Android font for reading Pali on device?

[xinuflux]

Hi,

Anyone have experience with switching the stock DroidSans font to something like this http://dharmadroid.sourceforge.net/ font? I'm especially interested in non-rooting approaches, if any exist.

Thanks and metta.

[yuttadhammo]

Bhante Pesala made a neat subset font for PDA by request some time back:

http://www.aimwell.org/assets/VerajjaPDA.zip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's what was used in the Pali Dictionary Resources for android:

https://market.android.com/details?id=o ... hammo.cped" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and also Matthew Willis's Dhp app:

https://market.android.com/details?id=c ... by5kaHAiXQ." onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

We just made the apps use the custom font. I think the only way to change the system fonts itself is using root - I did it once and got some bad results. Here's an app that does it for you:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=874658" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but also requires root. Rooting isn't so painful, after all...

[xinuflux]

Thanks Bhante. Rooting seems like a lot of work just to change fonts. On the upside, I now have one diacritical-aware app on my phone - Pali Dictionary Resources!

Technically, now when I see an un-viewable Pali character I can query your app to see what the word should be.

[Paññāsikhara]

Thanks for this thread, as I've just been looking into this myself, after installing the Access to Insight app.
It does seem a lot to have to root the phone to change the fonts, but at present I haven't seen anything else.
I tried Font for Galaxy SP, and while the process seemed simple, there was no change. I suspect that rooting is required, even though the market details don't specify this.
Though, it may just be my phone. While designed for Galaxy S, I'm running a Nexus S - still, should be compatible, and the market says that it is.

Bhante Yuttadhammo, I saw the Pali English Resources earlier, and wondered if it was your creation! Great stuff!
May just have to drop it on in.

If you, or anyone else, has any comments on getting the "root", it would be appreciated.
I'm going to ask a particularly computer geeky Android Buddhist friend on this before doing anything!

~~ Huifeng