Ubuntu – Chrome fonts too narrow and line spacing too big

Different users can have different settings

The root /1/ has own settings. You could change the root's settings by starting the System Settings with the command:

kdesudo systemsettings

Root's gtk apps

As default the root's folder doesn't have the link to the oxygen-gtk.

To fix this you need to copy the hidden file .gtkrc-2.0-kde4 (note the dot !) from your home directory to the /root/ with name .gtkrc-2.0 (note the dot !) /2/, /3/.

Command line:

sudo cp .gtkrc-2.0-kde4 /root/.gtkrc-2.0

If you have the Root Actions Servicemenu /4/ installed you could use it to copy and rename.

System's default mouse theme (KDM cursor)

The Debian and the Debian based are using the alternatives /5/ to set the environmental variables.

:~$ man update-alternatives /6/
NAME
       update-alternatives - maintain symbolic links determining default commands

SYNOPSIS
       update-alternatives [options] command

DESCRIPTION
       update-alternatives  creates,  removes,  maintains  and  displays   
       information about the symbolic links comprising the Debian alternatives       
       system.

       It is possible for several programs fulfilling the same or similar functions 
       to be installed on a single system at the same  time.

To set the cursor theme with the alternatives command line:

sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme

With KDE gui:

Package: kalternatives /7/ - graphical alternatives system configuration tool

More: Change system default X11 cursor theme /8/.

Sometimes

Quote: "Sometimes, in KDE applications under my ordinary user, fonts spontaneously change to Ubuntu font - why this happens and how can I avoid it?"

Yes, I have noticed this. Why - beats me. The Kubuntu is resetting to the default Kubuntu settings (/usr/share/kubuntu-default-settings/kde4-profile/default/share/config/)

To fix this i have edited the Kubuntu defaults: /usr/share/kubuntu-default-settings/kde4-profile/default/share/config/kdeglobals.

Default Kubuntu kdeglobals has:

[General]
BrowserApplication[$e]=!rekonq
XftHintStyle=hintmedium
font=Ubuntu,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
menuFont=Ubuntu,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
desktopFont=Ubuntu,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
toolBarFont=Ubuntu,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
smallestReadableFont=Ubuntu,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
taskbarFont=Ubuntu,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0

Looking my own kdeglobals: ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals and copying them to the defaults. Here:

[General]
BrowserApplication[$e]=!rekonq
XftHintStyle=hintmedium
font=Sans Serif,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
menuFont=Sans Serif,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
desktopFont=Sans Serif,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
toolBarFont=Sans Serif,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
smallestReadableFont=Sans Serif,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
taskbarFont=Sans Serif,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0

Links:

1. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo
2. http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=62352
3. http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=3092288.msg201654#msg201654
4. http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php/Root+Actions+Servicemenu?content=48411
5. http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/91
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_page
7. http://packages.ubuntu.com/oneiric/kalternatives
8. http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=3112235.0

It appears to be an issue with the way subpixel rendering ends up working with Ubuntu and Arial. A suggested workaround is to make Arial automagically a size bigger when 12 pixel text is requested.

I couldn’t imagine it being so simple as putting a .fonts.conf in your home dir containing:

<fontconfig>
  <match target="font">
    <test name="family" compare="eq"><string>Arial</string></test>
    <test name="pixelsize" compare="eq"><double>12</double></test>
    <edit name="pixelsize" mode="assign"><double>13</double></edit>
  </match>
</fontconfig>

But it really is as simple as that. In human language, the XML file tells fontconfig to set the pixelsize of Arial to 13 when any program requests Arial with pixelsize 12. How beautiful.

I would guess there might be a way to tweak the subpixel renderer so that Arial doesn't appear too small at 12 pixels. If there's such a way, it's probably to be found on this crazy wiki page about fontconfig from archlinux. If someone wants to read that page and tell me what to do, I'd happily give them best answer.

For now, I just nuked the mscorefonts.

Here is another approach to getting fonts in Linux to look much more like those from Windows. I may update this answer tomorrow if I have time to try those suggestions.