Bug 167579 - "Alef" font makes Microsoft Paint 11.2506.71.0 crash
Summary: "Alef" font makes Microsoft Paint 11.2506.71.0 crash
Status: RESOLVED NOTOURBUG
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Installation (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
25.2.5.2 release
Hardware: x86-64 (AMD64) Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Fonts Hebrew
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2025-07-18 15:46 UTC by maik.diessner
Modified: 2025-07-19 17:06 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Alef does not crash Paint (1.44 MB, image/gif)
2025-07-18 16:13 UTC, Mike Kaganski
Details
Video showing that Alef font crashes Paint (2.14 MB, video/mp4)
2025-07-18 16:27 UTC, maik.diessner
Details

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Description maik.diessner 2025-07-18 15:46:03 UTC
Description:
Microsoft Paint 11.2506.71.0 crashes when scrolling the fonts list when "Alef" font is installed.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install LibreOffice 25.2.5 x64 on Windows 11 Pro 24H2
2. Open Microsoft Paint 11.2506.71.0
3. Add "Text" module
4. Open fonts dropdown menu and scroll down

Actual Results:
Microsoft Paint crashes. Culprit is the font "Alef" that comes with LibreOffice. Deinstalling the font fixes the crash.

Expected Results:
Microsoft Paint does not crash. Otherwise the "Alef" should not be installed by LibreOffice in upcoming versions.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: Yes

Additional Info:
Version: 25.2.5.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 03d19516eb2e1dd5d4ccd751a0d6f35f35e08022
CPU threads: 32; OS: Windows 11 X86_64 (10.0 build 26100); UI render: Skia/Vulkan; VCL: win
Locale: de-DE (de_DE); UI: de-DE
Calc: CL threaded
Comment 1 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 15:57:35 UTC
Please provide a link to the bug report that you created to the MS Paint. Because it's they who fail to handle one of existing fonts. Why should LibreOffice care if a MS product has a bug?
Comment 2 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 15:59:18 UTC
1. There is no bug tracker for MS Paint
2. LibreOffice should not install fonts that make other apps to crash
Comment 3 m_a_riosv 2025-07-18 16:03:29 UTC
Doesn't crash for me.

Paint 11.2402.32.0
Comment 4 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 16:03:42 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #2)
> 1. There is no bug tracker for MS Paint

So what? MS has their support in general.

> 2. LibreOffice should not install fonts that make other apps to crash

Do you claim, that I can deliberately require LibreOffice to never install itself at all, if I create a program that will do nothing more than crash, when it finds LibreOffice or its fonts? Your idea is nonsense.
Comment 5 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:07:32 UTC
(In reply to m_a_riosv from comment #3)
> Doesn't crash for me.
> 
> Paint 11.2402.32.0

Please test with Paint 11.2506.71.0
Comment 6 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:09:13 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #4)
> (In reply to maik.diessner from comment #2)
> > 1. There is no bug tracker for MS Paint
> 
> So what? MS has their support in general.
> 
> > 2. LibreOffice should not install fonts that make other apps to crash
> 
> Do you claim, that I can deliberately require LibreOffice to never install
> itself at all, if I create a program that will do nothing more than crash,
> when it finds LibreOffice or its fonts? Your idea is nonsense.

I'm just saying that the Alef font causes issues here. Maybe the font really is compiled with some error/bug in it? I don't need this font - so maybe at least you should let the user decide which fonts to install.
Comment 7 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:09:54 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #4)
> (In reply to maik.diessner from comment #2)
> > 1. There is no bug tracker for MS Paint
> 
> So what? MS has their support in general.

You've asked me to provide you a link to a Paint bug report.
Comment 8 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 16:13:25 UTC
Created attachment 201877 [details]
Alef does not crash Paint
Comment 9 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 16:15:08 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #6)
> I'm just saying that the Alef font causes issues here. Maybe the font really
> is compiled with some error/bug in it? I don't need this font - so maybe at
> least you should let the user decide which fonts to install.

And that's a different bug, which you already commented to. That is valid.

(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #7)
> You've asked me to provide you a link to a Paint bug report.

Yes; and you could point to a bug sent *somewhere* at MS :-)
Comment 10 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:15:35 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #8)
> Created attachment 201877 [details]
> Alef does not crash Paint

Here it does (when scrolling the fonts list in Paint).
Comment 11 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 16:19:23 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #10)
> Here it does (when scrolling the fonts list in Paint).

I believe you. But that doesn't mean LibreOffice needs to do anything with that. (As said, the "make fonts installation optional" is separate; it could help you with a buggy configuration on your system, but it is not "stop providing a font that some other software / my system setup cannot handle".)
Comment 12 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:19:34 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #9)

> Yes; and you could point to a bug sent *somewhere* at MS :-)

Please tell me where to send it so that I can give you a link. I cannot find anything for this.
Comment 13 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:20:38 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #11)
> (In reply to maik.diessner from comment #10)
> > Here it does (when scrolling the fonts list in Paint).
> 
> I believe you. But that doesn't mean LibreOffice needs to do anything with
> that. (As said, the "make fonts installation optional" is separate; it could
> help you with a buggy configuration on your system, but it is not "stop
> providing a font that some other software / my system setup cannot handle".)

But it could be a compiling bug of that certain font - that's why I've reported it.
Comment 14 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-18 16:23:32 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #13)
> But it could be a compiling bug of that certain font - that's why I've
> reported it.

OK; but just to inform you: we do not compile fonts (except for OpenSymbol, which is our own font). All third-party fonts are bundled by downloading the fonts from their vendors; so here you could also file a bug to Alef authors (but it is very likely, that it's your system setup is somehow broken).
Comment 15 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:27:19 UTC
Created attachment 201879 [details]
Video showing that Alef font crashes Paint
Comment 16 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 16:32:08 UTC
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #14)
> (In reply to maik.diessner from comment #13)
> > But it could be a compiling bug of that certain font - that's why I've
> > reported it.
> 
> OK; but just to inform you: we do not compile fonts (except for OpenSymbol,
> which is our own font). All third-party fonts are bundled by downloading the
> fonts from their vendors; so here you could also file a bug to Alef authors
> (but it is very likely, that it's your system setup is somehow broken).

Ok, I've sent an email to Alef.



Here the video showing the crash (and the fix): https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/attachment.cgi?id=201879
Comment 17 m_a_riosv 2025-07-18 16:55:28 UTC
Have you tested if it happens with other MS apps?
Comment 18 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 17:02:10 UTC
(In reply to m_a_riosv from comment #17)
> Have you tested if it happens with other MS apps?

Don't have other MS apps with font lists.
Comment 19 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-07-18 18:36:06 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #5)
> Please test with Paint 11.2506.71.0

What is this particular version of paint associated with? Also, is it currently the latest version?
Comment 20 maik.diessner 2025-07-18 18:37:11 UTC
(In reply to Eyal Rozenberg from comment #19)
> (In reply to maik.diessner from comment #5)
> > Please test with Paint 11.2506.71.0
> 
> What is this particular version of paint associated with? Also, is it
> currently the latest version?

It's the latest version released today (Microsoft Store).
Comment 21 V Stuart Foote 2025-07-18 19:19:08 UTC
Added for bug 113538. Just checked and the build LO deploys is still the current release.

http://alef.hagilda.com/
Comment 22 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-19 07:22:52 UTC
(In reply to maik.diessner from comment #18)
> Don't have other MS apps with font lists.

Even MS Notepad has it.
Comment 23 V Stuart Foote 2025-07-19 10:16:31 UTC
No issues with LibreOffice bundled 'Alef' (1.001) font in MS Paint 11.2504.551.0.

MS Store update to Paint 11.2506.71.0 build; 
no issue launching with 'Alef' 1.001 font, 
nor with making a font selection from listbox.

NOR with scrolling the font list for the 'Text' tool.

Why did you choose 'Alef' to delete?

Was it because 'Alef' was the first font on your system? It had a name and appeared to be functioning in the Fonts app. Guidance is to delete suspect fonts not showing  a Font name! [1]

IIUC deleting *any* font will "refresh the MS Windows font cache", and that was what your system needed. Maybe you're giving 'Alef' a bad reputation for what is a Windows system issue.

winver.exe--Version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4652)
en-US locale

[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4104129/ms-paint-crash-when-using-text-tool?page=3#answers
Comment 24 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-07-19 16:19:16 UTC
Shouldn't this be WORKSFORME?
Comment 25 Mike Kaganski 2025-07-19 17:06:28 UTC
(In reply to Eyal Rozenberg from comment #24)
WORKSFORME is "the problem in LibreOffice was confirmed in some version; but in a later version, it is no more happening"; it is the same as FIXED, modulo "specific fixing change is unknown".