Best way to install a font

[Loki3]

Okay what's the best way to install a font? I can find lots of guides (including one here at JL) about install True Type fonts. Do I just follow the same method to install a font like this:
http://themes.freshmeat.net/projects/ppantsfonts/?topic_id=850%2C965%2C55%2C975%2C973

By the way, anyone know other good places to get new fonts?

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Loki3
Okay what's the best way to install a font? I can find lots of guides (including one here at JL) about install True Type fonts. Do I just follow the same method to install a font like this:
http://themes.freshmeat.net/projects/ppantsfonts/?topic_id=850%2C965%2C55%2C975%2C973

By the way, anyone know other good places to get new fonts?

Are you using KDE or Gnome? KDE is a breeze to install fonts on. Places to get new fonts? C:\Windows\Fonts.....You can use TTF in Linux and they look much better. Free fonts at......http://www.acidfonts.com/index1.html

Here's a nice mono-spaced font similar to the type your seeing on freshmeat. Makes an excellent terminal font at 10pt (hint:get the windows TTF)....http://www.tobias-jung.de/seekingprofont/

[Loki3]

I'm using openbox. I don't have the benifit of the font programs that come with KDE or Gnome. Sorry, I should of included that with my first post.

[JohnT]

Then take the long road....:p ...been there before.You dont have either installed at all?

[tmcG]

Another winning signature JohnT! :D

[JohnT]

Originally posted by tmcG
Another winning signature JohnT! :D


:D

[Loki3]

I assume by the "long road" you just mean follow the steps outline by JL's TrueType font guide?

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Loki3
I assume by the "long road" you just mean follow the steps outline by JL's TrueType font guide?

Well...... its only about 5 mouse-clicks away in KDE installing a TTF.:p

Used to hack mozilla the long way to get TTF support. Now its just a download away.

[Loki3]

I used the first method and I still cannot figure out how to get my system to find the font. Do I have to add the font path into /etc/X11/XF86Config-4?

[JohnT]

It should already show the path......are you trying to us TTF type?

[Loki3]

Yep. I'm using the ProFontWindows ttf.

[JohnT]

Look to your /etc/X11/XF86Config and make sure your path for TrueType fonts is correct and uncommented. If this is all you need to configure, you should be able to see the font listed next time X is started. If not post back.

(example)

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"

Here's another installation resource if not using a font server:
http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/Setting_Up.html

[Loki3]

I didn't have ANY font paths in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. I copied that example in and added the /usr/share/fonts/ttf font path which is where I placed the ProFont. No dice but X seemed to load without complaing. How can I check to make sure XServer has the correct fontpath?

[JohnT]

You have to look...foloow the path yourself and see if its correct. Can you find the TTF flder by that path? It might be different on you distro. I see you have a XF86Config-4, do you also have a XF86Config (without the -4)? Look at that one and see if the example I gave is included in that. That should be the correct paths for your distro. Did you follow the link I gave you?

[Loki3]

I read the other guide and did the xset rehash thing but still no luck. I checked my paths in /etc/XF86Config-4 and still nothing. I don't get it. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't an Xserver problem. For example when I open up xfontsel and and then try to call one of the listed fonts through Eterm --font, Eterm says, "oh, oh, I can't find that font, whatever shall I do?". The font is clearly listed in xfontsel so I'm assuming that means XServer knows where it is. What gives?

[JohnT]

Look in each of your font directories. There you will see a listing of all the fonts in that directory that the server recognizes. If your font is not on the directory list...go toyour terminal and issue the commandman mkfontdir this should get you in the right direction.

[Loki3]

I followed the FontPath in my XF86Config-4 and then found that the fonts.dir file had already been created so I'm guessing I installed it correctly. However upon reading the man file for mkfontdir it seems that it has to be .pcf font. The ProFont I downloaded was the Windows TTF version. Is this were the problem lies? Do I have to do something else to install a .ttf font?

[JohnT]

Try this additonal step:
Open /etc/fonts/fonts.conf and make sure that the location that you placed the ttf files in is listed in the file. There should be an entry near the top of the file.

<dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType</dir>

Case is important. If it is not there, add it along with all of the other "dir" lines. The restart "X" and see if it is available.

If you can't get it done by the above here is some additional font installation "How To's" for different distro's. Without looking over your shoulder it hard to determine what you need for your particular install or what steps you are missing. If you can understand the process that needs to be done it will give you a better comprehension of the steps you need to take. it's slighly diferent from one to the other, but not difficult.

http://linux.org.mt/article/ttfonts

I see your running Gentoo? If thats the case and nothing else works you might try their forums or documentation.

[JohnT]

On the Gentoo site...This Page (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/desktop.xml) You'll find some info on using "XFS" font server and some links on cofiguring it. Not all installations need it, but evidently Gentoo recommends. Try the command "man xfs"

[Loki3]

Okay here's the process that I've followed so far.

mkdir /usr/share/fonts/ttf
cp /home/howlingyeti/ProFontWindows.ttf /usr/share/fonts/ttf
cd /usr/share/fonts/ttf
ttmkfdir > fonts.scale
mkfontdir


Then I made sure I had paths to /usr/share/fonts/ttf in both my /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and /etc/fonts/local.conf (the local font config file for gentoo). After that I emerged chkfontpath and used chkfontpath --add /usr/share/fonts/ttf. A chkfontpath --list confirmed that my font path was reconized by both /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and X Font Server. I restarted the XFS and X Server. Still no luck with Eterm -F ProFontWindows.

[JohnT]

mkdir /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF NOT
mkdir /usr/share/fonts/ttf

Wrong PATH.

[Loki3]

Same result even if I use the /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF path. Is there something else that I'm missing?

[JohnT]

You should ask in Gentoo's forums...I'm not familiar with that distro and how they handle fonts.....its evident they handle them differently. Have you missed something? I don't know...only you can answer that. Sorry..I can't help further.

[psi42]

Just for the heck of it, make sure fonts.scale actually has the pertinent font information, and the fonts.dir does as well. I had an experience once where ttmkfdir choked on a bad font file, and created a bad fonts.scale.... then mkfontdir couldn't get a grip on things and just wrote "0" to fonts.dir


Worth a try I guess

:)

[DarkChristian]

Font site:

http://www.1001fonts.com/

Awesome fonts there. I have a webcomic and that site is where I acquired all the fonts I use. :)

Good luck resolving the font issues. I'll probably look up this thread when I go to install new fonts on my system...

[Loki3]

Well, darn. Looks like the end of the road. I'll head on over to Gentoo's fourm and see if they know how to do this. I might even right up a "How I did It" if I can figure it out. The documenation is woefully KDE or Gnome-centric .

Cheers.

[JohnT]

This from the "Openbox " site documentation:
Fonts

Fonts are each specified through
a single .font property. Different
fonts can be specified for focused
and unfocused windows.
The available font properties are:

* window.label.focus.font
* window.label.unfocus.font
* menu.title.font
* menu.items.font

This property is an Xft/Fontconfig
font string. It is highly recommended
that when specifying this, you specify
the size of the font by pixelsize, not
by pointsize. Some details on building
the required font string can be found
in this Xft tutorial.

There are a couple extensions to the
font string's options for openbox:

* shadow [boolean] (defaults to off)
* shadowoffset [integer] (defaults to 1)
* shadowtint [integer] (defaults to 25%)

Example:

window.focus.font: arial,sans:bold:pixelsize=12:shadow=y

I dont run Openbox, but have thought
to read the documentation. The following
is paraphrased on the "Freshmeat" project
page:Openbox manages your windows
and works harmoniously with the GNOME
and KDE desktop environments and
applications, complying with the latest
standards for window management.

[Loki3]

I suppose I should of said most the guides like to use fancy programs that come with KDE or Gnome....

[JohnT]

the guides like to use fancy programs


I bet you could have used one of those "Fancy" programs a few days ago.:p

[Loki3]

Hahaha. I told myself, don't take the easy way out... you'll learn more doing if you take the long road. You know what I learned... taking the shortcut is a hell of alot easier! :D