insufficient permission to copy fonts into font folder

Ledfeather · 05-18-2009, 08:37 PM

this is stupid, and ive looked through the forum archives on this one, but since ubuntu runs on sudo and not 'root' i dont know if the only answer i found will help me.

ive tried to muck around with my user permissions and whatnot, and i still cannot add the desired font to the desired (and aptly titled) font folder. what can i do?

MS3FGX · 05-18-2009, 08:44 PM

The font directory is a system directory rather than user, so you need root permissions to add/remove anything inside of it. "sudo" grants a normal user root permissions temporarily, rather than having to log in as the root user (which is strongly discouraged, and not even enabled in some distributions).

So anything that a forum post or guide says to do as root, just run through sudo.

Ledfeather · 05-18-2009, 08:51 PM

ok, so how do i get sudo privileges, since no dialog comes up, and i cant just type 'sudo' in the terminal window?

oh, and thanks for putting up with my lack of know how.

MS3FGX · 05-18-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

and i cant just type 'sudo' in the terminal window?

You type sudo, and then the command you want to run. So if it is saying to do the following as root:

Code:

cp ./*.ttf /usr/share/fonts/TTF/

You would just add sudo like:

Code:

sudo cp ./*.ttf /usr/share/fonts/TTF/

It would then be run as root, and you wouldn't have the permission problem. Is there a specific guide you found that you are trying to follow?

Ledfeather · 05-18-2009, 10:03 PM

ok, so i followed the commands above and i can see it in the folder (along with other fonts i use) and i even added it to the .fonts folder in my home folder, and yet i cant access the font in open office

colucix · 05-19-2009, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ledfeather

and yet i cant access the font in open office

Copying the fonts into the fonts directory is not enough. You have to rebuild the font cache, to make the system aware a new font has been installed:

Code:

sudo fc-cache -f -v

Ledfeather · 05-19-2009, 09:59 AM

i found the fc cache command above on another forum last night, still nothing. i did think that maybe it didnt like me forcing it to be a ttf, considering this was a dfont file from my macbook, but ive tried it in the font viewer(s?) and it seems to be recognized. im getting confused as to why its not showing up.