Ghostty fails to start with freetype 2.14.0

[rajayonin]

Issue Description

Ghostty fails to start when the freetype version is 2.14.0. Using the previous version (2.13.3) starts the application as expected.

OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 25.2.2-cachyos1.3
GPU: Intel Arc Graphics @ 2.25 GHz [Integrated]

Expected Behavior

Ghostty launches.

Actual Behavior

Ghostty crashes.

Reproduction Steps

1. Update freetype to 2.14.0
2. Open Ghostty

Ghostty Logs

info: ghostty version=1.1.2-r2645.g0dc3246-1-arch
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=11.4.5
info: dependency fontconfig=21701
info: renderer=renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.OpenGL)
info: libxev default backend=io_uring
info(os_locale): setlocale from env result=LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_NUMERIC=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_TIME=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_MONETARY=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8;LC_PAPER=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_NAME=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_ADDRESS=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_TELEPHONE=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_MEASUREMENT=es_ES.UTF-8;LC_IDENTIFICATION=es_ES.UTF-8
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.18.6 runtime=4.18.6
info(gtk): libadwaita version build=1.7.6 runtime=1.7.6
info(config): creating template config file: path=/home/ldcas/.config/ghostty/config
warning(config): error creating template config file err=error.PathAlreadyExists
info(config): default shell source=env value=/usr/bin/zsh
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
info(gtk_ghostty_application): cgroup isolation disabled via config=config.Config.LinuxCgroup.single-instance
info(opengl): loaded OpenGL 4.6
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): failed to initialize surface err=error.UnknownFreetypeError
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): surface failed to initialize err=error.SurfaceError

Ghostty Version

Ghostty 1.1.2-r2645.g0dc3246-1-arch

Version
  - version: 1.1.2-r2645.g0dc3246-1-arch
  - channel: tip
Build Config
  - Zig version   : 0.14.1
  - build mode    : builtin.OptimizeMode.ReleaseFast
  - app runtime   : apprt.Runtime.gtk
  - font engine   : font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
  - renderer      : renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.OpenGL)
  - libxev        : io_uring
  - kernel version: 6.16.5-2-cachyos
  - desktop env   : gnome
  - GTK version   :
    build         : 4.18.6
    runtime       : 4.18.6
  - libadwaita    : enabled
    build         : 1.7.6
    runtime       : 1.7.6
  - libX11        : enabled
  - libwayland    : enabled

OS Version Information

CachyOS (Linux 6.16.5-2-cachyos)

(Linux only) Display Server

Wayland

(Linux only) Desktop Environment/Window Manager

GNOME 48.4

Minimal Ghostty Configuration

# default configuration

Additional Relevant Configuration

No response

I acknowledge that:

• I have reviewed the FAQ and confirm that my issue is NOT among them.
• I have searched the Ghostty repository (both open and closed Discussions and Issues) and confirm this is not a duplicate of an existing issue or discussion.
• I have checked the "Preview" tab on all text fields to ensure that everything looks right, and have wrapped all configuration and code in code blocks with a group of three backticks (```) on separate lines.

[jcollie]

Is freetype 2.14 what the rest of your system is using? Mixing/matching freetype versions (esp major versions) on a system can cause problems because of ABI changes as structures are passed around.

[lukehsiao]

I'm running into this (or a very similar) issue.

❯ pacman -Qi freetype2
Name            : freetype2
Version         : 2.14.0-1
Description     : Font rasterization library
Architecture    : x86_64
URL             : https://www.freetype.org/
Licenses        : FTL OR GPL-2.0-or-later
Groups          : None
Provides        : libfreetype.so=6-64
Depends On      : brotli  bzip2  glibc  libpng  zlib
Optional Deps   : harfbuzz: Improved autohinting [installed]
Required By     : alacritty  appstream  cairo  ffmpeg  fontconfig
                  ghostty  harfbuzz  imagemagick  jdk-openjdk  libass
                  libbluray  libgxps  libraqm  libreoffice-fresh
                  librsvg  libxfont2  libxft  omarchy-chromium  pango
                  plymouth  poppler  poppler-glib  poppler-qt6
                  qt6-base  qt6-webengine  sushi  tectonic
                  texlive-bin
Optional For    : None
Conflicts With  : None
Replaces        : None
Installed Size  : 1697.26 KiB
Packager        : Jan Alexander Steffens (heftig)
                  <[email protected]>
Build Date      : Sun 07 Sep 2025 03:38:28 AM MDT
Install Date    : Wed 10 Sep 2025 08:17:15 AM MDT
Install Reason  : Installed as a dependency for another package
Install Script  : Yes
Validated By    : Signature

❯ ghostty
info: ghostty version=1.1.3-arch1
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=11.4.5
info: dependency fontconfig=21701
info: renderer=renderer.OpenGL
info: libxev backend=main.Backend.epoll
info(os): setlocale from env result=en_US.UTF-8
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.18.2 runtime=4.18.6
info: reading configuration file path=/home/me/.config/ghostty/config
info(config): default shell source=env value=/usr/bin/fish
warning(gtk): setting GDK_DEBUG=gl-no-fractional
warning(gtk): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
Unrecognized value "gl-no-fractional". Try GDK_DEBUG=help
info(gtk): libadwaita version build=1.7.0 runtime=1.7.6
info(grid): loaded OpenGL 4.6
info(font_shared_grid_set): font regular: Berkeley Mono Variable Regular
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold: Berkeley Mono Variable Bold
info(font_shared_grid_set): font italic: Berkeley Mono Variable Oblique
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold_italic: Berkeley Mono Variable Bold Oblique
error(gtk_surface): surface failed to realize: error.CannotLoadPrimaryFont

(process:13089): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 09:16:39.727: gtk_widget_unparent: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

This was working pre-upgrade, the font is installed and correct.

Indeed, if I downgrade

❯ sudo pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/freetype2-2.13.3-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
loading packages...
warning: downgrading package freetype2 (2.14.0-1 => 2.13.3-3)
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...

Package (1)  Old Version  New Version  Net Change

freetype2    2.14.0-1     2.13.3-3      -0.03 MiB

Total Installed Size:   1.62 MiB
Net Upgrade Size:      -0.03 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n] y
(1/1) checking keys in keyring                     [------------] 100%
(1/1) checking package integrity                   [------------] 100%
(1/1) loading package files                        [------------] 100%
(1/1) checking for file conflicts                  [------------] 100%
(1/1) checking available disk space                [------------] 100%
:: Running pre-transaction hooks...
(1/1) Wait for limine-snapper-sync to finish before updating, installing or removing.
:: Processing package changes...
(1/1) downgrading freetype2                        [------------] 100%
:: Running post-transaction hooks...
(1/1) Arming ConditionNeedsUpdate...

Then Ghostty will launch fine, again.

[jcollie]

Can either one of you compile a debug version and try that to see if we get anything more? The errors are not very specific.

[lukehsiao]

If you can point me to some docs for how to do that, happy to.

Another observation: it launches fine for me with freetype 2.14.0 unless I use font-variation settings. If I set those in my config, it will not start. If I comment them out, it will start.

[lukehsiao]

Nevermind, I see https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/blob/main/HACKING.md

I will give it a try.

[roberthawdon]

Bizarrely, Ghostty launches just fine as a debug build, but I've attached the output in case it does shed any light

debug.log

[roberthawdon]

Scratch the above, the freetype update seems to have fixed this.

[lukehsiao]

Hah, this seems to be fixed, even without a debug build. As I re-upgraded freetype2 to test

❯ pacman -Qi freetype2
Name            : freetype2
Version         : 2.14.0-2
Description     : Font rasterization library
Architecture    : x86_64
URL             : https://www.freetype.org/
Licenses        : FTL OR GPL-2.0-or-later
Groups          : None
Provides        : libfreetype.so=6-64
Depends On      : brotli  bzip2  glibc  libpng  zlib
Optional Deps   : harfbuzz: Improved autohinting [installed]
Required By     : alacritty  appstream  cairo  ffmpeg  fontconfig  ghostty  harfbuzz  imagemagick  jdk-openjdk  libass  libbluray  libgxps  libraqm  libreoffice-fresh  librsvg  libxfont2  libxft  omarchy-chromium  pango  plymouth  poppler  poppler-glib  poppler-qt6  qt6-base  qt6-webengine  sushi  tectonic
                  texlive-bin
Optional For    : None
Conflicts With  : None
Replaces        : None
Installed Size  : 1697.26 KiB
Packager        : Jan Alexander Steffens (heftig) <[email protected]>
Build Date      : Wed 10 Sep 2025 10:07:34 AM MDT
Install Date    : Wed 10 Sep 2025 11:39:38 AM MDT
Install Reason  : Installed as a dependency for another package
Install Script  : Yes
Validated By    : Signature

It now just works. Note that this is 2.14.0-2, not 2.14.0-1, like it was earlier this morning. I suspect they just released something that fixed the issue for me.

This is the commit upstream: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/packaging/packages/freetype2/-/commit/d7fffd7bdfa730d79d607c1d35f67523d961325e

Seems to reference some variable font-related things, which is in line with what I'm using.

[jcollie]

This appears to be the upstream freetype issue. They have a patch for it, but have not cut a new release. Hopefully distros will pull in that patch when they upgrade to 2.14. If a large number of people are affected though we may look at implementing a workaround in Ghostty.

https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/freetype/freetype/-/issues/1355