gvim can't find a valid font

[Nikola Lecic]

On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:12:39 -0700
Neil Gruending <neil at gruending.net> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I'm having a problem trying to get gvim 7.0.224 working. Every time I 
> try to start it I get the following error:
> 
> E665: Cannot start GUI, no valid font found|16H|8H|4H|31H
> 
> and I get the console vim instead. I think I've messed up my xorg
> fonts somehow after upgrading to 7.2. I followed all of the steps in 
> /usr/ports/UPGRADING, but I didn't have the xorg metaport installed
> so I installed it after upgrading. The first time I started it there
> was an error message that said I needed to run a program in the fonts
> directory (I forget which one), but I'm pretty sure I didn't fix the
> module path before running the command. I'm using the terminal in
> Xfce 4.4.1 to try and start gvim.
>
> Here's part of my xorg.conf (now) in /etc/X11 that seems to be
> related to fonts:
> 
> #
> **********************************************************************
> # Module section -- this  section  is used to specify # which
> dynamically loadable modules to load. #
> **********************************************************************
> # Section "Module"
> 
> # This loads the DBE extension module.
> 
>      Load        "dbe"  	# Double buffer extension
> 
> # This loads the miscellaneous extensions module, and disables
> # initialisation of the XFree86-DGA extension within that module.
>      SubSection  "extmod"
>        Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA
> extension EndSubSection
> 
> # This loads the font modules
>      Load        "type1"
>      Load        "freetype"
> #    Load        "xtt"
> 
> # This loads the GLX module
> #    Load       "glx"
> # This loads the DRI module
> #    Load       "dri"
> 
> EndSection
> 
> 
> #
> **********************************************************************
> # Files section.  This allows default font and rgb paths to be set #
> **********************************************************************
> 
> Section "Files"
> 
> # The location of the RGB database.  Note, this is the name of the
> # file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db").  There is normally
> # no need to change the default.
> 
> #    RgbPath	"/usr/local/share/X11/rgb"
> 
> # Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (which are concatenated
> together), # as well as specifying multiple comma-separated entries
> in one FontPath # command (or a combination of both methods)
> #
> #
> 
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/OTF"
> #    FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
>      FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
> #    FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
> #    FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
> #    FontPath   "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
> 
> # The module search path.  The default path is shown here.
> 
>      ModulePath "/usr/local/lib/xorg/modules"
> 
> EndSection

Hello Neil,

This is strange because gVim uses built-in X fonts (i.e. 7x13) if can't
find anything else; and your X is running normally, which couldn't be
without any font available. So:

(1) 'xlsfonts' gives what?

(2) Could you please send here a relevant part of ~/.gvimrc? (Also
    try to start gVim without it.)

(3) How did you compile gVim, with WITH_GTK2, or?

It's certainly not related to your gVim problem, but as of your
xorg.conf, do you have any special reason for commenting out RgbPath
and Type1 FontPath?

Nikola Lečić