[SOLVED] Thai Language Fonts wth?

[Snowhog]

Running 16.04. The following packages were included in the dist-upgrade I just ran:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     7852 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-thai-tlwg_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4194 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-garuda_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   154700 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-garuda-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4178 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-kinnari_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   268552 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-kinnari-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4150 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-laksaman_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   171738 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-laksaman-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4184 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-loma_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   154632 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-loma-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3946 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-mono_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   160734 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-mono-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3958 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-norasi_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   303274 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-norasi-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3638 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-purisa_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   301398 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-purisa-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3652 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-sawasdee_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   152690 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-sawasdee-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3702 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typewriter_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   163346 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typewriter-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3940 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typist_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   163312 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typist-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     3974 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typo_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   163776 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-typo-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4178 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-umpush_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   212618 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-umpush-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     4162 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-waree_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   162994 Jan 12 17:50 fonts-tlwg-waree-ttf_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb

I have never installed Thai language fonts, nor do I have any desire to do so. The issue now, is that when apt attempts to unpack/configure these font packages, and when I attempt a package cache clean up (sudo apt-get --purge autoremove && sudo apt-get clean && sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lock) the following is returned:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 fonts-tlwg-garuda : Depends: fonts-tlwg-garuda-ttf but it is not installed or
                              fonts-tlwg-garuda-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-kinnari : Depends: fonts-tlwg-kinnari-ttf but it is not installed or
                               fonts-tlwg-kinnari-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-laksaman : Depends: fonts-tlwg-laksaman-ttf but it is not installed or
                                fonts-tlwg-laksaman-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-loma : Depends: fonts-tlwg-loma-ttf but it is not installed or
                            fonts-tlwg-loma-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-mono : Depends: fonts-tlwg-mono-ttf but it is not installed or
                            fonts-tlwg-mono-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-norasi : Depends: fonts-tlwg-norasi-ttf but it is not installed or
                              fonts-tlwg-norasi-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-purisa : Depends: fonts-tlwg-purisa-ttf but it is not installed or
                              fonts-tlwg-purisa-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-sawasdee : Depends: fonts-tlwg-sawasdee-ttf but it is not installed or
                                fonts-tlwg-sawasdee-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-typewriter : Depends: fonts-tlwg-typewriter-ttf but it is not installed or
                                  fonts-tlwg-typewriter-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-typist : Depends: fonts-tlwg-typist-ttf but it is not installed or
                              fonts-tlwg-typist-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-typo : Depends: fonts-tlwg-typo-ttf but it is not installed or
                            fonts-tlwg-typo-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-umpush : Depends: fonts-tlwg-umpush-ttf but it is not installed or
                              fonts-tlwg-umpush-otf but it is not installed
 fonts-tlwg-waree : Depends: fonts-tlwg-waree-ttf but it is not installed or
                             fonts-tlwg-waree-otf but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

Short of installing the dependant packages listed above, which I would rather not have to do, how do I perform a proper cache clean up?

[claydoh]

Ubuntu has always included all the different Thai fonts by default. There are many of them, to be sure, as well as many others included also.

[claydoh]

How to fix it without installing the deps, I don't know. There may be a core meta-package that depends on the fonts, but I dunno. Maybe aptitude may offer better results in this case?

[Snowhog]

Interesting. fonts-thai-tlwg_1%3a0.6.2-2_all.deb is a meta-package who's description reads: Shortcut for installing all Thai fonts that are collected, enhanced and maintained by Thai Linux Working Group (TLWG).

That package was installed, but as I identified, none of the dependent packages were. Looking in Muon Package Manager, I find there are three meta-packages for Thai fonts, and only the one above was installed (which to me, should be the 'master' meta-package). The other two meta-packages that are not installed are:

fonts-thai-tlwg-otf (Description: Most modern desktop users who want to use Thai language should install this package.)
fonts-thai-tlwg-ttf (Description: Most modern desktop users who want to use Thai language should install this package.)

Anyway, I installed Thai fonts using sudo apt-get install fonts-tlwg* which resolved this issue. But if I don't want these fonts installed; I'll never use them; how do I go about removing them such that this dependency problem doesn't recur the next time? Install the other two meta-packages and remove the actual Thai fonts packages?

[claydoh]

when I've done so, I have just uninstalled any and all ttf font package I did not want. I filter for 'ttf' and installed status. I've never removed any metapackages though. if you filter for "fonts" and installed status you can find those as well. There are quite a few different language fonts, though the space gained is not huge I don't think. Probably helps some on resources though.

[Snowhog]

Okay. Thank you.

I'll install the other two meta-packages so that all three are installed, then selectively remove the individual Thai .ttf and .otf packages that are installed.

While I have plenty of space, I just don't like having non-required packages installed. As I've been running 16.04 for a while now, and this issue only appeared yesterday, I have to wonder what changed? Yes, I know that 16.04 is still 'under development' and that 'breakage is to be expected', so I'm not going to sweat over it. Just curious.

[claydoh]

I heard mention of broken font packages on irc, but think it has since been fixed. I never had the issue myself probably due to the timing of my updating.

The changes are looking to be due to debian changing font packaging regarding ttf and otf fonts
http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changel....2-2/changelog

I have zero clue what it means though

[Snowhog]

Identified all the Thai fonts that are installed using Muon Package Manager. Going through them individually and marking them for removal, there are quite a few that when marked for removal, report that the meta-package fonts-thai-tlwg will be marked for removal also! Well, that seems to be the problem (in my mind); a two-way dependency between dependent font packages and the meta-package. That shouldn't be the case, yes?

[claydoh]

It seems that way but that is correct.

So:
The meta-package when installed pulls in the *-ttf fonts. It depends on the font packages. The font packages do NOT depend on the meta-package. I probably am not explaining it right, but think about it this way: when you uninstall something that is is required by a meta-package, the meta-package has to be removed, else every time you update, the existence of the meta-package would cause the removed packages(and unwanted by you) to be reinstalled at every update.

[Snowhog]

Ah. Okay, that makes sense.