How to build the fonts? I'm getting a FeatureLibError

[OmarIthawi]

Here's what I've tried on my Ubuntu 16.04:

$ sudo apt-get install python-fontforge
$ mkvirtualenv amiri --system-site-packages
$ pip install fonttools
$ make all

I've got the following error:

$ make all
   FF	Amiri-Regular.ttf
Failed to find NameList: AGL For New Fonts
Failed! Inspect temporary file: '/tmp/tmpC_0PhV'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "tools/build.py", line 691, in <module>
    makeDesktop(args)
  File "tools/build.py", line 670, in makeDesktop
    generateFont(options, font, fea)
  File "tools/build.py", line 183, in generateFont
    addOpenTypeFeaturesFromString(ttfont, fea)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 31, in addOpenTypeFeaturesFromString
    addOpenTypeFeatures(font, featurefile, tables=tables)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 22, in addOpenTypeFeatures
    builder.build(tables=tables)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 107, in build
    self.parseTree = Parser(self.file, self.glyphMap).parse()
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 71, in parse
    statements.append(self.parse_lookup_(vertical=False))
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 512, in parse_lookup_
    self.parse_block_(block, vertical)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 1393, in parse_block_
    statements.append(self.parse_lookupflag_())
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 550, in parse_lookupflag_
    self.next_token_location_)
fontTools.feaLib.error.FeatureLibError: <features>:3110:25: "," is not a recognized lookupflag
Makefile:58: recipe for target 'Amiri-Regular.ttf' failed
make: *** [Amiri-Regular.ttf] Error 1

Any ideas how to resolve that issue?

[khaledhosny]

What the version of FontTools package, ttx --version?

[OmarIthawi]

@khaledhosny Looks like FontForge wasn't installed. I've installed it. However the same issue persisted.

I'm attaching the versions bellow: 👇

$ ttx --version
usage: ttx [options] inputfile1 [... inputfileN]

    TTX 3.0 -- From OpenType To XML And Back

$ dpkg --list | grep fontforge
ii  fontforge                                  20120731.b-7.1                               amd64        font editor
ii  fontforge-common                           20120731.b-7.1                               all          font editor (common files)
ii  libfontforge1                              20120731.b-7.1                               amd64        font editor - runtime library
ii  python-fontforge                           20120731.b-7.1                               amd64        font editor - Python bindings

[khaledhosny]

The error comes from FontTools, FontForge GUI is not needed. It seems you have an old version of FontTools, probably the one provided by your distribution. Try updating it with pip install -U fonttools.

[OmarIthawi]

Thanks @khaledhosny. It looks like the latest version is installed:

$ pip install -U fonttools
Requirement already up-to-date: fonttools in /home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/lib/python2.7/site-packages

$ pip freeze | grep fonttools
fonttools==3.24.1

$ python --version
Python 2.7.12

$ pip --version
pip 9.0.3 from /home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages (python 2.7)

Perhaps a fonttools downgrade is needed?

As a side note, I'm using virtualenv BTW, do you use it as well?

[khaledhosny]

That is the same version of FontTools I have here. Please attache the file mentioned in Failed! Inspect temporary file: message.

[OmarIthawi]

The full log is 👇 and here's the temp file.:

$ workon amiri && cd ~/work/mathjax/amiri/ && make all
   FF	Amiri-Regular.ttf
Failed to find NameList: AGL For New Fonts
Failed! Inspect temporary file: '/tmp/tmp30k1gI'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "tools/build.py", line 691, in <module>
    makeDesktop(args)
  File "tools/build.py", line 670, in makeDesktop
    generateFont(options, font, fea)
  File "tools/build.py", line 183, in generateFont
    addOpenTypeFeaturesFromString(ttfont, fea)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 31, in addOpenTypeFeaturesFromString
    addOpenTypeFeatures(font, featurefile, tables=tables)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 22, in addOpenTypeFeatures
    builder.build(tables=tables)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/builder.py", line 107, in build
    self.parseTree = Parser(self.file, self.glyphMap).parse()
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 71, in parse
    statements.append(self.parse_lookup_(vertical=False))
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 512, in parse_lookup_
    self.parse_block_(block, vertical)
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 1393, in parse_block_
    statements.append(self.parse_lookupflag_())
  File "/home/omar/.virtualenvs/amiri/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/fontTools/feaLib/parser.py", line 550, in parse_lookupflag_
    self.next_token_location_)
fontTools.feaLib.error.FeatureLibError: <features>:3110:25: "," is not a recognized lookupflag
Makefile:58: recipe for target 'Amiri-Regular.ttf' failed
make: *** [Amiri-Regular.ttf] Error 1

[khaledhosny]

Looks like a bug in the FontForge version you have, the line lookupflag RightToLeft, IgnoreMarks; should be lookupflag RightToLeft IgnoreMarks; without the coma after RightToLeft.

[OmarIthawi]

Any ideas where should I look? Perhaps downgrading the fontforge?

BTW what OS/distribution are you using?

[khaledhosny]

You need a newer version of FontForge, anything released after 2014 when this bug was fixed: fontforge/fontforge@43961af

[OmarIthawi]

Awesome, thanks @khaledhosny! I'll try that and will let you know 🙂

[OmarIthawi]

@khaledhosny it works now! Thank you :)