[Gimp-user] Can't insert text in text box, draws box but insists on 0 pixels or pts.

[Gene Heskett <gheskett shentel net>]

Greetings all;

debian wheezy, up to date as of right now. gimp-2.8.2

I call up gimp to add some arrows and text boxes to some pix I want to 
use in an article for the linuxcnc wiki.

I load the pix, then select the big A in the single column, screen+ 
height tool list, (I could mutter at length about that) set the font to 
hack bold, and its size to 64 pixels. Then go click on the spot I want 
the text to start at. get a 4square box, and what I thought was the text 
entry requester just above it.

But no matter what I type in what I think is the text entry window of a 
teeny requester, the 4 adjoining squares indicating where the text 
should go, remain stuck to each other and it doesn't help to pull it out 
for what should be a suitably sized box, nothing shows up, and the 
duplicate text size selection stays at zero. And if I hover the mouse 
over that box it tells me its for font adjustments. So I crank the 
multiselector to 64 pixels, re-enter hack bold in the box of the 
requester then click on the pix and once I was able to see the 3 three 
characters I typed, but if I leave that area of the pix to click on an 
increase or decrease arrow make the text larger or smaller, everything 
is cleared and the font is reset to sans 18, and the text that was 
visible is cleared, so nothing actually makes it into the picture and 
even the undo selector stays greyed out.

What the hell folks? Why is it so adamant about the font being sans and 
size 0 or 18 despite what I have set, and why can't I go back and forth, 
adjusting it to do what I want without its clearing out all previous 
settings, including reverting the box I drug out to a suitable size back 
to the 4square target.

So I'm again lost, have to learn how to use gimp all over again. How 
about a stable interface, one that works like it did 15 years ago, and 
works the same this year, and works the same next year?

So how DO I insert caption text into a picture with this 2.8.2 version?

Next I suppose I get the text installed, then try to draw a freehand 
arrow connecting the text to the part being discussed in the 
accompanying text, and find that been changed too?
Just to check, the pencil only has one color, random. Set it for 50% 
transparency and draw, looks line a line of spilled glitter, each pixel 
a different color.  Spit, undo.

Sheesh.

Thanks.

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>