xfsft True Type font support.
 

I want to sort out True Type font support for my Linux. I've downloaded xfsft, now I need to know where I can find the following files: xfs, mkfontdir and mkfontdir.1. I don't want to mess up anything by replacing the wrong files! Incidentally, if anyone knows a way to get True Type support without replacing these files, it would be much appreciated. Linux fonts put me right off using the O.S. more often.

What distro/kernel are you running? Anything relatively modern has TrueType support built in to it, modern meaning in the last 2-3 years.

I am also interested. Can't I just smooth the fonts/install windows fonts in RedHat 9 (KDE) without having to upgrade too many things? I remembered there was a revolution in windows years back about "ClearType" I guess it must be patented **** em-but isn't there something similar for Linux?

I'm running Mandrake 10.1 and the kernel is 2.6. I've tried many things to enable T.T.F.s in my distribution, but everything has failed. I can't stand the Linux fonts. They're so blurry. I need a simple way to use Windows fonts in Linux and thus have everything displayed clearly. If you know a way, I'd appreciate if you'd tell me! In idiot language, mind, as I'm not up to speed on Linux terminology yet.

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/..._Windows_fonts
That doesn't help?

That doesn't help. I have the fonts in Linux now, via Mandrake's Control Centre, it's a question of getting them to display clearly now. I tried this: file://localhost/C:/WINDOWS/Desktop/ttf%20instr/howtogetperfectfonts.html, but compiling FreeType didn't work. I got error messages. I'll post the errors later on. I don't know why there can't simply be a proper font rendering system on Linux, without having to mess about for hours with downloads and coding. Surely, someone can create a better rendering system without stepping on anyone's toes, i.e. breaking patents.

There is proper font rendering on Linux, just not with Mandrake I guess. I'm writing this using Fedora Core 4 and the fonts are immaculate. I did very little to make them that way and I had to install and compile nothing.

Sorry I can't help you any further.

It's not a problem. Thanks for trying. If anyone else knows how to sort out the following problem, please, let me know! I have just realised that I messed up the link for the previous post. It should have been THIS. Following the instructions in that document led to this error message:

[andy@localhost andy]$ su
[root@localhost andy]# cd "/usr/local/src/freetype-2.1.10"
[root@localhost freetype-2.1.10]# ./configure --prefix=/usr
cd builds/unix; ./configure --prefix=/usr
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking target system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
make: *** [builds/unix/unix-def.mk] Error 1
[root@localhost freetype-2.1.10]#

Installing truetype fonts on Mandriva and any other Linux distro is simple. If you use KDE, you can use kfontinst (the font installer in the kde control center). If you don't use KDE, then you can

1. Make a directory in /usr/share/fonts called msttf (or whatever you want)
2. Copy your fonts to that directory
3. change into that directory
4. do as root "mkfontdir"
5. do as root "mkfontscale"
6. do as root "chown root.root /usr/share/fonts/mttf"
7. do as root "chmod 755 /usr/share/fonts/mttf"
8. log out and in again and your fonts should be ready for use

There is *no* need to replace any files to get ttf fonts working fine on Mandriva or any other distro. To make them look good turn on antialiasing in the DE or WM you are using.

Odd. I installed the fonts I wanted by using the Mandrake Control Centre 'Fonts' option. I can use the Times New Roman font now, but things still are not clear. The fonts appear too blurred to read for any length of time. I'll try what you suggested and post again when I have finished. As I understand, it's not the fonts that are the problem, but the rendering of them by Linux, as there are patents on some things that would make them as clear as in Windows.

Do you have antialiasing enabled in the desktop environment you are using? The fonts may use different rendering engines, but they still look quite similar on Linux and windows. Take a look my desktop using verdana: screenshot1 & screenshot2. Those are Mandriva 2006 beta screenshots. I installed the fonts using the method I posted above without any modification of the font engine or installing anything else.

What patents? With anti-aliasing and sub-pixel hinting, Linux fonts crap all over Windows. I can't stress that highly enough.

See the difference The blurring of the links is jpeg artifacting.

Persist with it, you'll get the fonts the way you want them sooner or later.

Actually compare the following two screenshots.

This page under Linux and this page under Windows 2000.

If you enable cleartype, the windows fonts should look a lot better than in your screenshots.

ClearType is not available for Windows 2000. XP only.