29
4
I load up GIMP and it gets stuck on "Loading Data Files: Fonts" every time.
System Specs:
GusN
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 305
8
This step can take a long time. And due to the way file timestamps are handled, it can e.g. happen on daylight saving time switches.
In order to check what exactly is happening there, you should use a file access monitor like Process Monitor - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb896645.aspx.
This can tell you if GIMP is reading font file to build the font cache, and will also provide you with some sort of progress information, because the font files will be mostly accessed in alphabetical order (or reverse).
The unresponsive window is a symptom of that, just ignore it.
Michael Schumacher
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 811
24This slowness is making gimp seem bloated to any new user and users of portable gimp. Does anybody know what "loading fonts" actually mean? Is it rendering thumbnails or is something else making it take forever? Would it make sense to request this process is moved to happen after gimp is loaded in less priority threads, with placeholder thumbnails? Or has it been reported already to no avail? – qubodup – 2016-04-04T20:21:13.810
1fontconfig reads all the font files to create the font cache. Traditionally, many changes to Free Software happen because a user affected by an issue or lacking a feature tackles the task. So far, this hasn't happened here - probably because it mostly affects the Windows platforms,where the developer-to-user ratio seems to be very low. The issue is reported, and someone from the user base stepping up to investigate the underlying technical reasons would be a very well received change. – Michael Schumacher – 2016-04-05T10:49:55.073
FWIW, the unresponsiveness has recently been addressed and will be gone in the next release. – Michael Schumacher – 2016-05-03T06:07:28.700
1
Thanks, it looks like this is the commit: https://git.gnome.org/browse/gimp/commit/?id=30b73125f87b19e3ae322b9fc5bacc9f0b8ef3c1
– qubodup – 2016-05-03T21:46:46.2102It will not fix the long wait, though. – Michael Schumacher – 2016-05-04T05:50:06.380
9This takes forever on OSX too. Why is this needed? I don't even use fonts, I just want to edit pictures. – user985366 – 2017-11-13T18:12:30.807
It is what the fontconfig library does - on Linux system, this is usually done system-wide when fonts are added or removed via the package manager. Some quite recent changes (they were committed in September 2017) to the fontconfig library should make this step considerably faster: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=64766. Judging by the release dates, this should be part of fontconfig 2.12.6. You can expect future release packages of GIMP to ship with this library version on platforms like MS Windows and OSX.
– Michael Schumacher – 2017-11-14T08:39:49.41311
Even the latest Windows version 2.8.22 has this problem.
Go into Preferences -> Folders -> Fonts and delete all folders listed there.
GIMP has a couple user font folders listed there by default, for some reason on Windows those folders make the font loading part really slow, like 15-30 seconds even on SSD. Now GIMP loads in a few seconds on SSD.
Hope this helps.
tomm1e
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 111
1This worked for me on Windows 10. I tried other suggestions and I thought I was going to have to live with the long loading time forever. – Sys_Admin_Luddite – 2018-03-18T21:39:34.347
I think the first restart of GIMP, it rebuilds the font cache, but then on the next one its fast again. – RowanC – 2018-04-30T04:11:38.800
This fixed the long wait for me. It was happening on a OSX High Sierra and deleting those two folders from the preferences changed the startup time from > 3 minutes to under 5 seconds. – RayB – 2018-06-22T22:20:54.833
10
The following steps worked for GIMP 2.8.20 on my Mac (Sierra 10.12.6):
Shun-Qi Xu
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 101
Edit / Preferences in Windows version. It takes as long to delete those folders and re opening Gimp the first time after doing this (take a lo00ong time). After that, it loads fast again! – Metafaniel – 2018-05-18T15:56:24.287
2Delete button does look weird, I think it's a paper shredder. Solution works perfectly though, GIMP is nog starting in seconds instead of minutes. – Wietse – 2018-09-10T09:24:30.990
3
Go to Gimp folder. Create a shortcut from GIMPPortable.exe or GIMP.exe. Go to properties of your new shortcut. And in the Target field at the end add " -f" like this
D:\Progs\GIMPPortable\GIMPPortable.exe -f
Have a nice painting )
Addition:
GIMP comes with a so-called batch mode that allows you to do image processing from the command line. See gimp --help
-f, --no-fonts Do not load any fonts
For more information look GIMP Batch mode
KonchenayaTvar
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 31
What does this actually do? – Clonkex – 2018-04-20T01:36:35.653
This executes GIMP without loading fonts, you just need to execute GIMP with parameter (-f) – KonchenayaTvar – 2018-04-21T12:30:53.507
On mac the command is /Applications/GIMP.app/Contents/MacOS/GIMP-bin -f – gerrytan – 2018-04-30T05:37:10.673
Actually I don't think the -f option is useful. Although gimp load, now I can't open jpeg file :( – gerrytan – 2018-04-30T06:20:19.440
I think Jpeg is not connected with fonts. Try to open Jpeg file in other editor and resave. For me always help to open trouble jpeg file in Windows Painter and just resave it. And OMG, it opens. – KonchenayaTvar – 2018-05-01T06:45:11.440
-1
From this superuser answer
This worked for me.
First:delete the font folders.
Second:close gimp.
Third:open gimp.
Fourth:close gimp.
Fifth:this time when you open gimp, there will be no 'looking for fonts' process.
Akshay kn
Posted 2015-04-27T21:34:56.707
Reputation: 7
1Confirming: two restarts of Gimp were needed in my case too. – Daddy32 – 2018-01-29T13:09:01.183
Don't reply to answers with new answers. This should be a comment on the linked answer. – Clonkex – 2018-04-20T01:36:20.680
Anything in Event Viewer > Applications regarding the issue? – EternalHour – 2015-04-27T21:43:07.143
Not that I can see, but I've never used Event Viewer before. – GusN – 2015-04-27T21:49:03.323
How long do you wait before deciding it's stuck – BJ292 – 2015-04-27T21:56:45.840
I have waited 30 minutes before, but the window is always unresponsive right after it gets stuck on loading fonts. – GusN – 2015-04-27T21:58:43.050
Yes,this likely has to do with a corrupt font. No, I have no idea on how to find it (else I'd post an answer) – jsbueno – 2015-04-28T20:14:14.057
2I'm having this same issue on the latest Mac OS X. Looks like this might just be a GIMP issue. – CGTheLegend – 2016-04-12T07:26:28.067