URL: <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?68256>
Summary: [troff] `.bd S 3 3` doesn't work
Group: GNU roff
Submitter: gbranden
Submitted: Sat 18 Apr 2026 03:49:17 PM UTC
Category: Core
Severity: 3 - Normal
Item Group: Incorrect behaviour
Status: Confirmed
Privacy: Public
Assigned to: None
Open/Closed: Open
Discussion Lock: Unlocked
Planned Release: None
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Follow-up Comments:
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Date: Sat 18 Apr 2026 03:49:17 PM UTC By: G. Branden Robinson <gbranden>
Spawned off of bug #68252.
Not a regression--very old problem.
Because the emboldening (overstriking offset) used by the `bd` request is in
basic units, its magnitude is device-dependent.
An overstrike offset of 3 units on the C/A/T, with its resolution of 432 units
to the inch, is nigh-impossible to observe on _groff_'s PostScript and PDF
output devices, with 72,000 units to the inch.
So GNU _troff_ has, since its birth, for practical purposes, been ignoring the
`bd` request when formatting C/A/T-era inputs for PostScript or PDF.
Technically, it hasn't (always) ignored them, but the result has been
invisible, at least on video displays. Ink-based rendering might still work.
This is probably not a bad thing from one perspective; see my fulminations in
bug #68252 regarding the C/A/T's limited glyph repertoire in its text fonts
and the nature of special fonts, which comprise, or **should** comprise,
unstyled glyphs.
However there is still a bug, and that is that GNU _troff_ doesn't do what you
tell it to do.
Input:
$ cat ATTIC/bd-demo.roff
.ps 24
.vs 30
.nf
This is \fIgroff\fP \n(.x.\n(.y.\n(.Y.
3 \(mu 3 = 9
.bd TR 2400
.ft TR
3 \(mu 3 = 9 overstrike all glyphs by \n(.b units
.bd TR
.ft 3
Selecting bold font.
3 \(mu 3 = 9
Now see if the times sign appears overstruck.
.bd S 3 2400
3 \(mu 3 = 9
Since, in Savannah, an image attachment doesn't get rendered if you supply it
as part of the "original submission", I'll follow up with a comment.
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