2641 X.org MS TrueType Fonts [Archive] - The FreeBSD Forums
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LordZ
November 27th, 2008, 20:21
Hello guys. Sorry for stupid and bad question but is there a way to install MS TrueType fonts to FreeBSD. If there is one please can you advice.
vermaden
November 27th, 2008, 20:46
Install this port/package:
http://freshports.org/x11-fonts/webfonts
Djn
November 27th, 2008, 20:48
Alternatively, just copy the ttf files from a windows install (c:\windows\fonts\ , I think) to /usr/local/share/fonts/ . This should work for the new C fonts (Candara, Calibri, Consolas etc) as well, if you've got them.
LordZ
November 27th, 2008, 21:02
I'll try to find them on my laptop were i have windows vista...guess I'll erase it soon if I'll manage to do my wi-fi work.
caesius
November 27th, 2008, 22:50
Also remember that if you have a Windows license to build with the-DWITH_MSWINDOWS_LICENSE option to get the main pre Vista Windows menu interface font.
LordZ
November 28th, 2008, 07:34
I observed that most fonts in Win Vista are Open Type, I try to get the fonts from an WinXP machine today.
Djn
November 28th, 2008, 10:36
Opentype fonts should work as well, actually.
graudeejs
November 28th, 2008, 10:53
you can also place them to ~/.fonts
LordZ
November 28th, 2008, 15:09
I'll try that when I'll get home from work
kamikaze
November 29th, 2008, 08:58
By the way, lots of the fonts stuff in the FreeBSD handbook is horribly outdated. The proper way to activate subpixel rendering and making sure that the system does not use bitmap fonts has changed. It's just getting into your PREFIX/etc/fonts/conf.d directory and symlinking all the features you want from ../conf.avail/.

Of course there are dialogues for gnome and kde, but doing it yourself makes it work everywhere.

Unfortunately I'm unable to find a decent howto in the Xorg.conf Wiki. But I suppose I can hack something together for doc@ to update the whole thing.
LordZ
November 30th, 2008, 09:18
Thank you very much guys.
aragon
November 30th, 2008, 09:48
Something I highly recommend is installing a Helvetica replacement font. Xorg out the box ships only with a bitmap Helvetica, and it's the only Helvetica available unless you're willing to cough up for a licensed copy from Adobe.

But /usr/ports/x11-fonts/urwfonts is an open source font package which has a Helvetica look alike (among others). Their look alike is called Nimbus Sans L and I think the default system fonts configuration mentioned above replaces the bitmapped Helvetica with it if it's available.

If you've ever browsed the web and wondered why some sites have horrible looking fonts, chances are they're using Helvetica and you only have the bitmap version running.
Djn
November 30th, 2008, 11:12
Or you can use Arial, which was designed to be a Helvetica-lookalike.
(It's subtly different and arguably not quite as elegant as the original, but more than close enough for this use.)
aragon
November 30th, 2008, 22:32
Yea, that's what Windows does. I'm not sure if the stock font config will remap Helvetica to Arial though. You could probably use something like this in ~/.fonts.conf:


<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
<match target="pattern" >
<test name="family" qual="any" >
<string>Helvetica</string>
</test>
<edit mode="assign" name="family" >
<string>Arial</string>
</edit>
</match>
</fontconfig>
kamikaze
December 1st, 2008, 11:01
# cd /usr/local/etc/fonts/conf.d
# ln -s ../conf.avail/70-no-bitmaps.conf
# ln -s ../conf.avail/10-sub-pixel-rgb.conf

This makes a lot of difference. The most important font packages are to me URW, bitstream and webfonts. I put fonts that I use for graphics design like calligraphy or hand script fonts into my ~/.fonts/ directory. So that I don't have to dirty /usr/local with stuff that wasn't installed by a port.
LordZ
December 1st, 2008, 12:27
The look of the web pages changed a lot after installing /x11-fonts/webfonts.

Thanks a log guys.
vermaden
December 1st, 2008, 12:32
You may also tune font renderring by ~/.fonts.conf and ~/.Xdefaults

I use these settings:
http://forums.pcbsd.org/viewtopic.php?p=74641#p74641

Just remember to reload font cache by: fc-cache -r
SoulStealer
December 9th, 2008, 15:35
I used the handbook info for font installation (TrueType), it does work nicely, anything I should know about it?
acottag
April 4th, 2010, 15:04
I used the handbook info for font installation (TrueType), it does work nicely, anything I should know about it?

Hello!

I am trying to understand TrueType font installation; the Handbook states
Now make a directory for the TrueType fonts (...) and copy all of the TrueType fonts into this directory.

How may I know where are the TrueType fonts installed? I installed package xorg-fonts-type1-7.4; are there anymore packages with TrueType fonts?)

Thanks in advance.
PhenomII
June 8th, 2010, 05:36
Greetings,
I wrote something back in the '80's that still applies today. It should give a pretty
good understanding on how X(f86/org) deals with fonts. While I do need to update
it to include some of the newer features that X has added, it's all still valid.
X11 : XFree86 : Xorg : making fonts look GOOD (http://hosting.1command.com/faq/X11/X11-AAfonts.phtml)

HTH
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