Why wine inherits Ubuntu font smoothing but not so on OS X?

[Linux-at-last]

I have noticed that under Ubuntu, if the system itself is set to use RGB subpixel then the font smoothing is also applied to programs running under Wine.

This however, does not seem to happen under OS X. Wine was installed on OS X using macports. Actually this is a hackintosh, but I dont see how this would make any difference given that the rest of the system is running perfectly.

Also, with wine's internal font smoothing it doesnt really look nice on OS X. Under ubuntu, with the system settings set to disable the font smoothing it looks the same.

Take a look at the attached screenshots to see what I mean.

So two questions:

Is wine's internal font smoothing supposed to look like the attached picture?

Why under Ubuntu the system font smoothing works on applications running under wine but not so under OS X?

[oiaohm]

Linux-at-last the answer is a simple one. Wine does not do font smoothing itself. Wine in fact does not have a internal font smoothing solution. Instead defers to freetype provided by the OS. Ubuntu and other Linux systems today turns freetype font smoothing on by default. Disabled inside wine does not override the Ubuntu or other Linux systems enabled state.

Please note I say font smoothing this does not have to be RGB smoothing. Freetype supports greyscale smoothing. If you look very closely you will see a very minor difference on ubuntu between font smoothing on inside wine and off. Very minor. In fact turning RGB subpixel off in ubuntu has a very minor effect over all.

Before patents run on smoothing methods some Linux distributions it worked and some it did not. The reality OS X has not changed to enable all features in freetype.

[Linux-at-last]

Linux-at-last the answer is a simple one. Wine does not do font smoothing itself. Wine in fact does not have a internal font smoothing solution. Instead defers to freetype provided by the OS. Ubuntu and other Linux systems today turns freetype font smoothing on by default. Disabled inside wine does not override the Ubuntu or other Linux systems enabled state.

Please note I say font smoothing this does not have to be RGB smoothing. Freetype supports greyscale smoothing. If you look very closely you will see a very minor difference on ubuntu between font smoothing on inside wine and off. Very minor. In fact turning RGB subpixel off in ubuntu has a very minor effect over all.

Before patents run on smoothing methods some Linux distributions it worked and some it did not. The reality OS X has not changed to enable all features in freetype.

Many thanks oiaohm. Things are clearer now.

I thought wine had a internal font smoothing engine and was baffled at how it was so difficult to get it to work. Now I know better.

I will do some research and see if I can get font smoothing to work under OS X.