[Solved] Can't change Synaptic fonts in LM10 KDE RC

[kmb42vt]

Linux Mint 10 KDE RC has been running well for me after a bit of minor tweaking but I have this problem with the Synaptic Package Manager.

Synaptic has never followed system font settings in KDE but this could easily be solved by setting custom font settings within the Synaptic application itself via it's preferences (both the application and terminal fonts). With LM 10 KDE RC however, setting custom fonts and font sizes in Synaptic's Preferences (Columns and Fonts) does nothing. You can set custom fonts and sizes for both Synaptic and the Synaptic terminal and click "Apply"/"OK" but the actual fonts and sizes remain the same in both, nothing changes. This is clearly a bug but I not sure where I should start troubleshooting it. I've found nothing of value doing a Google search so far.

Can someone please confirm this just to make sure it's not isolated to my own install?

[schrodinger's cat]

Linux Mint 10 KDE RC has been running well for me after a bit of minor tweaking but I have this problem with the Synaptic Package Manager.

Synaptic has never followed system font settings in KDE but this could easily be solved by setting custom font settings within the Synaptic application itself via it's preferences (both the application and terminal fonts). With LM 10 KDE RC however, setting custom fonts and font sizes in Synaptic's Preferences (Columns and Fonts) does nothing. You can set custom fonts and sizes for both Synaptic and the Synaptic terminal and click "Apply"/"OK" but the actual fonts and sizes remain the same in both, nothing changes. This is clearly a bug but I not sure where I should start troubleshooting it. I've found nothing of value doing a Google search so far.

Can someone please confirm this just to make sure it's not isolated to my own install?

+1

Synaptic (and mintUpdate as well) seems to be using the new Ubuntu font, which is fine, but it is sized so small, maybe 6 pt, that is ridiculously hard to read for anyone without perfect eyesight. I have tried everything I can think of to change the font, but nothing has any effect. Actually, it seems to be a similar font to the one used for the messages on this forum, but at least in Firefox I can zoom the view to make it easier to read here, and in Synaptic it seems to be even smaller.

[kmb42vt]

I found a solution for changing the tiny fonts in Synaptic. This also solves the tiny fonts problem in Software Sources" and MintUpdate as well since they're all related to each other.

Background: The problem results in that changing the system font settings via System Settings only applies to the non-root owner while Synaptic, Software Sources and MintUpdate are opened only as root therefor the non-root owner system font settings will not apply. Also, any custom font changes within Synaptic by default are written to /root/.synaptic/synaptic.config file which also will not affect the fonts in Synaptic during a normal user session. Now why I've been able to change Synaptic's fonts via it's own settings in past versions of Linux Mint KDE I haven't figured out yet.

The solution is to open System Settings as root and change the System Font settings there as well (you'll notice right away that the font settings are set to the default 8 pt when you open System Settings as root). Now you cannot use the "sudo" prefix since it drops root privileges as soon as the command is executed so you have to use the gksu prefix instead since it will hold root privileges until the application called is closed.

So open a terminal and type in the following:

Code: Select all

gksu systemsettings

When the System Settings window appears navigate to Application Appearance/Fonts and set your font settings and anti-aliasing (sub-pixel rendering) as you did in your normal system font settings (non-root). When you're finished, close System Settings and you're done. Pretty simple, huh? Now open Synaptic and you'll see that you fonts are no longer tiny. This will also apply to Software sources and MintUpdate.

[ra-dio]

Thanks a lot! It also works in Linux Mint KDE 12.