Strange Arabic font on Gnome version?

Support Software & Applications
1

I know the solution by installing some Arabic fonts.
But, my question is why this issue exists till now? And it’s not with KDE version, it’s only with Gnome. What’s the problem? I read posts 6 years ago and more with the same issue, I think that’s weird.
This is the default Arabic font:

image
image1663×983 251 KB

2

I can’t read arabic.

I can’t see the issue you are having
from how you phrased your question.

In other words:
What is the problem?

3

Thanks for replying.
It should be something like this:

image
image687×557 88.6 KB

The default Arabic font installed only on Gnome version is not really usable for reading. On KDE, the default one is perfect.

4

… as I said:
I can’t read arabic.
thus:
I can’t spot a problem.

People who can read arabic might spot your problem.
I can’t.

Perhaps you should explain your problem a bit … better.

5

It’s all about type of font. The default one on Gnome is not readable. On the other hand, KDE default Arabic font is great. So, I am asking why the default one on Gnome is not like KDE or even other distros.

6

So what is the name of the font used on GNOME, as opposed to the name of the font used on KDE.

…and what’s the application in the screenshot?

7

The screenshot is from website Wikipedia. It’s the same font on all the device apps.

The installed Gnome font: Nastaliq or Persian font.
The font that should be installed: Naskh font.

8

Can you select the Naskh font on GNOME?

9

We don’t. What fonts? Why do I have to ask?

That is the question that needs to be answered. If you would have provided enough information to begin with, we could answer your question a lot faster.

Both GNOME and KDE include noto-fonts which provide Arabic fonts like NotoNastaliqUrdu and NotoNaskhArabic.

GNOME also includes noto-fonts-extra; however that only adds SemiBold NotoNaskhArabic fonts.

Regardless, if the included fonts do not suit one’s needs, one is free to install any font they wish.

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10

Is there a way to change font in settings? Or where to change it?

11

Installing this font worked: ttf-dejavu

The noto-fonts should work perfectly. The NotoNastaliqUrdu is the font with the issue I am talking about. It should be replaced by NotoNaskhArabic as a default one like KDE by default without any installing packages. I don’t know if there is an option like this in settings.

Thanks for help and sorry for lack of info, I don’t know which info were needed :sweat_smile:

12

That font is already installed on GNOME as firefox and thunderbird depend on it.

I have absolutely no idea how the default Arabic font is being set by default or why it would be different between Desktop Environments.

13

But, I downloaded it thorough Pamac.

I hope someone can know. Thanks for help, bro.

14

What web Browser are you using?

Given Firefox depends on that font, one must assume, if the font is not already installed, then it will be installed when either Firefox or Thunderbird are installed.

15

First, check if you have changed font settings for Arabic in Firefox:

Screenshot_20250513_233836
Screenshot_20250513_233836634×547 38.2 KB

Second, the order of choosing the default applied font comes from different config files, some residing in /etc/fonts/ and ~/.config/fontconfig/, search there recursively if any “.conf” file contains the string “Noto Nastaliq Urdu”. Some weird apps may add their own font config files and cause serious problems.

If you don’t see it anywhere, add you own config file to force Arabic to be displayed using for example “Noto Sans Arabic”.

  1. Create new file named 99-arabic.conf in /etc/fonts/conf.d/

  2. Add the following lines to it then save it

     <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "urn:fontconfig:fonts.dtd">
 <fontconfig>
   <!-- Default font for the Arabic language (no fc-match pattern) -->
   <match>
     <test compare="contains" name="lang">
       <string>ar</string>
     </test>
     <edit mode="prepend" name="family">
       <string>Noto Sans Arabic</string>
     </edit>
   </match>
 </fontconfig>

  3. Run sudo fc-cache -fv

See:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Font_configuration/Examples#Arabic

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Font_configuration/Examples#Excluding_Arabic_script_from_other_languages

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16

It’s not only on browsers. It’s also on other apps even system apps like File manager.

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17

Thanks for replying.
This method for browser only? Or the whole system? As it’s not only related to Firefox or browsers and I didn’t change anything in the settings. This comes with a fresh install in all apps system or any other apps.

18

Adding that conf file will force that font for Arabic for your whole system. After saving it, you just need to run sudo fc-cache -fv and reopen all affected apps.

19

Sorry for late reply, but I have been testing.

What I found till now:

  1. For the system Arabic issue: the vanilla gnome font is Adwaita and changing it to Sans makes this issue in system apps like File Manager.

  2. For Firefox: the default font for all languages is Dejavu which I’m not installed on Manjato by default and that’s why when I installed it everything worked fine.

So, AFAIK, all need is dejavu to be installed by default with other packages.

Far from that, is there a way to shift to gnome vanilla with a code or something? I tried installing manjaro-gnome-vanilla and run it, but nothing happened. I don’t know it this can affect this issue or not.

20

The default GNOME font is now Adwaita instead of Cantarell, but nothing changed on Manjaro. We’ve always used Noto / Sans.

I already told you firefox depends on ttf-dejavu. If you had the former installed, then you already had the latter installed.

Don’t you dare make me ask another question. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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