Use system-ui as font on Linux

[jhasse]

• VSCode Version: 1.4.0
• OS Version: Ubuntu MATE 16.04

This commit hard-coded the Ubuntu font for the UI: 11a3b51

While this might look more integrated for Ubuntu Unity users, everywhere else (GNOME, KDE, MATE with other setting or another distro, ...) it doesn't. Having sans-serif as an alias which I can change to a font I want is better IMHO.

The best solution probably is to use the same font that menus are using, e. g. the system GUI/Gtk/system font. Is there a way to access this, maybe similar to -apple-system or BlinkMacSystemFont?

[Tyriar]

👍 sans-serif points to the default sans font which is Ubuntu on standard Ubuntu 16.04, so removing Ubuntu will still use that font.

[joaomoreno]

Yeah, but doesn't argument that apply for all operating systems? And isn't our stance on this that we want to own the UI and aesthetics of Code, meaning if we think Ubuntu looks best then we'll pick it, the same way that if we pick Segoe UI since it does look best?

Suddenly this just seems to me to be a duplicate of #3112.

Opinions? @stevencl @bgashler1 @Tyriar @bpasero

[bpasero]

Yes, or to allow the user to change the styling via some setting (font choice, or full CSS access).

[Tyriar]

@joaomoreno yeah but we also own the UI on Windows and Segoe UI is the way Windows is going. Ubuntu may look out of place when not on Ubuntu but the font is still available, such as on its derivatives. Ubuntu is not available on all Linux distributions so why would we care so much as to enforce it on a subset of distros but not care about the rest?

[stevencl]

Our goal is to strike the balance between defining the UI and aesthetics of Code such that Code is easily recognisable on each platform but that it also looks and feels like it belongs on each platform. So we should choose whichever font we think manages that balance best. If we're hearing that the choices we have made don't work well on particular platforms we should reconsider. From the above, if I understand correctly, it sounds like we might want to consider using something different to Ubuntu on a Linux distribution where Ubuntu is not available as the current font we are using does not look appropriate?

If on the other hand this is just about adding a setting that allows the user to change the font then sure, that sounds good if we can do it, but we should stick with our original choices as long as they look appropriate on each platform.

[Tyriar]

Personally I think (like the OP) that it is on the wrong side of the balance by hard coding Ubuntu. If we really wanted to take control and make it consistent on Linux by default we should ship the Ubuntu font with the distributable, otherwise it's only Ubuntu on some distros (Ubuntu derived distros, maybe Debian too?) and not others (Red Hat, Arch Linux, etc.).

Do note that users can specify their default preferred font through the OS, we're essentially ignoring this and saying "Ubuntu is better".

This is just something that will make VS Code feel less native on distros that have Ubuntu but where it is not the default (think forcing Segoe UI on to OS X users).