Re: Arabic Mandrake Cooker ?

[Munzir Taha <munzirtaha at newhorizons dot com dot sa>]

On Thursday 18 December 2003 00:27, Nadim Shaikli wrote:
> A couple of days ago on IRC Diego Iastrubni (aka cuco) suggested
> something that was very interesting and something that we should
> follow-up in earnest on regarding Mandrake's Cooker.
>
> Diego noted the following,
>
>  + He pressured mandrake for 2 months until mandrake fixed hebrew issues
>     http://archives.mandrakelinux.com/cooker/2003-08/msg03646.php
>  + He asked for Arabic support as well, 

Thanks a lot for his attitude.

>  but since Arabic uses TTF files 
>    he was told "NO" (TTF files are about 2 MB in size).

Why! KacstArt.ttf is only 59.9KB KacstDecorative.ttf (recommended) is only 
86.6 What about the hebrew fonts' size? What's the format (type1?) used? Why 
on earth we can't generate any format from a ttf file? My understand is if 
the issue is solved for hebrew, it should be fixed for Arabic - nothing 
different. Expect a clearance soon.

>  + He notes, cooker already has RTL support,
>     http://iglu.org.il/mdkhe/rc1/DrakX-Nahlieli.png
>    and the arabic translations are already done, only fonts are missing.

Fonts are not missing-we have kacst fonts already included.

Pablo: "The problem with DrakX is not with DrakX (it can use and display the 
fonts), but with the way the installation stage is done (at boot it creates 
some virtual system on RAM to run a small Linux system from where X and DrakX 
are launched, etc), there are severe size limitations, and the problem is 
that the size of the Arabic fonts were a bit too big. To fix it the 
installation stage (not DrakX, but the way the running Linux is put on 
memory) has to be completely modified. It's way too late for this version. 
For version after 9.2 the install method will be rethought to overcome that 
problem (that also affect several other languages)." see the MAPS

>  + He suggests we mail and pressure mandrake (like he did) to get this
>    issue resolved ASAP by,
>    - Mailing 'pablo at mandrakesoft dot com'

Up to the minute I am following with pablo to resolve all Arabic related 
issues. I will send the list a snapshot of my mails just for the record and 
if one is interested in keeping up.

>    - Reporting a bug about this

Already done and you have thankfully voted for it.
http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/show_bug.cgi?id=5181

>    - Having lots of people vote for the bug

do it please if not already.

>    - Have someone subscribe to the 'cooker' mailing-list
>       http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/flists.php3
>      to keep-up with this issue and to keep harping on it.

I am already subscribed.

> I tend to agree with Diego - we _must_ be more demanding of distro esp
> when everything we require is technically done - the inclusion of fonts
> _must_ happen and we must get up in a roar about this (and other similar
> minor issues).

Agree and doing my best.

> Mr. Munzir Taha, since you are the mandrake guru around here, 

You misspelled guru, It's spelled guy ;)

> could you 
> please do the above and tell us what to vote for and whom to spam ?  We 
> are more than willing to help out to get this issue resolved (as should
> every person on this list).
>
> BTW: Diego, thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks to all of you who care.

> Munzir, how bout it ?

Any other suggestions.

> Salam.
Salaam

-- 
Munzir Taha
PGP Key available:
gpg --recv-keys --keyserver www.mandrakesecure.net F0671821

Telecommunications and Electronics Engineer
Linux Registered User #279362 at http://counter.li.org
Mandrake Club member
Maintainer of Mandrake Arabization Project Status (MAPS)
http://www.arabeyes.org/download/documents/distro/mdkarabicsupport.html
CIW Designer, ICDL, MOUS
New Horizons CLC
Riyadh, SA