Missing fonts in snap package

[abitrolly]

All system dialogs in version 1.46.0 from snap package are rendered with no font glyphs. Folder selection, about, etc.

[main 2020-06-17T19:55:01.882Z] menubarService#updateMenubar 1
[main 2020-06-17T19:55:06.916Z] menubar#runActionInRenderer { type: 'commandId', commandId: 'workbench.action.showAboutDialog' }
[225991:0617/225506.922960:INFO:CONSOLE(1669)] "%cTRACE color: #888 CommandService#executeCommand workbench.action.showAboutDialog", source: file:///var/lib/snapd/snap/codium/42/usr/share/codium/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/workbench.desktop.main.js (1669)
Gtk-Message: 22:55:06.940: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.

This is Fedora 32 with GNOME on Wayland,

Please confirm that this problem is VSCodium-specific

• This bug doesn't happen if I use Microsoft's Visual Studio Code. It only happens in VSCodium.

Please confirm that the issue/resolution isn't already documented

• I checked the Docs page and my issue is not mentioned there.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. snap install codium
2. codium
3. Help -> About

[abitrolly]

Hi @popey. Do you know what's going on with the snap? This problem in this thread looks very similar https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/snapped-app-not-loading-fonts-on-fedora-and-arch/12484/7

[bkis]

I suddenly have the same issue (Pop!_OS 20.10, VSCodium 1.51.1 via snap) - almost half a year later:

EDIT: I just tried the VSCode snap - no problems there.

[abitrolly]

@bkis snapcrafters could fix that snapcrafters/codium#6

[constantlam]

I had this problem today too under Ubuntu 20.10, when opening a file or folder or displaying a dialog box. I tried deleting and rebuilding the font cache, but the problem persisted. It appears that VS Codium only showed this problem, other programs like Gedit libreoffice worked normally. I have found out that the problem was that I installed a variable truetype font (i.e. one font file for all font weights and styles, instead a separate file for each weight and style) on my system I removed and rebuilt the font cache again. Removing this variable truetype font file solved the dialog box problem. It appears that the font cache with a variable font conflicts with VS Codium.

[abitrolly]

Nice. That's at least something to try. Maybe a problem with fontconfig in snap being "too stable". At least switching to core20 in snap may worth trying. Or using some recommended tools like electron-builder as an alternative way of packing.

[hollisticated-horse]

From the issue mentioned by alexanderadam in Fonts in native components are not loaded in Snap #663
//
I tried clearing the font cache (rm -rf ~/.cache/fontconfig; rm -rf ~/snap/superproductivity/common/.cache/fontconfig/; fc-cache -r -v) since this reminded me on the same issue of other electron apps (see this, this or this) and it helped.

I'm sure this is this systematic font issue of the current Snap version (see this thread) but I guess this would also be solvable via non native dialogues if that's an alternative to you.
//

Clearing the font cache worked for me !!

[daiyam]

For the snap expert out there, is it a VSCodium specific issue?
When trying to install snap on my Arch, I went to read the doc and found this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Snap#Text_unreadable
So it's letting me wonder...

[bkis]

For the snap expert out there, is it a VSCodium specific issue?

I am not the snap expert you are looking for, but it looks like a problem with the VSCodium snap and not with VSCodium itself.

[daiyam]

The following commands should fix the issue:

rm -rf ~/.cache/fontconfig 
rm -rf ~/snap/codium/common/.cache
fc-cache -r

[freeman-h]

Thank you, that second line was the kicker.

[abitrolly]

For the snap on Fedora 35 it didn't help. @freeman-h what OS do you use?

[g7fernandes]

This error is somehow related to electron apps integration. The same occours in slack and MS Teams.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale. If this issue is still affecting you, please leave any comment, and we'll keep it open. If you have any new additional information, please include it with your comment!

[eshate]

Hey, I've just encountered the same issue.
Snap 1.73.1.22314 on PopOS

I found this thread and used this from @daiyam

rm -rf ~/.cache/fontconfig 
rm -rf ~/snap/codium/common/.cache
fc-cache -r

And it worked. But after a while it happened again...
The possibility is that it happened, because I've cleaned also my $HOME temp folder, so maybe because of that. I cannot reproduce, but I will have an eye if it will come back.

Interesting for me is what @constantlam wrote:

Removing this variable truetype font file solved the dialog box problem. It appears that the font cache with a variable font conflicts with VS Codium.

But I have so many fonts that I cannot even check if it's true. And I need them, so it will not work for me.

[patrickuhlmann]

I also just encountered the issue on ArchLinux. The three commands above didn't work for me. Still can't read the dialogs. It worked again after I removed the snap and installed it again.

[ctdhr]

I can confirm this is still occurring on Ubuntu 22.04 running Gnome with v1.81.1.
Fortunately for me, clearing the font cache (described here) worked.