I read a tutorial which explained how to install TTF fonts (I wanted some from windows) which said drag them into fonts:// I did that and it diddnt work so I tried as root. As root it works and I can use the fonts in my applications. However, as a normal user I cannot use these fonts

How can I get these fonts to work for my user account, not just for root.

Thanks.

What are the permisions on the fonts?

When I install ttf fonts on linux - I put the fonts within /usr/share/fonts

for example - /usr/share/fonts/coreweb

That directory contains the MS core web fonts

/usr/share/fonts/purchased

That directory contains fonts I have bought.

The permissions on the fonts themselves are 444 (read only but readable by all users - chmod 444 *.ttf - assuming they are lower case extension. use chmod 444 *.TTF if they are capitalized)

Furthermore - and this may not be needed (I think the OS does it for you when you reboot - but I'm not positive), I enter the font directories (IE first the one containing MS fonts, and then the one containing the fonts I have purchased) and I run:

/usr/X11R6/bin/mkfontscale .
/usr/X11R6/bin/mkfontdir

NOTICE the . after mkfontscale.

FINALLY - after all that - as root:

fc-cache

Then I either log out of X and log back in and they work, or I run fc-cache as my normal user (either way)

That always works for me.
I know that gnome and kde support installation of fonts on a per user basis, I think that's what you were trying to do by putting them in fonts:// (I think that puts them in ~/.fonts or something) - but I prefer to install ttf fonts systemwide - and the above recipe is how I accomplish that, it works well - and all my user accounts can access them.