Is it possible to install additional fonts (True Type/Open) into
openSUSE 11.0?
Or export them from a Windows installation?

On 17" LCD screen (LG Flatron L177W), I find there is a significant
'bleeding' of fonts (not so in Windows with same hardware).

zmdmw52 wrote:
> Is it possible to install additional fonts (True Type/Open) into
> openSUSE 11.0?
> Or export them from a Windows installation?
>
> On 17" LCD screen (LG Flatron L177W), I find there is a significant
> 'bleeding' of fonts (not so in Windows with same hardware).

I must have had luck, because I have never seen such a thing. Not even
on screenshots where people say it is obviously visible.

That said, yes it is possible to add additional fonts. And as this is
Linux, there are several ways. Some I will describe, other ways are
possible as well, I believe.

1) If you want to use the MS fonts, you can easily install them. Some
people want then for websites. No idea why, but anyway. YaST, Software,
Software Management and search for fetchmsttfonts and install that.
You will need the update repo installed. These fonts are then downloaded
from Microsoft and a kitten will be killed.

2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype

This should do the trick. Some people use Konqueror, but that kills a
puppy each time you use it.

Now if you want to use ImageMagick to use the fonts, you must also make
it viable for them. The easiest way is to use the scipt
http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/scr...agick_type_gen

What you need to do when adding fonts is to see that they are included
in your `locate` directories. Next run `updatedb` afster you made sure
it is installed. This can take a long time, especialy if you have many
files. It can be used to not include certain directories, but that is
another matter.
Then run the script and move the resulting type.xml to the apropriate
place as decribed in the script.

As a last note, you are not limited to ttf fonts. Adobe fonts are also
usable by default. Some sites to download fonts:
http://www.creamundo.com/index.php?lang=en
http://www.1001fonts.com/index.html

Obviously there are many more sites like these.

houghi
--
All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust,
sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others.

On Aug 23, 2:38*pm, houghi wrote:
> zmdmw52 wrote:
> > Is it possible to install additional fonts (True Type/Open) into
> > openSUSE 11.0?
> > Or export them from a Windows installation?
>
> > On 17" LCD screen (LG Flatron L177W), I find there is a significant
> > 'bleeding' of fonts (not so in Windows with same hardware).
>
> I must have had luck, because I have never seen such a thing. Not even
> on screenshots where people say it is obviously visible.

This article refers to the problem-
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/index.html
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/fix.html

>
> That said, yes it is possible to add additional fonts. And as this is
> Linux, there are several ways. Some I will describe, other ways are
> possible as well, I believe.
>
> 1) If you want to use the MS fonts, you can easily install them. Some
> people want then for websites. No idea why, but anyway. YaST, Software,
> Software Management and search for fetchmsttfonts and install that.
> You will need the update repo installed. These fonts are then downloaded
> from Microsoft and a kitten will be killed.

What is the 'update repo'? Is there a repo specific for fonts/MS?

>
> 2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype

How do I do this? (as not familiar with CLI code for the same).

>
>

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:21:21 -0700, zmdmw52 typed this message:

> On Aug 23, 2:38Â*pm, houghi wrote:
>> zmdmw52 wrote:
>> > Is it possible to install additional fonts (True Type/Open) into
>> > openSUSE 11.0?
>> > Or export them from a Windows installation?
>>
>> > On 17" LCD screen (LG Flatron L177W), I find there is a significant
>> > 'bleeding' of fonts (not so in Windows with same hardware).
>>
>> I must have had luck, because I have never seen such a thing. Not even
>> on screenshots where people say it is obviously visible.
>
> This article refers to the problem-
> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/index.html
> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/fix.html
>
>
>> That said, yes it is possible to add additional fonts. And as this is
>> Linux, there are several ways. Some I will describe, other ways are
>> possible as well, I believe.
>>
>> 1) If you want to use the MS fonts, you can easily install them. Some
>> people want then for websites. No idea why, but anyway. YaST, Software,
>> Software Management and search for fetchmsttfonts and install that. You
>> will need the update repo installed. These fonts are then downloaded
>> from Microsoft and a kitten will be killed.
>
> What is the 'update repo'? Is there a repo specific for fonts/MS?
>
>
>> 2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype
>
> How do I do this? (as not familiar with CLI code for the same).
>
>
>>

Had you bothered to read the links you posted you would have noticed
instructions for installing fonts. Suse uses rpm package management under
Yast.

However, since you're using Suse find the System, "Look and Feel",
Appearance menu. That GUI will allow you to customize the Desktop
including adding new fonts, TrueType and otherwise. Both KDE.org and
Gnome.org have downloadable Artwork that add more customizable features.

>
> Had you bothered to read the links you posted you would have noticed
> instructions for installing fonts. Suse uses rpm package management under
> Yast. *
>
I did read them, posted the links here in for others' reference too.
Yes, openSUSE does have the RPM-based pkg management under yast; but
the article refrred to mentions SUSE as one of the distributions that
'does' implement BIS (True Type Byte Code Interpreters):
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/notgood.html .

> However, since you're using Suse find the System, "Look and Feel",
> Appearance menu. *That GUI will allow you to customize the Desktop
> including adding new fonts, TrueType and otherwise. * Both KDE.org and
> Gnome.org have downloadable Artwork that add more customizable features.

Will try out the instructions referred to & also installing some
Windows fonts, hoefully that should improve appearance. Presently
using

zmdmw52 wrote:
>> > On 17" LCD screen (LG Flatron L177W), I find there is a significant
>> > 'bleeding' of fonts (not so in Windows with same hardware).
>>
>> I must have had luck, because I have never seen such a thing. Not even
>> on screenshots where people say it is obviously visible.
>
> This article refers to the problem-

I am not saying that it doesn't happen. I say I have never seen it.
In all my years of using Linux at home and Windows at work, I have never
seen any difference in quality of the fonts. The only difference I have
seen was when going from CRT to TFT and TFT is a lot sharper. So do not
compare a Linux PC with CRT with a Windows PC with TFT. Not saying that
it is, but many people use the 'old' PC for Linux. Not sure why, because
the 'OLD' PC should be able to perfectly run the 'OLD' XP. :-D

> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/index.html

Not sure where it talks about the problem, but on
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/rpm.html it talks about
/sbin/conf.d/SuSEconfig.fonts which basicaly runs
`/usr/sbin/fonts-config --verbose` so open a terminal and run that
command as root. Log out and log back in again.

> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/fix.html

And this talks about the 'Webcode font package' which includes the MS
fonts I already talked about.

I asume you already have done everything there.

>> 1) If you want to use the MS fonts, you can easily install them. Some
>> people want then for websites. No idea why, but anyway. YaST, Software,
>> Software Management and search for fetchmsttfonts and install that.
>> You will need the update repo installed. These fonts are then downloaded
>> from Microsoft and a kitten will be killed.
>
> What is the 'update repo'? Is there a repo specific for fonts/MS?

To answer the second question. Yes, there is a specific repo for
fonts/MS. It is the update repo. As to what it is, it is the repo that
contains the, uh, updates.

How to get these? These should have added already during the
installation. Somehow you decided not to add them, or the machine had no
connection to Internet during the installation.

So I must asume that you tried installing fetchmsttfonts and you came up
blank when trying the method above. If so, please let us know, because
then there need other things to be done.

Also in the future please be detailed as to what and what not you have
tried.

So adding the update repo: YaST, Software, Software Repositories (repo
is short for Repositories) and see if there is one called Update, or at
least has that in the name. If it has it in tbe URL, then it might not
be the right one and tell us here wich one it is. It should be checked
for 'Enabled'

Now if it is not there, click Add, select Community Repositories, click
Next, Select the update one. Bunch of Next and OK while it downloads.
Now you must be able to install the fetchmsttfonts

>> 2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype
>
> How do I do this? (as not familiar with CLI code for the same).

Just like you would copy your illegal music from the Windows machine to
the Linux machine. There are plenty of GUI programs that can move and
copy files around. I have no idea, as I don't use them, but I know
others use them.

And don't forget, Linux is easier the Windows. It is just that you have
had several years experience in Windows and not in Linux.

houghi
--
First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn
numbers into letters with ASCII and we thought it was a typewriter. Then
we discovered graphics, and we thought it was television. With the World
Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure. -- Douglas Adams.

zmdmw52 wrote:
> Will try out the instructions referred to & also installing some
> Windows fonts, hoefully that should improve appearance. Presently
> using

fetchmsttfonts is the thing you need to install when you want to
install some windows fonts. All the rest is WAY to difficult. Just copy
the files into the correct directory and stuff is ready for use.

If you do not know how to copy files (using a GUI) figure that out
first. Make another tread for that.

houghi
--
First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn
numbers into letters with ASCII and we thought it was a typewriter. Then
we discovered graphics, and we thought it was television. With the World
Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure. -- Douglas Adams.

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:38:50 +0200, houghi wrote:
> And don't forget, Linux is easier the Windows.

But five minutes later,
on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:51 +0200, houghi wrote:
> fetchmsttfonts is the thing you need to install when you want
> to install some windows fonts. All the rest is WAY to difficult.

Installing new fonts on Micro$loth Windoze is actually easier than on a
GNU/Linux system, but as with all apparently simple implementations that
brings with it limitations.

Especially if you want the older X11 windowing programs to have all users
to be able to access those fonts, because then if you install the fonts
in a new directory (which makes sense to keep local changes away from
distribution system directories) you have to add the directory path to
two different configurations viz /etc/X11/xorg.conf or /etc/X11/fs and to
/etc/fonts/{fonts.conf, local.conf}.

Perhaps openSUSE could come up with a Yast method for adding new fonts
for those people for whom editing config files is WAY too difficult?

One could ask the question, has Yast in fact become the "Control Center"
equivalent of openSUSE.

J G Miller wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:38:50 +0200, houghi wrote:
> > And don't forget, Linux is easier the Windows.
>
> But five minutes later,
> on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:51 +0200, houghi wrote:
> > fetchmsttfonts is the thing you need to install when you want
> > to install some windows fonts. All the rest is WAY to difficult.
>
> Installing new fonts on Micro$loth Windoze is actually easier than on a
> GNU/Linux system

It sounds that you are implying that installing new fonts is the only
thing you do on a windows machine. I have no idea how it works with
Windows, so I would not know how easy it is there.

The way I do it is by just copying the ttf file or ps file or whatever
font file to the apropriate directory and it works.

> Especially if you want the older X11 windowing programs to have all users
> to be able to access those fonts, because then if you install the fonts
> in a new directory (which makes sense to keep local changes away from
> distribution system directories) you have to add the directory path to
> two different configurations viz /etc/X11/xorg.conf or /etc/X11/fs and to
> /etc/fonts/{fonts.conf, local.conf}.

Uh, first, why would you want to install them in a new directory? I
asume that it is standard with Windows to copy them to a non-standard
directory as that is what you most likely are comparing to. Otherwise
you are comparing two things.

> Perhaps openSUSE could come up with a Yast method for adding new fonts
> for those people for whom editing config files is WAY too difficult?

I have edited NO config files. I have changed nothing. I have just added
them to the standard directory and it works.

> One could ask the question, has Yast in fact become the "Control Center"
> equivalent of openSUSE.

One could ask and one would get the answer "No". "Conrol Center" would
like to be the same as YaST, but it isn't even close.

houghi
--
First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn
numbers into letters with ASCII and we thought it was a typewriter. Then
we discovered graphics, and we thought it was television. With the World
Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure. -- Douglas Adams.

On Aug 24, 5:18*pm, houghi wrote:
> J G Miller wrote:
> > On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:38:50 +0200, houghi wrote:
> > * > And don't forget, Linux is easier the Windows.
>
> > But five minutes later,
> > on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:51 +0200, houghi wrote:
> > * > fetchmsttfonts is the thing you need to install when you want
> > * > to install some windows fonts. All the rest is WAY to difficult.
>
> > Installing new fonts on Micro$loth Windoze is actually easier than on a
> > GNU/Linux system
>
> It sounds that you are implying that installing new fonts is the only
> thing you do on a windows machine. I have no idea how it works with
> Windows, so I would not know how easy it is there.
>
> The way I do it is by just copying the ttf file or ps file or whatever
> font file to the apropriate directory and it works.

What is the 'appropriate dir' in openSUSE 11?

>
> Uh, first, why would you want to install them in a new directory? I
> asume that it is standard with Windows to copy them to a non-standard
> directory as that is what you most likely are comparing to. Otherwise
> you are comparing two things.
>
> > Perhaps openSUSE could come up with a Yast method for adding new fonts
> > for those people for whom editing config files is WAY too difficult?
>
> I have edited NO config files. I have changed nothing. I have just added
> them to the standard directory and it works.

I have copied all fonts from the C:/Windows/Fonts dir & written to a
CD. (new to Linux & dual-booting Win XP with openSUSE 11).
Now how do I proceed to install them on openSUSE 11.0, such that they
become available to OO.org, gnome (use gnome as dafult desktop), KDE
(have installed KDE 3.x & it's base files and some KDE apps.). What
directory in openSUSE 11, should I copy them to? (if that is the only
procedure involved); else what do I need to 'run'?

Or is this method : http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/rpm.html
(build a new RPM from scratch; never done similar), to be followed?

There are also pre-compiled RPM's of webcore fonts that the author has
made available here- http://avi.alkalay.net/software/webcore-fonts/ .
How does one install the RPM's?

After installing in your openSUSE (is it 11?) system, did it make a
difference visually?

zmdmw52 wrote:
>> The way I do it is by just copying the ttf file or ps file or whatever
>> font file to the apropriate directory and it works.
>
> What is the 'appropriate dir' in openSUSE 11?

That I said in point 2 in the original reply to you.

houghi
--
First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn
numbers into letters with ASCII and we thought it was a typewriter. Then
we discovered graphics, and we thought it was television. With the World
Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure. -- Douglas Adams.

houghi wrote:

> zmdmw52 wrote:
>>> The way I do it is by just copying the ttf file or ps file or whatever
>>> font file to the apropriate directory and it works.
>>
>> What is the 'appropriate dir' in openSUSE 11?
>
> That I said in point 2 in the original reply to you.

houghi said:-
"2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype"

Arthur Buse wrote:
> houghi wrote:
>
>> zmdmw52 wrote:
>>>> The way I do it is by just copying the ttf file or ps file or whatever
>>>> font file to the apropriate directory and it works.
>>>
>>> What is the 'appropriate dir' in openSUSE 11?
>>
>> That I said in point 2 in the original reply to you.
>
> houghi said:-
> "2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype"

I would loved to have seen that the person him or herself would have
taken the time to read what I wrote. Now he or she has learned absolutely
nothing.

houghi
--
Theologians can pursuade themselves of anything. Anyone who can worship
a trinity and insists that his religion is a monotheism can believe
anything -- just give him time to rationalize it.
Robert A. Heinlein, JOB: A Comedy of Justice

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:51 +0200, houghi typed this message:

> zmdmw52 wrote:
>> Will try out the instructions referred to & also installing some
>> Windows fonts, hoefully that should improve appearance. Presently using
>
> fetchmsttfonts is the thing you need to install when you want to install
> some windows fonts. All the rest is WAY to difficult. Just copy the
> files into the correct directory and stuff is ready for use.
>
> If you do not know how to copy files (using a GUI) figure that out
> first. Make another tread for that.
>
> houghi

Not necessary. Just download or copy the .ttf file somewhere and use
look and feel to install the fonts from that location, also works for non-
true type.

noi ance wrote:
> Not necessary. Just download or copy the .ttf file somewhere and use
> look and feel to install the fonts from that location, also works for non-
> true type.

What is look and feel?

houghi
--
Theologians can pursuade themselves of anything. Anyone who can worship
a trinity and insists that his religion is a monotheism can believe
anything -- just give him time to rationalize it.
Robert A. Heinlein, JOB: A Comedy of Justice

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:00:57 +0200, houghi typed this message:

> noi ance wrote:
>> Not necessary. Just download or copy the .ttf file somewhere and use
>> look and feel to install the fonts from that location, also works for
>> non- true type.
>
> What is look and feel?
>
> houghi

Unfortunately, I was wrong. You and the others were correct, the .ttf
files need to be copied to the appropriate fonts folders. If the OP
chmod the permissions on the /usr/share/fonts/truetype he can drop and
drag fonts through Nautilus.

I don't know the KDE equivalent, in Gnome/Default desktop its System ->
Look and Feel -> Appearance for Suse11 and in Suse 10.3 its Applications -
> Utilities -> Desktop -> Appearance. You can install new Themes and
Backgrounds but not the fonts.

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:18:06 +0200, houghi wrote:
> Uh, first, why would you want to install them in a new directory?

Because you might want to keep a distinction between what the system
packages install under /usr and what "local' additions one makes
to one's system under /usr/local (and manage them with stow).

> I have edited NO config files. I have changed nothing.

Obviously if you throw everything into the standard system folder,
then they will be picked up. Tis a good thing that fontconfig has moved
on from having to rebuild those Xft-cache(?) files everytime new fonts
are added.

But since it is usually for the fontconfig system config file
/etc/fonts/fonts.conf to have an entry for individual users as

~/.fonts

a user could always put any new fonts in their own $HOME/.fonts, if they
are only required for that user.

Obviously they will not be picked up there by the older font server (xfs)
method unless the user directory has been added to its config file
/etc/X11/fs/config

> I have just added them to the standard directory and it works.

Yes, the latest version of fontconfig has made it a lot easier for adding
fonts to the standard directories and it simply finds them, and the
developers are to be applauded for this big improvement.

>> 2) As root just copy them to /usr/share/fonts/truetype

Did this (for all MS TT fonts) & they are available from F'fox, the
Appearance tab and other applications (OO.org Writer....don't know if
they are from the same (system) font source, or if OO.org stores the
fonts it uses in it's own folder/dir (as they are all preceded by 'A',
wheraes the TrueType fonts have a TT prefix).
Some of the things you mentioned above are beyond my present
understanding, as I am new to Linux. But from what I understood as a
summary the [/usr/share/fonts/truetype] folder is the central
repository for all fonts for the entire OS (similar to Control Panel --
> Fonts in Windows). As mentioned earlier (J G Miller) -

> Yes, the latest version of fontconfig has made it a lot easier for adding
> fonts to the standard directories and it simply finds them, and the
> developers are to be applauded for this big improvement.

I tried to copy them using File Commander/Nautilus (use gnome as my
default desktop) while logged in as a normal user; but could not do
so. So logged out & back in as 'root' and could then copy them to the
correct folder outlined above, from the CD.

Before this, tried the CLI (using xterm, with the following syntax)

host@domain:~> cp -bv /media/fonts/*.TTF /usr/share/fonts/truetype

But this did not help. Tried doing it after sudo -i; but that did not
work either. What was wrong in the syntax?

> don't know the KDE equivalent, in Gnome/Default desktop its System ->
> Look and Feel -> Appearance for Suse11 and in Suse 10.3 its Applications -
> Utilities -> Desktop -> Appearance. You can install new Themes and
> Backgrounds but not the fonts.

It's Computer --> System --> Control Center --> Look & Feel -->
Appearance.

> You can install new Themes and Backgrounds but not the fonts.

From where to get & how can one install new themes. Especially, would
like to install the default Nodoka theme from Fedora Core 9 (being as
I have been unsuccessful 4 times in installing FC 9, due to Gfx Card
driver problem....by that time, openSUSE 11.0 was out & so I installed
openSUSE 11.0 (DVD came with a local computer magazine). In
retrospect, I feel openSUSE 11.0 was a good choice.

> I would loved to have seen that the person him or herself would have
> taken the time to read what I wrote. Now he or she has learned absolutely
> nothing.

Tried out the methods above 'before' reading Arthur Buse's post. As a
newcomer to Linux, one gets to learn new things everyday.

However, the 'font bleed' problem is still there. Currently, using
Appearance --> Fonts --> Monochrome partially solves the problem
(display in consoles, Nautilus & most other gnome apps, Firefox, etc
is ok). Though, will probably try out the suggestions in above article
over the next few days.

noi ance wrote:
> Unfortunately, I was wrong. You and the others were correct, the .ttf
> files need to be copied to the appropriate fonts folders. If the OP
> chmod the permissions on the /usr/share/fonts/truetype he can drop and
> drag fonts through Nautilus.

Don't chmod anything away from root, unless you know what you are doing.
Seriously, don't. Just run whatever you use to copy as root.

> I don't know the KDE equivalent, in Gnome/Default desktop its System ->
> Look and Feel -> Appearance for Suse11 and in Suse 10.3 its Applications -
>> Utilities -> Desktop -> Appearance. You can install new Themes and
> Backgrounds but not the fonts.

Ah, OK, some GUI specific thing, so that you can't do it if you would
only want to use gimp-script in CLI.


houghi
--
The whole principle [of censorship] is wrong. It's like demanding that
grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't have steak.
-- Robert A. Heinlein in "The Man Who Sold the Moon"

J G Miller wrote:
> Because you might want to keep a distinction between what the system
> packages install under /usr and what "local' additions one makes
> to one's system under /usr/local (and manage them with stow).

OK, some people might need that distiction, although I asume most won't.

> But since it is usually for the fontconfig system config file
> /etc/fonts/fonts.conf to have an entry for individual users as

If you read that file it says not to change that. Use local.conf

>
> ~/.fonts
>
> a user could always put any new fonts in their own $HOME/.fonts, if they
> are only required for that user.

Indeed. And I asume (did not verify) that you could point to
/some/other/font/dir in local.conf as well.

> Yes, the latest version of fontconfig has made it a lot easier for adding
> fonts to the standard directories and it simply finds them, and the
> developers are to be applauded for this big improvement.

Latest? I have not even done anything else as far as I can remember.

houghi
--
The whole principle [of censorship] is wrong. It's like demanding that
grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't have steak.
-- Robert A. Heinlein in "The Man Who Sold the Moon"