Configuration for variations fonts
Firefox Quantum v62, fresh install today.
Under about:config, I find that layout.css.font-variations.enabled is locked and set to false. I need to change the value to "true". In the past few versions of Firefox I had this set to true and it enabled testing of variations fonts on web sites just fine.
How do I unlock it so I can change the setting?
Isisombululo esikhethiwe
I just found the answer. In their proverbial wisdom, since I am on a Mac it only works if I am using the latest and greatest OS X, 10.13.x, which I have been avoiding due to issues with it. I guess Apple wins after all.
Funny thing about it all is that in the Firefox Nightly and Developer betas from v60 it worked just fine on prior OS. Go figure.
Funda le mpendulo ngokuhambisana nalesi sihloko 👍 0All Replies (8)
Hi, I would say you do not. It is locked for a reason. It is possible that the only thing that will work to change fonts is userChrome.css
Firefox v62 is supposed to support Variations fonts, in fact it is the first version to officially do so.
The configuration was not locked in previous versions because I was able to change it. Now that I have the supposed official version, it is disabled.
Something wrong about this...
According to the following page, it is supposed to be disabled in the regular release and enabled in test releases (beta, developer, Nightly).
https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/Firefox/Experimental_features
However, that's all I know.
Isisombululo Esikhethiwe
I just found the answer. In their proverbial wisdom, since I am on a Mac it only works if I am using the latest and greatest OS X, 10.13.x, which I have been avoiding due to issues with it. I guess Apple wins after all.
Funny thing about it all is that in the Firefox Nightly and Developer betas from v60 it worked just fine on prior OS. Go figure.
Hi Majus, where did you find that information about the MacOS version? As you point out, it was working in test versions in 10.12 up to now.
At the end of this article: https://hacks.mozilla.org/2018/09/variable-fonts-arrive-in-firefox-62/
I said previously that "Apple wins after all" but that is not correct. From OS X 10.5 they have supported Variations fonts. It's Mozilla that dropped support for older OS'.
More info here: https://v-fonts.com/support
Okulungisiwe ngu Majus
Okay, I see it here in the source code:
// We don't allow variation fonts to be enabled before 10.13, // as although the Core Text APIs existed, they are known to be // fairly buggy. // (Note that Safari also requires 10.13 for variation-font support.)
https://dxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-release/source/gfx/thebes/gfxPlatformMac.cpp#638
I think originally Windows 10 was supposed to be supported, too. Maybe that also turned out to be "fairly buggy" in testing.
I can live with it as-is. Variations are not a critical issue for me but I was annoyed they quit working, buggy or not. And for the record I don't care what Safari requires.
If it gets to be a problem I will reluctantly upgrade to 10.13.
Okulungisiwe ngu Majus