How to fix Fontconfig error

Question

Whenever Fontconfig is run by an application (in my specific case, Civ V in steam), it outputs this error:

Fontconfig error: "/usr/local/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: non-double matrix element
Fontconfig error: "/usr/local/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: non-double matrix element
Fontconfig warning: "/usr/local/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 78: saw unknown, expected number

Though the application doesn't crash entirely, the video freezes when this error is printed and the audio continues without error.

Is the Fontconfig error causing the problem?
How do I fix it?

Edit:

The computer is Ubuntu 14.04 32 bit. I suspect the problem is associated with fontconfig, because the video (Aspyr intro) freezes when this error is printed, exactly when the shift-tab steam community message shows. That text is malformed and bloated instead of inconspicuous. Here is the file created by steam 2> error.txt, which I killed after the problem.

    rm: cannot remove ‘/home/seth/.steam/steam’: Is a directory
    rm: cannot remove ‘/home/seth/.steam/bin’: Is a directory
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: non-double matrix element
    Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: non-double matrix element
    Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 78: saw unknown, expected number
    [0705/210154:WARNING:proxy_service.cc(958)] PAC support disabled because there is no system implementation
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    [HTTP Remote Control] HTTP server listening on port 27037.
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Generating new string page texture 2: 48x256, total string texture memory is 49.15 KB
    Generating new string page texture 3: 256x256, total string texture memory is 311.30 KB
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Adding licenses for the following package(s): 0, 11092, 11707, 14631, 28756, 29136
    roaming config store loaded successfully - 716 bytes.
    migrating temporary roaming config store
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(steam)/version(1404163764_client)
    Failed to init SteamVR because it isn't installed
    ExecCommandLine: "/home/seth/.steam/ubuntu12_32/steam"
    System startup time: 6.84 seconds
    Generating new string page texture 73: 1024x256, total string texture memory is 1.36 MB
    Generating new string page texture 74: 128x256, total string texture memory is 131.07 KB
    Generating new string page texture 75: 128x256, total string texture memory is 1.49 MB
    Generating new string page texture 76: 64x256, total string texture memory is 1.56 MB
    Generating new string page texture 77: 32x256, total string texture memory is 1.59 MB

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.
    Generating new string page texture 82: 128x256, total string texture memory is 1.72 MB
    Generating new string page texture 83: 384x256, total string texture memory is 2.11 MB
    ExecCommandLine: "/home/seth/.steam/root/ubuntu12_32/steam steam://open/driverhelperready"
    ExecSteamURL: "steam://open/driverhelperready"
    Game update: AppID 8930 "Sid Meier's Civilization V", ProcID 4526, IP 0.0.0.0:0
    ERROR: ld.so: object '/home/seth/.steam/ubuntu12_64/gameoverlayrenderer.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64): ignored.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.

    (steam:4437): LIBDBUSMENU-GLIB-WARNING **: Trying to remove a child that doesn't believe we're it's parent.
    ERROR: ld.so: object '/home/seth/.steam/ubuntu12_64/gameoverlayrenderer.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64): ignored.
    Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 8930
    Steam_SetMinidumpSteamID:  Caching Steam ID:  76561198080162579 [API loaded no]
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(gameoverlayui)/version(20140630132217_client)
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(gameoverlayui)/version(1.0_client)
    Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(gameoverlayui)/version(1.0_client)
    non-double matrix element
    Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 70: non-double matrix element
    Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf", line 78: saw unknown, expected number
    [0705/210210:WARNING:proxy_service.cc(958)] PAC support disabled because there is no system implementation
    Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(gameoverlayui)/version(1.0_client)

Have you tried removing that file? Rename or move it some place else and see if that solves your problem. `mv /usr/local/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf ~` — arnefm, Jul 04 '14 at 22:58
I saw that solution, but that file does not exist on the system. The directory /usr/local/etc exists, but is empty. Could this be a problem? — kbitikofer, Jul 06 '14 at 01:30

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 01 '15 at 00:37

fc-cache -v | grep -i err

will give you an error too at line 78 (for me). What it turned out to be was that the <matrix> element in /etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf has 2 <name> elements when it should only have one. Doing:

sudo nano "/etc/fonts/conf.d/10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf"

and removing the extra line that reads:

<name>pixelsizefixupfactor</name>

makes the fc-cache query return no errors any more and when loading steam (and subsequent games) the Fontconfig error: lines are no longer present.

Per http://linux.die.net/man/5/fonts-conf I thought we'd need 4 <double> elements in the <matrix> but it doesn't appear to be necessary.

that's line 70. also do we leave the two double tag, that would be weird right, only having three elements in a matrix? — tatsu, Mar 16 '19 at 17:04

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Aug 24 '14 at 00:10

1

Try turning off the steam overlay. Right-click the game in your library, choose "Properties", and uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game". This fixed it for me.

edited Aug 24 '14 at 00:10

Michael Mrozek

91,316
38
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answered Aug 23 '14 at 23:47

Rob

181
1
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This fixed the issue in Civ V for me as well. – Michael Nov 23 '14 at 22:29

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 05 '14 at 19:54

Someone mentioned here this solution:

Just remove the fontconfig in the /usr/local/etc/fonts/fonts.conf file

Can you try that?

To find out, what really is causing your video freezing problem do the following:

Start steam in command-line on one terminal.
Start Civ V in command-line on another terminal. find the executable in your Steam directory (~/.local/share/Steam on Ubuntu) like this: find ~/.local/share/Steam/ -executable -type f | grep -i civ
Fun time! Play Civ V until you experience the error. Kill Civ V quickly.
Look at the output of steam and the civ binary and post it here or Google for the Error messages like this: "Error: Term", use the double quotation marks.

I can't seem to run Civ V alone in the terminal. When executing with steam open elsewhere, it gives this error `[S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; no appID found. Either launch the game from Steam, or put the file steam_appid.txt containing the correct appID in your game folder.` I can't find any steam_appid.txt on the computer. — kbitikofer, Jul 06 '14 at 02:47

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 18 '17 at 17:27

0

remove 10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf from /etc/fonts/conf.d and run fc-cache -fv its work for me

answered Jan 18 '17 at 17:27

ucil

1

How to fix Fontconfig error

4 Answers4