[vlc-devel] Please us this to solve #3950 (Font cache is constantly rebuilt)

[David Glaude]

Hello,

I have this problem: http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/3950

I have read the following:

http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=78236
http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=77321
http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=78189
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-software/1375458.htm
http://techdows.com/2010/07/what-is-purpose-of-building-font-cache-in-vlc-media-player.html
http://www.ghacks.net/2010/08/01/building-font-cache-vlc-and-mplayer-troubleshooting/

Here is an attempt do understand with "Process Monitor" what VLC might
be doing wrong...

Using the latest nightly build=
main libvlc debug: VLC media player - 1.2.0-git-20101129-0003 Twoflower
main libvlc debug: Copyright © 1996-2010 the VideoLAN team
main libvlc debug: revision 1.1.0-pre1-2646-gf3b4901

The scenario is to start VLC by clicking on a file: R:\vlc\LowLatency\MCAST.sdp

My %appdata% = \\SERVER\users$\myname\Application Data
(this has been anonymized)

In there I have a \vlc\ directory that typicaly host 3 files after
initial run of VLC:
vlc-qt-interface.ini
vlcrc
ml.xspf

But of course no trace of a font cache, otherwise I would not be here...

Here is what I see and where I believe there might be a bug.

I did focus on the Operation "QueryOpen" with some highlight on "NAME
NOT FOUND".

However, at one point VLC try (without success) to open the folowing file:
R:\SERVER\users$\myname\Application
Data\vlc\ef9c9ad8cc5857eb63cb3660bc8bd202-i686.cache-3

After that VLC open each and every font (sometimes twice the same
font) and start reading them.
It can get pretty ugly when trying to read a 22MB file by 512 Bytes
read operation (please change that size).
I name the big "ARIALUNI.TTF" described here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287247

After that scan that should be unique (but is reoccuring very
frequently) I get failed attempt to "QueryOpen":

R:\SERVER\users$\myname\Application Data\vlc
R:\SERVER\users$\myname\Application Data
R:\SERVER\users$\myname
R:\SERVER\users$
R:\SERVER

Then after two successfull QueryOpen of "C:\WINDOWS\Fonts".

I get a failure attempt to read:

R:\SERVER\users$\myname\Application
Data\vlc\ef9c9ad8cc5857eb63cb3660bc8bd202-i686.cache-3

So my guess is that at one point in time VLC (or the font stuff used
by VLC) does confuse the UNC of my %appdata% with the R:\ of the
location where my "media file" is located... and mix both.

I hope it help fixing this annoying "Font cache is constantly rebuilt" problem.

David Glaude

PS: Trac ticket NOT updated !!!
PPS: I have MSYS and I can do a few more test on this very system...
right now I will create the following dir:
"R:\SERVER\users$\myname\Application Data\vlc" ;-)