not installed

Spårningsfälla


(he last word is swedish, translates directly to "track trap")
Starting it as normal user give no output at all
I have no idea what "shell" it need.
/usr/share/doc/gnome-tweak-tool/README is not helpful, just saying we should not talk about it

[morgano]

Installed gnome-minimal, logged out of KDE and into gnome,
run /usr/bin/gnome-tweak-tool from terminal, window "Advanced Settings" shows up,
i select cathegory fonts and hinting is medium.
I can not find anything specific to java. Is some extension module neded?

When i start my java program in gnome it looks the same as in KDE.

[martinw]

I have Hinting set to Medium and Anti-aliasing set to Rgba. Nothing specific to Java.

Just to check, are you using OpenJDK 1.7.0? I think anti-aliasing support is a fairly recent addition.

Could you try the HelloWorldSwing example I linked to, so we are both looking at the same thing.

[lemonzest]

export _JAVA_OPTIONS=-Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on -Dswing.aatext=true

enables AA in java, no need for gnome packages.

[morgano]

Thank you lemozest
It do say it picks up the options, but still look the same though, used in terminal, running KDE:

Code: Select all

[morgan@T61M JFSFakt]$ export '_JAVA_OPTIONS=-Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on -Dswing.aatext=true'
[morgan@T61M JFSFakt]$ ./JFSFakturering
Picked up _JAVA_OPTIONS: -Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on -Dswing.aatext=true

(JFSFakturering is manufacturers original shell script to do checks and start the java program)

I had both java-1.7.0-openjdk, and java-1.6.0-openjdk installed. Uninstalled 1.6.0, no change. Uninstalled 1.7.0 too... and no change...!!

Obviously it use internal java... The script is too complicated for me... I do see it checks for installed java several places, runs some java tests and seem to be able to unpack bundled jre if no local found. Obviously it use internal as systems java are uinstalled.

Well i give up for now, i can read this important program good anyway, and otehr java progs i have now abandoned.
But i have learned something and i hope the export trick can help someone else.
Thank you guys