Using Microsoft TrueType fonts with Linux

[jeffste]

I am using Red Hat Linux 6.2, but I think this should work for all.

Step 1 - EDIT

Edit the file /etc/X11/XF86Config. Make sure the following statements are in your "Module" section:

Section "Module"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
EndSection

Step 2 - ADD A NEW DIRECTORY TO FONT PATH

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType"

Now save XF86Config file and close your editor.

Step 3 - CREATE A NEW DIRECTORY

cd /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts
mkdir TrueType

Step 4 - TRANSFER FONTS FROM WINDOWS

Copy all the .ttf files from Windows into
the newly created directory. They should be in C:\WINDOWS\FONTS. If you have mounted your Windows partition this should be a snap. If not, you'll have to zip them up and use a floppy for the transfer, then unzip them into
the directory.

Step 5 - MAKE THE FONTS USABLE

Download the file "ttmkfdir.tar.gz" from www.darmstadt.gmd.de/~pommnitz/TrueType. (http://www.darmstadt.gmd.de/~pommnitz/TrueType.) Unzip and untar the file in some directory, e.g. /tmp.

tar -xvvzf ttmkfdir.tar.gz

Rename the file ttmkfdir.linuxbin.glibc2 to ttmkfdir

mv ttmkfdir.linuxbin.glibc2 ttmkfdir

Copy ttmkfdir to /usr/bin

cp ttmkfdir /usr/bin

Change directory back to TrueType

cd /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType

Execute the following command

ttmkfdir > fonts.dir

Step 6 - MAKE FONTS AVAILABLE

Shutdown and restart X Windows. That's it!
Your TrueType fonts should now be available from any X application.

Note from cybertron: I deleted a number of posts in this thread at the request of the user who posted them. Some of the other posts referencing them may not make sense now, but this thread is old enough I don't expect that to be a problem.

[Baron Flambe]

Worked for me under Mandrake. Thanks for posting this, I can now read stuff on the 'net without pressing my nose to the screen! http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

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"Everytime I learn something new it pushes some old stuff out of my brain!" - Homer Simpson

[Sterling]

Yes, I must say that having some proper true type fonts does dramatically improve things. IMHO, every distro should come with these installed by default. Debian comes close (everything but the .ttf files and one or two other little config things), but they're such an improvement...

Oh, and it looks like the page has moved. As far as I can tell, the new URL is: http://www.joerg-pommnitz.de/TrueType/xfsft.html

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[This message has been edited by Sterling (edited 16 August 2000).]

[lldt3]

This worked on RedHat 6.2 with three differences.

1) There was no Module Section in my /etc/X11/XF86Config file. No biggie: I created one.

2) The font path was already in my /etc/X11/XF86Config file, even though the directory did not exist.

3) When I went to cp the ttmkfdir to /usr/bin, I discovered that RedHat 6.2 already had a file by this name, much smaller and newer. I didn't overwrite it, but instead I used the version that came with RH6.2. It worked fine.

Thanks again to jeffste for posting this!


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Running RedHat 6.2 and learning as fast as I can...

[Bulldog]

Works for me in RedHat 6.1! just like Baron Flambe said: "I can now read stuff on the 'net without pressing my nose to the screen!"
http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[lone-nut]

I run debian and of course nothing is as easy as it is with RedHat... but that's ok because learning hard things is fun right?

that link to mkdrifont...whatever doesn't exist... every recipe for moving files to /usr/thisorthat/this/that/fonts is not the same regretfully...

any Debian hardcores wish to enlighten a poor going blind from reading bad fonts linux newbie as to how I can do this on a Debian system...

all the .ttf files are in place I just don't know engough about this to go puttin things where they don't belong.. :\

-ln

"treason doth not prosper, for to prosper none dare call it treason.."

[Sterling]

On my Debain potato system, it did come with an X TrueType font server set up. That font server is called xfstt. The man page has some good info, but I'll reprint it here.


(1) Start xfstt on startup as so:
xfstt --port 7101 --daemon --user nobody

I recommend setting it up so it starts automatically, if it doesn't already. If you aren't sure, type: ps aux | grep xfstt
If its listed there (however many times), its fine.


(2) Next, put any .ttf files into /usr/share/fonts/truetype


(3) Finally, type xset fp+ unix/:7101


I think that xset command sets it permanently. If it doesn't, put it in one of the X11 startup scripts.


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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[This message has been edited by Sterling (edited 20 August 2000).]

[joweilee]

lone-nut, do a search on freshmeat.net for ttmkfdir

[Eclipse]

I can't get it working on SuSE 6.4 either.
I restored my unmodified XF86Config and am back to square one. Anyone else get this working on SuSE ?

[Sterling]

Vincent - That program is probably RedHat (or some other distro)-specific and doesn't like the way SUSE does things. You're going to have to restore your font path. Can some other SUSE user on here provide Vincent with some help in doing this? I have no idea what paths SUSE uses....

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[Sterling]

Well, if you've gotten your fonts reset, then my Debian instructions should work for you. Just create a TrueType subdirectory of wherever SUSE puts its fonts, and point xfstt there with the --dir <dir> option. Finding xfstt may be a bit more of a problem, but you can use alien to install a .deb package or compile from sources if you can't find an RPMed version.

I'm afraid I don't know much at all about SUSE, never having tinkered with it, so these are just generic suggestions.

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[vhg119]

i always wondered why i never have to ever go through the whole "TRUETYPE Fonts NHF" i always got truetype working with a couple steps without every having to download that one utility.. (forgot the name.. xfstt i think)...

[Sterling]

xfstt is the one.

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[joweilee]

Check linuxdoc.org. They have so many great font guides, including one specifically for debian!

[Sterling]

What happened with my xfstt solution? Just before vhg119's post?

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[joweilee]

Follow the Debian Font Guide. There's nothing really specific to debian except for the startup files but you can change them to fit SuSE.

[Sterling]

I should be able to work out the needed commands if you can tell me the directory where SUSE puts its font files. In Debian, that's /usr/share/fonts, and truetype fonts go in /usr/share/fonts/truetype.

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[Sterling]

Ok, so here's the steps. Be root, and be very careful what thine typeth:
(1) cd /usr/X11R6/libs/X11/fonts
(2) mkdir truetype
(3) Put .ttf files in /usr/X11R6/libs/X11/fonts/truetype
(3) Run: xfstt --port 7101 --daemon --user nobody --dir /usr/X11R6/libs/X11/fonts/truetype
(4) Run: xset fp+ unix/:7101

That should do the trick. You'll also need to set up a script to start xfstt with those arguments at startup. IIRC, the xset command doesn't have to be repeated. If you've got trouble creating the script, post something and I'll send you the one Debian came with.

Of course, first you have to download and install xfstt. There should be an RPM of it somewhere... If the RPM creates a startup script for it, you'll have to check that and make sure it has the needed args.

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[stiles]

Originally posted by Sterling:
On my Debain potato system, it did come with an X TrueType font server set up. That font server is called xfstt. The man page has some good info, but I'll reprint it here.


(1) Start xfstt on startup as so:
xfstt --port 7101 --daemon --user nobody

I recommend setting it up so it starts automatically, if it doesn't already. If you aren't sure, type: ps aux | grep xfstt
If its listed there (however many times), its fine.


(2) Next, put any .ttf files into /usr/share/fonts/truetype


(3) Finally, type xset fp+ unix/:7101


I think that xset command sets it permanently. If it doesn't, put it in one of the X11 startup scripts.



do you have to be root to do "xset fp+ unix/:7101" ? My system (debian 2.2) didn't like xset... as a user, so I tried as root, but I can't connect to the xserver. Have also tried 'xset fp+ unix/:7101 +localhost' and 'xset +localhost fp+ unix/:7101' but then I get "unknown option +localhost". Any advice?

thanks

[stiles]

I got it working, just added the "Fontpath = "unix/:7101" to my XF86Config, and put a Symbolic link in /etc/rcS.d --> /etc/init.d/xfstt and it's working like a charm

[Sterling]

Stiles - To answer your question about xset, I've run through my config files, and I think you have to put it in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc. The SUSE location should be slightly different, but the idea's the same. Otherwise you'd have to type it every time.

Perhaps a proper NHF on xfstt would be a good idea?

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[stiles]

actually adding

xset fp+ unix/:7101

to a startup script is the same as adding

Fontpath = "unix/:7101"

to your XF86config file, they both tell the xserver where to look for the fonts. It can be done either way, just for clairity, and another thing I noticed is that apt-get install xfstt added a startup script in the different runlevels, so I rememoved the one symbolic link I created in rcS.d. It works great.

[Sterling]

The only thing really changed is your XF86Config file. If the RPM creates a startup script (however SUSE handles those, get someone else to provide more details), you'll probably have to edit it to pass the correct arguments to xfstt.

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-Sterling
-This post made with the Lizard! (http://www.mozilla.org)

[ers-1]

I finally got all of my TrueType fonts working. Everything is good ...except AbiWord still only has 13 font choices. What can I do to help AbiWord find the other fonts ...which are in the same folder: /usr/share/fonts/ja/TrueType

data:
RH 7.1
Gnome 1.4

[Lorithar]

*ARARRRRRGGGHHHS*

You mean someone has ttmkfdir done up and compiled already???

took pulling down three separate packages to get that *f*&)*(%&^*& thing made ... however, now my Xfonts are *much* nicer.....

[Demoniko]

I followed the instructions of the first posting of this thread and it worked great! (almost)

I am running Mandrake 8, and I had to edit XF86Config-4 instead of XF86Config (it's in the same directory).

Have phun!

[harvm]

Look here for SuSe linux 7.0 or greater
http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/jkoeke_truetype.html

I can't wait to try it

[YoshiG]

I could not download "ttmkfdir.tar.gz" from www.darmstadt.gmd.de/~pommnitz/TrueType. (http://www.darmstadt.gmd.de/~pommnitz/TrueType.) Where can I get it? :(

[LiNuts]

Originally posted by Demoniko:
<STRONG>I followed the instructions of the first posting of this thread and it worked great! (almost)

I am running Mandrake 8, and I had to edit XF86Config-4 instead of XF86Config (it's in the same directory).

Have phun!</STRONG>

I too am running Drake8, i followed the instructions to the letter, and edited XF86Config-4, It seemed to work (no errors), but i cannot see any of the windows fonts when i use kword or konqueror or any other application.

Cheers
LiNuts

[HTTP-404]

same with my drake8

thnx

[paulster]

Hi I wonder if somebody could take a few minutes to copy and paste what their 'XF86Config' file looks like in and around the 'Module' section, for using Ms true type fonts.

I have MD7.2 and have followed the instructions to the letter and all seems fine except that the fonts don't apear in x. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't have a 'Module' section so I created one which is where I think the problem may be.

so if its not too much trouble. Please post your working sample.

[debiandude]

Ahh the joys of debian. Its so easy to get them fonts in debain just a few commands:
apt-get install msttcorefonts sharefont freefont

And bamo you have a whole set of trueteype fonts and you don't have to mess with getting anyother crap. Another nice thing is a meta package called task-anti-aliasing that helps you set up nice anit-aliasing.