Broken/Missing font rendering in firefox

[Reiner Jung]

On some websites,e.g., https://zenodo.org and https://www.youtube.com the text is not visible on the site. However, when selecting all (CTRL-a) and copying the text to an text editor, the proper text is available. Therefore, the text is not rendered or using an strange font without any glyphs in it. I repeated this with the usually not used "Guest Account". Hence it is not an issue with my personal setting.

The issue appeared when upgrading to Ubuntu Zesty (17.04). The current Firefox package install is 52.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.10.1

I will downgrade not to 50.1.0+build2-0ubuntu1 to reexamine the issue.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

The screenshots seem to have the red and blue channels switched, but that is another bug.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

The screenshots seem to have the red and blue channels switched, but that is another bug.

Anyway, I tested the issue with Firefox 50.1.0+build2-0ubuntu1 and the issue remains. However, the issue does not appear in chromium and the gnome/ubuntu-webbrowser.

[[e-mail] (mike-papersolve)]

I don't have any ideas for you about this bug, but just wondering how you got firefox 52 with zesty, as only 50.1 is in the zesty release and 51 is in proposed (see https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox).

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[A. Martos (al3xarm)]

Same here. Upgraded to Ubuntu 17.04, and no fonts displayed on youtube and others (google.com/fonts show all fonts fine… except for the general page and search…). Reinstalling FF did not help, neither using a new profile. Chromium is working well in that regard.

[[e-mail] (mike-papersolve)]

Have you tried running with no add-ons or from a new Firefox profile?

[A. Martos (al3xarm)]

Yes. Tried a brand new profile, same.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

Hi mike, I have tried that with Firefox 50.1 with the same result. Even stranger on my other machine at home, I use the same setup and it works perfectly.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

I am adding lists of installed packages of my local machine, which has no font problem and my workstation (remote). There are differences in the list of installed fonts, but they are all supplemental fonts. Anyway, maybe it has to do with something else.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

List of fonts which are available on my machine at home but not on my workstation.
fonts-3270
fonts-aoyagi-kouzan-t 20051011-14
fonts-aoyagi-soseki 20070207-12
fonts-arabeyes 2.1-3
fonts-arphic-bkai00mp 2.10-15
fonts-arphic-bsmi00lp 2.10-17
fonts-arphic-gbsn00lp 2.11-15
fonts-arphic-gkai00mp 2.11-15
fonts-arphic-ukai 0.2.20080216.2-4ubuntu2
fonts-arphic-uming 0.2.20080216.2-7ubuntu2
fonts-baekmuk 2.2-12
fonts-beng 2:1.2
fonts-beng-extra
fonts-cabinsketch
fonts-century-catalogue 001.001-6
fonts-circos-symbols 0.69.4+dfsg-1
fonts-cmu 0.7.0-3
fonts-cns11643-kai 98.1+20150923-2
fonts-cns11643-sung
fonts-cwtex-docs 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-fs 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-heib 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-kai 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-ming 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-yen 1.0-3
fonts-dancingscript
fonts-dejima-mincho 227-14
fonts-deva 2:1.2
fonts-deva-extra 3.0-3
fonts-dosis 1.7-2
fonts-droid
fonts-farsiweb
fonts-freefarsi
fonts-gargi
fonts-gfs-baskerville 1.1-5
fonts-gfs-bodoni-classic
fonts-gfs-porson
fonts-gfs-theokritos
fonts-gubbi 1.3-3
fonts-gujr 2:1.2
fonts-gujr-extra
fonts-hack-otf 2.020-1
fonts-hack-ttf 2.020-1
fonts-hack-web 2.020-1
fonts-humor-sans
fonts-indic 2:1.2
fonts-ipaexfont 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipaexfont-gothic 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipaexfont-mincho 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont 00303-16ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont-gothic 00303-16ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont-mincho
fonts-johnsmith-induni
fonts-junction
fonts-kalapi
fonts-knda
fonts-lohit-beng-assamese 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-beng-bengali 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-deva 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-gujr 2.92.2-2
fonts-lohit-knda 2.5.3-2
fonts-lohit-mlym 2.5.4-1
fonts-lohit-orya 2.5.4.1-1
fonts-lohit-taml 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-taml-classical 2.5.3-2
fonts-lohit-telu 2.5.4-2
fonts-maitreya 7.0.7-1
fonts-mikachan 9.1-9
fonts-mlym 2:1.2
fonts-moe-standard-kai 20120530-2
fonts-moe-standard-song 20120530-2
fonts-mononoki 1.2-1
fonts-nakula 1.0-3
fonts-nanum-extra 20161025-1
fonts-navilu
fonts-orya 2:1.2
fonts-orya-extra 2.0-4
fonts-pagul
fonts-roboto
fonts-rufscript 010-5
fonts-sahadeva 1.0-4
fonts-samyak-deva 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-gujr 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-mlym 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-taml 1.2.2-4
fonts-sarai
fonts-smc
fonts-taml 2:1.3
fonts-telu 2:1.2
fonts-telu-extra
fonts-ubuntu-font-family-console
fonts-ukij-uyghur
fonts-unfonts-extra 1:1.0.2-080608+dfsg-8
fonts-vlgothic 20141206-3ubuntu1
fonts-vollkorn
fonts-wqy-zenhei

Different version: fonts-unfonts-core 1:1.0.2-080608-14 vs 1.0.3.is.1.0.2-080608-10ubuntu1

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

List of fonts which are available on my machine at home but not on my workstation.
fonts-3270
fonts-aoyagi-kouzan-t 20051011-14
fonts-aoyagi-soseki 20070207-12
fonts-arabeyes 2.1-3
fonts-arphic-bkai00mp 2.10-15
fonts-arphic-bsmi00lp 2.10-17
fonts-arphic-gbsn00lp 2.11-15
fonts-arphic-gkai00mp 2.11-15
fonts-arphic-ukai 0.2.20080216.2-4ubuntu2
fonts-arphic-uming 0.2.20080216.2-7ubuntu2
fonts-baekmuk 2.2-12
fonts-beng 2:1.2
fonts-beng-extra
fonts-cabinsketch
fonts-century-catalogue 001.001-6
fonts-circos-symbols 0.69.4+dfsg-1
fonts-cmu 0.7.0-3
fonts-cns11643-kai 98.1+20150923-2
fonts-cns11643-sung
fonts-cwtex-docs 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-fs 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-heib 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-kai 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-ming 1.0-3
fonts-cwtex-yen 1.0-3
fonts-dancingscript
fonts-dejima-mincho 227-14
fonts-deva 2:1.2
fonts-deva-extra 3.0-3
fonts-dosis 1.7-2
fonts-droid
fonts-farsiweb
fonts-freefarsi
fonts-gargi
fonts-gfs-baskerville 1.1-5
fonts-gfs-bodoni-classic
fonts-gfs-porson
fonts-gfs-theokritos
fonts-gubbi 1.3-3
fonts-gujr 2:1.2
fonts-gujr-extra
fonts-hack-otf 2.020-1
fonts-hack-ttf 2.020-1
fonts-hack-web 2.020-1
fonts-humor-sans
fonts-indic 2:1.2
fonts-ipaexfont 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipaexfont-gothic 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipaexfont-mincho 00301-3ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont 00303-16ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont-gothic 00303-16ubuntu1
fonts-ipafont-mincho
fonts-johnsmith-induni
fonts-junction
fonts-kalapi
fonts-knda
fonts-lohit-beng-assamese 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-beng-bengali 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-deva 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-gujr 2.92.2-2
fonts-lohit-knda 2.5.3-2
fonts-lohit-mlym 2.5.4-1
fonts-lohit-orya 2.5.4.1-1
fonts-lohit-taml 2.5.3-1
fonts-lohit-taml-classical 2.5.3-2
fonts-lohit-telu 2.5.4-2
fonts-maitreya 7.0.7-1
fonts-mikachan 9.1-9
fonts-mlym 2:1.2
fonts-moe-standard-kai 20120530-2
fonts-moe-standard-song 20120530-2
fonts-mononoki 1.2-1
fonts-nakula 1.0-3
fonts-nanum-extra 20161025-1
fonts-navilu
fonts-orya 2:1.2
fonts-orya-extra 2.0-4
fonts-pagul
fonts-roboto
fonts-rufscript 010-5
fonts-sahadeva 1.0-4
fonts-samyak-deva 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-gujr 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-mlym 1.2.2-4
fonts-samyak-taml 1.2.2-4
fonts-sarai
fonts-smc
fonts-taml 2:1.3
fonts-telu 2:1.2
fonts-telu-extra
fonts-ubuntu-font-family-console
fonts-ukij-uyghur
fonts-unfonts-extra 1:1.0.2-080608+dfsg-8
fonts-vlgothic 20141206-3ubuntu1
fonts-vollkorn
fonts-wqy-zenhei

Different version: fonts-unfonts-core 1:1.0.2-080608-14 vs 1.0.3.is.1.0.2-080608-10ubuntu1

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

I opened firefox remotely on my workstation and exported the display to my machine at home. The fonts where still missing. This makes this less an xserver issue.

[A. Martos (al3xarm)]

Ok, I fixed it. I did a huge bulk install of fonts using your "in home but not in workstation" list, and it fixed the issue, at least for Youtube anyway. Here is the list of what did install. I do know that Youtube use the roboto font, which is on this list, but I did not test a separate install, though. Can you try it ?

Installed fonts :

fonts-3270
fonts-aoyagi-kouzan-t
fonts-aoyagi-soseki
fonts-arabeyes
fonts-arphic-ukai
fonts-arphic-uming
fonts-beng
fonts-beng-extra
fonts-cabinsketch
fonts-century-catalogue
fonts-circos-symbols
fonts-cmu
fonts-cns11643-kai
fonts-cns11643-sung
fonts-cwtex-docs
fonts-cwtex-fs
fonts-cwtex-heib
fonts-cwtex-kai
fonts-cwtex-ming
fonts-cwtex-yen
fonts-dancingscript
fonts-dejima-mincho
fonts-deva
fonts-deva-extra
fonts-dosis
fonts-farsiweb
fonts-freefarsi
fonts-gargi
fonts-gubbi
fonts-gujr
fonts-gujr-extra
fonts-hack-otf
fonts-hack-ttf
fonts-hack-web
fonts-humor-sans
fonts-indic
fonts-ipaexfont
fonts-ipafont
fonts-johnsmith-induni
fonts-junction
fonts-kalapi
fonts-knda
fonts-lohit-beng-assamese
fonts-lohit-beng-bengali
fonts-lohit-deva
fonts-lohit-gujr
fonts-lohit-knda
fonts-lohit-mlym
fonts-lohit-orya
fonts-lohit-taml
fonts-lohit-taml-classical
fonts-lohit-telu
fonts-maitreya
fonts-mikachan
fonts-mlym
fonts-moe-standard-kai
fonts-moe-standard-song
fonts-mononoki
fonts-nakula
fonts-nanum-extra
fonts-navilu
fonts-orya
fonts-orya-extra
fonts-pagul
fonts-roboto
fonts-rufscript
fonts-sahadeva
fonts-samyak-deva
fonts-samyak-gujr
fonts-samyak-mlym
fonts-samyak-taml
fonts-sarai
fonts-smc
fonts-taml
fonts-telu
fonts-telu-extra
fonts-ubuntu-font-family-console
fonts-ukij-uyghur
fonts-vlgothic
fonts-vollkorn
fonts-wqy-zenhei

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

I will try that on Tuesday after the easter holidays.

[Georg Jung (georgjung)]

Hey folks,

had the same issue. fonts-roboto-hinted was already installed. I tried adding fonts-roboto (didn't solve it) and then fonts-roboto-fontface and fonts-roboto-unhinted. That did the trick. My guess is it's fonts-roboto-fontface, but I did not check that. Problem solved.

Thanks so much for all your prior work and the hint that it might be roboto. I checked with the site source (view-source:https://www.youtube.com/) and it clearly points to Roboto too.

Thanks again.

[Georg Jung (georgjung)]

Sorry, I should add: Other places suggest that you should disallow site-specific fonts in your preferences (preferences -> content -> advanced). That solves the issue too, but I'd find that solution unsatisfactory.

[Reiner Jung (prefec2)]

Hi folks,

the solution provided by Georg works. It is definitely roboto-unhinted. I checked that with Youtube and Zenodo which both work now. To disable site-specific fonts is not really a solution, as it ruins the design. However, the browser should automatically use a replacement font. Therefore, this is also an upstream issue.

Thanks AM and Georg for the fix ;-)
Reiner

[Domenico (domenico-somma)]

I have had the same issue on 16.04 and Firefox 55. Fixed installing fonts-roboto-hinted

[Domenico (domenico-somma)]

Hi,
still have some issue with some pages.
Here for example

http://seaborn.pydata.org/generated/seaborn.clustermap.html

I can't see the words tagged with <em> in the html code.
Any suggest?

[Andrew (andrew-craucamp)]

This is a fairly serious bug that affects so many websites with uncommon fonts, most notably Google services like Gmail using the Roboto font. Refreshing the page has a chance of loading the missing symbols but it's not guaranteed.