funky character placement when kubuntu-settings-desktop installed

[gregrwm]

Funky character placement, letters often mispositioned, jammed into the adjacent letter on one side and/or far away from the adjacent letter on the other side, making one word look like two words. And the funky character placement often shifts around, sometimes spuriously, and sometimes when interacting, for example when i tick or untick a gmail conversation, as in the the 2nd and 3rd screenshots. Note how all the "t"'s move over in "Opportunities", "Youth", "item", and "interest".

The 3 screenshots are all of the same conversation in my gmail inbox. One screenshot was taken on a Focal Ubuntu install, where the character placement is fine. The other two screenshots were taken on a Focal Kubuntu install where the character placement is funky.

Using Chromium (Version 83.0.4103.61 Official Build snap 64-bit), the font spacing on my gmail inbox is fine, thus i first reported this as
http://github.com/webcompat/web-bugs/issues/53474

They conclude it's not a firefox issue. i still consider it an open question. i have only a faint memory of having also seen the funky character placement in kubuntu in some context outside of firefox.

The funky character placement shows up when all 3 of these factors converge: using kubuntu, using either firefox or firefox nightly, and viewing either gmail or google voice. Otherwise, eg using chromium on kubuntu, or firefox on lubuntu, or browsing other sites, character placement is fine. Within gmail, the funky character placement shows up when viewing conversation lists or settings pages, but character placement seems fine when viewing a conversation/message body. Within google voice, both message lists and message body show funky character placement.

'Binary search' thru specific situations:
   good running lubuntu-20.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso live.
   good install from lubuntu-20.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso live,
                  then startx startlxqt.
  funky running kubuntu-20.04.2.0-desktop-amd64.iso live.
  funky install from kubuntu-20.04.2.0-desktop-amd64.iso,
                  then startx startplasma-x11.
  funky install from kubuntu-20.04.2.0-desktop-amd64.iso,
                  then apt-get install lubuntu-desktop,
                  then startx startlxqt.
  funky install from lubuntu-20.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso,
                  then apt-get install kubuntu-desktop,
                  then startx startplasma-x11.

Continuing with the most recent install above:
   good apt-get --auto-remove purge kubuntu-desktop

   good apt-get --auto-remove purge gpm+ htop+ xterm+ xzoom+ xl2tpd+ strongswan-starter+ keepassxc+ libevent-dev+ tigervnc-viewer+ sddm ofono thunderbird xscreensaver bind9-libs samba-libs unattended-upgrades apt-xapian-index ubuntu-release-upgrader-core python3-update-manager cups-common cups-daemon cups-ipp-utils foomatic-filters openprinting-ppds libpaps0 libcupsimage2

   good apt-get --auto-remove --purge install kate kpat krdc lame cryfs elisa encfs kross kamera kmines dolphin ksudoku signond go-mtpfs gwenview ktorrent libraw19 baloo-kf5 kmahjongg libgeoip1 plasma-nm kate5-data ksystemlog kio-audiocd thunderbird ffmpegthumbs freerdp2-x11 konversation print-manager geoip-database gstreamer-qapt session-migration kimageformat-plugins whoopsie-preferences kaccounts-integration fonts-noto-color-emoji signond signon-ui-x11 signon-ui-service signon-plugin-password signon-kwallet-extension

  funky apt-get --auto-remove --purge install kubuntu-web-shortcuts kubuntu-settings-desktop kubuntu-wallpapers kubuntu-wallpapers-focal plasma-workspace-wallpapers

  funky apt-get --auto-remove purge kubuntu-wallpapers-focal kubuntu-web-shortcuts

   good apt-get --auto-remove purge kubuntu-settings-desktop

So that appears to be the culprit. After removing kubuntu-settings-desktop, firefox character placement in gmail and google voice is good again.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: kubuntu-desktop (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-21.25-generic 5.4.27
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu21
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Jun 16 10:33:36 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-05 (71 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200331)
ProcEnviron:
 LC_TIME=en_DK.utf8
 TERM=screen
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: kubuntu-meta
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[gregrwm (gregrwm)]

The intoxicated character placement effect when kubuntu-settings is installed is still there in jammy.