[SOLVED] correct font to read IPA in specific source docs

[MrD]

My uni must have some weird fonts installed because I can view documents there on their computers but when I access the docs from home I cannot read the IPA characters. I have manually added Doulis SIL (http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page ... L_download deb package here) reset my laptop and then went on a font installing spree in Synaptic manager when that didn't work but no joy



The squares you see are the characters I expected to be able to read. The documents are protected as in the toolbar in Open Office cannot read the fonts unless I Save As a fresh document, then I can read fonts and highlighting the squares says it it is using Doulis Sil, with Ariel Unicode MS reading as the rest of it (except where the author picked another font for small sections of text to stand out)

1) Does Ariel Unicode MS not have IPA fonts in it?
2) Why is Doulis Sil not working to read them?
3) I've tried all my machines and my friends, with a collection of XP Pro, Windows 7 and Linux Mint on them. 5 machines now and no one can read these documents. What can I do to identify the fonts in the docs and see if they are rare/specialised ones?

I'm coming up on a deadline and can't be bothered travelling in to hand my laptop to the techies and get them to figure it out (well, it's kind of their fault I think) so if we can solve this within the next 24hrs I'll hand in my work, then see what sort of mood I am in to question them.

[Husse]

I've worked my way down to this post first now - sorry and no one else helped you
I bet these are some technical fonts, there are a few of these
Is it still a problem?

[MrD]

Today I went nicely up to my uni's techie guys and gave them the good news that every student I know in my class that I've asked, cannot view the doc's on their personal computers. The techies referred me to my tutor to resolve the issue. I had already suggested to the class they all download Doulis SIL font (it's free and recommended for linguists) and the tutor advertised my advice (which doesn't work, at least no one has blamed me.)

So I sweetened my smile and asked the techie again, kindly, if he knew of any rare fonts that might be installed systemwide. They have one master image to install all pc's from time to time. Apparently they update the image as they go along, fixing issues and adding things. But they couldn't identify the fonts, , which means hidden issues like this carry over, and merely said they were "IPA fonts" which no font I know of is called that.

So, they couldn't help me and get this, it was suggested I go into uni, logon to a machine, stick a usb drive in and download all the fonts in the relevant windows folder, go home and install them one by one till I could read the doc's we use, then go back and advertise I'd solved the problem.

I thought this was a bit crazy for a student to do and the fact that it appears no one could read the docs away from the uni machines tended to put liability on the uni techies to resolve the issue. I pushed them again gently, but no joy. I recommended they look at installing Doulis SIL on that image for future and a bit of googling will answer any questions they had about it. But it looks like I am going to have to burn a few hours or so resolving the issue myself unfortunately the hard way.

I would have thought with Doulis SIL installed on my machine that the font would take over. But it appears not. The doc's were locked against editing also. I used 'Save As' in Open office to make an editable document but unfortunately when I highlighted the text in the new document the toolbar said I was using Doulis SIL in the IPA characters, but they still didn't appear.

[MrD]

UPDATE:

There is a strong possibility on communication with a lecturer that the docs involved are old material still used today and this means that the fonts used are obsolete non-unicode ones. Apparently in our uni there is a service our techies provide to install the older fonts on students machines. I find that difficult to justify personally since I don't see how students can feasibly get their desktops into uni for the work to be done. This would need to be done by all incoming students., those forced to reinstall windows or even in the case of a systems restore (face it, the majority of students are using windows) The easiest solution is to convert the docs fonts to unicode so they can be read by modern era fonts such as the eminently capable Doulis SIL. This will require man hours though, so someone has to do it.

I realise now this isn't a Mint/Ubuntu problem after all. But it is insightful into how a modern higher education establishment can have a faulty IT system in place. Also how no student has been willing to speak up about this problem. I can't explain why not. I've been stressed over this process and have to wonder how I will be treated in future because I brought this up.

[Husse]

have to wonder how I will be treated in future because I brought this up.

Sad but true - the messenger is often shot

[MrD]

Final Update: (Ih ope!)

There is a way to convert non-unicode obsolete font characters in docs. But this is for Windows users unfortunately. I am placing it here for archiving just in case someone ever needs to know how

With Windows XP/Vista/7 and M$ Word installed, download the full offline installation file here (about 50megs) containing a converter and obsolete fonts:

Code: Select all

http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=EncCnvtrs&highlight=sil~converter

When installing, tick the box saying you wish to use: "SIL IPA93<>UNICODE" or whatever you 'know' the offending font to be. This setting can be changed at any time.

Because there were problems with the GUI in the software I had to use this lengthier method:

Open problem doc in word, open a fresh doc beside it on screen, copy and paste the 'bad' characters into the fresh doc. Highlight them. File/Tools/Converter option, on popup window check settings and apply to doc. Copy and paste your new unicode characters back into the original doc!!

I spent hours googling and playing with the software (inculding the necessity of having to install Windows XP to my laptop, in dual boot mode of course) but fixed the docs we have to work on.

There are ongoing talks. The issue was raised in class today apparently (I slept in due to spending all night figuring this out!) and loads of students admitted they couldn't read the docs except on uni machines, forcing them to come in to read and print them off then take them home to work on. There's some head shaking about why no one has raised this issue but me. I think I am still on good terms with our tutor after all, haha.

I guess you keep learning as you go along. This is probably lost knowledge to me. I think I remember having to convert docs to unicode way back when.....