How to install Microsoft TTF Fonts in Red Hat

[anyweb]

First things first, why would you want to install these fonts ?

 

Well, the default fonts provided with Red Hat just don't look as 'smooth' and 'clean' as those standard Microsoft TrueType Fonts (especially if you ZOOM into them). This is my own humble opinion of course, but users of Open Office who like to print documents, or just read them clearly on screen will know what I mean.

 

Ok, I assume that you have access to a Windows machine, if so, copy the TTF fonts from the /fonts directory on your Windows Machine (usually c:\windows\fonts) to a cd or local or network based directory that you can access.

 

Once you re finished copying the TTF fonts from the Windows machine, we'll start adding them to our Red Hat Linux box.

 

First lets create a directory in our 'home' user path, so that we can access the fonts.

 

Login as normal user (you probably already are, if you are reading this - don't surf as root ;-)) and open a console.

 

type this:-

 

mkdir ~/.fonts

 

This instruction might look a bit odd so i'll explain it.

 

mkdir creates a new folder called 'fonts'

~/ points the directory location to your home user path (for example /home/anyweb)

'.' (dot without the ' marks) makes the directory hidden from view.

 

Let's copy those fonts now:-

 

[anyweb@c-76aa70d5 anyweb]$ cp /home/anyweb/download/ttf/Microsoft\ TTF\ Fonts/*.ttf /home/anyweb/.fonts

[anyweb@c-76aa70d5 anyweb]$

 

and lets check that they are indeed copied :)

cd ~/.fonts

ls

 

[anyweb@c-76aa70d5 .fonts]$ ls

arialbd.ttf courbd.ttf l_10646.ttf

tahomabd.ttf trebuc.ttf arialbi.ttf

courbi.ttf micross.ttf tahoma.ttf

verdanab.ttf ariali.ttf couri.ttf

palabi.ttf timesbd.ttf verdanai.ttf

arial.ttf georgiai.ttf palab.ttf

timesi.ttf verdana.ttf ariblk.ttf

georgia.ttf palai.ttf times.ttf

verdanaz.ttf comicbd.ttf georgiaz.ttf

pala.ttf trebucbd.ttf webdings.ttf

comic.ttf impact.ttf symbol.ttf

trebucbi.ttf wingding.ttf

 

Yup we have them now, and in the right place, ok lets add them to Open Office.

 

login as root by typing su - in a console and then type

 

oopadmin

 

click on the Fonts button

click Add

click on the ... button and browse to the folder where the fonts are stored (in my case it's /home/anyweb/.fonts)

click Select and you'll be presented with lots of lovely TTF fonts.

 

Finally, click Select All and then click OK.

 

If you are lucky it should say '32 new fonts added'. Test it out by firing up Open Office and selecting your new TTF fonts :)

[Bakshara]

I tried to do this, because there are some awesome fonts added by AutoCAD. This is what I did:

Code:

cp /media/windoze/windows/fonts/download/ttf/Microsoft\ TTF\ Fonts/*.ttf /home/Bakshara/.fonts

and this is the response I got:

Code:

cp: cannot stat `/media/windoze/windows/fonts/download/ttf/Microsoft TTF Fonts/*.ttf': No such file or directory

 

What do I need to do or correct?

[hybrid]

I tried to do this, because there are some awesome fonts added by AutoCAD. This is what I did:

Code:

cp /media/windoze/windows/fonts/download/ttf/Microsoft\ TTF\ Fonts/*.ttf /home/Bakshara/.fonts

<div>


and this is the response I got:

Code:

cp: cannot stat `/media/windoze/windows/fonts/download/ttf/Microsoft TTF Fonts/*.ttf': No such file or directory

 

What do I need to do or correct?



</div>

 

You've copied the file path which anyweb used as an example, but that folder doesn't exist on your system.

 

Replace the command as:

 

Code:

cp /media/windoze/windows/fonts/*.ttf /home/Bakshara/.fonts

 

This will copy every single font available to you in Windows (that is in the TrueType TTF format and in that Fonts folder) across to your user account in Linux.

[Bakshara]

You

[Dungeon-Dave]

Also, how do I access that "mail in /var/spool/mail/root?"

Type in "mail" once you've used "su -" to become root.

 

An alternative idea is to have root's mail redirected to another mailbox, so you don't need to become root to read it. Check /etc/aliases (don't forget to run "newaliases" once you've made changes).

[Bakshara]

Dungeon-Dave,

 

Thanks! I'll give that a try next time I get that message.

 

Everyone,

 

I would still like to know how to get those fonts in. Again, here is what I did and what I got:

[bakshara@Bakshara ~]$ su -

Password:

[root@Bakshara ~]# mkdir ~/.fonts

[root@Bakshara ~]# cp /media/windoze/windows/fonts/*.ttf /home/Bakshara/.fonts

cp: cannot stat `/media/windoze/windows/fonts/*.ttf': No such file or directory

You have new mail in /var/spool/mail/root

[root@Bakshara ~]#

What do I need to do and/or fix?

Under Places I can go to

Code:

/media/windoze/windows/fonts

<div>
and in the lower left it reads "427 items, Free space: 5.3 GB"



</div>

 

Thanks in advance

[Dungeon-Dave]

Under Places I can go to

Code:

/media/windoze/windows/fonts

<div>
and in the lower left it reads "427 items, Free space: 5.3 GB"



</div>

... but are any of them .ttf files? Not much point saying how many items and how much space there is - it's the contents (the filenames themselves) that are a bit more important!

[hybrid]

I have posted an update to this tutorial, as most distributions now offer a msttcorefonts package which simplifies getting these fonts installed.