fonts - true type and anti aliasing ?????

[bigjohn]

Can anyone help ???

 

I am trying to get rid of the hideous and blocky looking fonts that I have had since loading up mandrake 9.0

 

I am running a dual boot of 9.0 and window$ XP, I have found various bits of advice about this, like - www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/27788.html which was where I started, also, a howto type document from sourceforge, another one from linux.org.mt and I have posted queries at linxquestions.org (and although someone was trying to help, I could only get so far before my shell prompt f*****d me off).

 

So, as instructed in the linux.org.mt installing truetype fonts in linux, I go to control centre>system>fonts and get the dialogue box, I select get windows fonts, it will get some of the "initial tests" done but freezes before it gets to "copy fonts on your system". Would this be anything to do with my window$ format of NTFS ?????

 

Again, no idea what to do next, I am completely unfamiliar with command prompt and the various syntax/commands needed for BASH.

 

When I look into trying the sourceforge method, it only seems to mention mandrake 8.2 and says something about freetype-tools. Well I have check out the software management/installation in control centre and I can find nothing.

 

So again I can't get anyware.

 

The advice I was given at linuxquestions.org was a basic re-iteration of the sourceforge stuff and although I followed the instructions, I can only get

 

error: open of /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/noarch/msttcorefonts-1.3-2.noarch.rpm failed: No such file or directory. so again I haven't got a clue what to do here.

 

Now the most interesting idea is the link from the register. But I get lost about half way down the second paragraph when they start on about source RPM and building a binary RPM etc etc - but as I say, it looks promising because it is to do with anti-aliasing as well as true type fonts. Not that any of that stuff means much too me, I am only a recently converted former window$ drone, and as a result took all that kind of stuff for granted.

 

Could anyone please help me with this, it might sound petty but I am seriously thinking about dumping linux completely because it is almost unreadable, and what with not really having the ability to do anything about it is very frustrating (as well as being a new "ex-smoker" which doesn't help much!!!!)

 

Any assistance that can be offered would be much appreciated, but could you put it in a really patronising "monkey see, monkey do" format - I've absolutely no idea about what to do with linux

 

Many thanks in advance

 

regards

 

John

[Pzatch]

If your in KDE

Goto the Start Application>Configuration>KDE>LookandFeel>Fonts.

There you cab choose and font you have loaded and also you can choose to anti-alais them.

Don't use gnome so I can't help there. And the install fonts thing worked for me. Sorry.

Hope this helps.

[hippocampe]

I had this same problem as you have when I tried to install the XP fonts on a friend's system. It freezes halfway trough the process. I don't dual boot with XP (I have win98) and mine worked but I also installed the WinXP fonts so I'll show you what I did.

Go to Mandrake control center->System->Fonts

Click on "Advanced Options" button instead then "Add".

It will open an open file dialog. Go to the windows fonts folder. I think it's /mnt/win_c/winnt/fonts (C:Winntfonts) but correct me if I'm wrong.

Once you are in the fonts folder just delete what's in the text field at the bottom of the dialog that says "Select the font file or directory and click on 'Add'" and click on the "Add" button.

Click on "Close".

Right now you should have in your list an entry that says "/mnt/win_c/winnt/fonts/".

Click on it so that it is highlighted (I'm not sure that this is required)

Click on "Install List"

 

I took a look at this /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/noarch/msttcorefonts-1.3-2.noarch.rpm but there is no such folder on Mandrake so that's certainly why it says that "there is no such file". Probably what you have read is assuming that you have Redhat.

 

I agree with you that fonts are still pain in the ass in linux and should not be this complicated to fix provided that it is a very basic thing.

 

However, persist and you will learn a lot about Linux.

Tell me if this doesn't work.

[Guest smoketoomuch]

This might also help you: http://www.pclinuxonline.com/modules.php?o...pic=436&forum=7

 

I didn't try it out myself since I managed to import my msfonts (but I have win98 partition) - if I understand it correctly, it can be used to add those msttcorefonts - you need to update your sources list I think (try adding texstar's repository and a few others) .

[bvc]

DON'T use a RH pkg!!! RH has a diff font sys than ML. Actually, it the new way and will be the default for the next XFree86, but ML hasn't caught up yet. This is why you here people saying that RH's fonts look better. You can supposedly, obtain this font sys by using the texstar pkgs

 

Xft-2.0-1tex.i586.rpm

Xft-devel-2.0-1tex.i586.rpm

fontconfig-2.1-1tex.i586.rpm

fontconfig-devel-2.1-1tex.i586.rpm

freetype2-2.1.2-3tex.i586.rpm

freetype2-devel-2.1.2-3tex.i586.rpm

ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distribut...drake/9.0/rpms/

 

You'll find the msfont in rpm format here as well for ML.

 

I haven't done this. All I did was download the freetype2 rpm from plf,

http://www.mandrakeusers.org/viewtopic.php...=420&highlight=

and put GDK_USE_XFT=1(for gnome) in my ~/.xinitrc. Did the trick for me. You can see if it worked not only with your eyes but also by typing printenv in a terminal. For kde, as mentioned above, enabled AA in the KDE Control Center, or in /etc/profile.d/qtxft3.sh and .csh, and change

export QT_XFT="0"

to

export QT_XFT="1"

 

 

Be warned! Although many have successfully instaled and used these, there have been several who have had to reinstall. But it doesn't sound like that would break you heart.

[zox]

I myself am very noob in Linux, but that is the same thing I run into first.

You are right bigjohn, your NTFS is the reason.

NTFS is still not very well documented (purposly) and Linux developers are still struggling with NTFS support.

The safe method for you would be to go with file explorer and copy all your desired fonts from NTFS partition onto Linux one.

From that monet, forget all these techy advices and just go to KDE control center and add fonts but from linux partition.

[bvc]

It's actually very simple, if you want texstars rpms.

 

Open a terminal and type

[bvc9@localhost bvc9]$ su

Password: <enter_root_password>

[root@localhost bvc9]# urpmi.addmedia Texstar ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distribut...ndrake/9.0/rpms with ./hdlist.cz

When it's done adding the site to your sources, type

[root@localhost bvc9]# urpmi freetype2 Xft

One of the following packages is needed:

1- Xft-2.0-1tex.i586

2- libXft2-2.1-2mdk.i586

What is your choice? (1-2)

Enter 2 and press enter

 

The devel pkgs are for if you're going to be building programs based on these pkgs.

 

[root@localhost bvc9]# urpmi msttcorefonts-bootstrap-0.1-3mdk.noarch.rpm

 

If you want other urpmi sources

urpmi.addmedia contrib ftp://ftp.rediris.es/pub/linux/distributi....0/contrib/RPMS with ./synthesis.hdlist2.cz

 

urpmi.addmedia PLF ftp://ftp.delonic.biz/pub/plf/9.0 with ./hdlist.cz

 

urpmi.addmedia --update Ranger-9.0 http://ranger.dnsalias.com/mandrake/plf/9.0/ with hdlist.cz

Because these sites change their contents frequently,

urpmi.update Texstar

urpmi.update PLF

urpmi.update TexContrib

urpmi.update Ranger-9.0

urpmi.update contrib

should be run occasionally.,

[Guest HaloScan]

Wouldn't doing:

 

urpmi.update -a

 

Do the same thing as

 

urpmi.update Texstar

urpmi.update PLF

urpmi.update TexContrib

urpmi.update Ranger-9.0

urpmi.update contrib

[bvc]

Sure, if that's what you wanted to do. I rarely ever need anything from most of them so I just update the one that has the updated pkg I want. That was the purpose. :wink:

[bigjohn]

a million thank's for the assist so far,

 

I will try an resolve my problem tomorrow, as I am just checking reply's before I have to go to work (another 25 tonnes of milk to deliver!!), then at least I can sit down and have a go at sorting it in an unhurried manner.

 

Just as an aside, my opera (under window$) started crashing inexplicably, so I just downloaded the newest version, which is 7 version 2 (it hasn't reached "rc" status yet) but some of the changes are excellent, so any opera users (window$) should give it a go. It definitely gets my vote (though i'll probably have to vote twice when the updated version is available for linux)

 

Again, many thank's so far and I will post again when I have had a go at sorting my font snag's tomorrow.

 

regards

 

John

[bigjohn]

Righty ho,

 

Milk delivered, and I've just tried the solution as per hippocampe and apart from finding that the fonts file in my windows install in at c:windowsfonts and I managed to get the /mnt/win_c/windows/fonts bit added to my list, I tried "install list" and all that that did was to give me a dialogue box that is the same as when I have tried "get windows fonts". I click on ok for that and it just freezes.

 

So OK thinks me, lets try the next one, and when I tried to follow the link that smoketoomuch mentioned, it started doing strange things to my opera browser. Every time I tried to open the browser, it just kept closing. so I tried in mozilla and managed to follow the link but it means absolutely nothing to me. So I had to delete my opera browser and re-download it. It now seems to be working now.

 

I have tried to follow the advise from bvc but again, I haven't got a clue what it all means, and am reticent about trying to do things that I don't understand as I have had too many disasters.

 

I have absolutely no idea what "texstar" is.

 

The idea about just copying the font files from windows into a linux partition sounds like it should be relatively easy, but again I haven't got a clue about how to do this!!!

 

What should I try next please ?????

 

regards

 

John

[DragonMage]

Texstar is basically a Texan who makes tons of rpms for mandrake and other distros. Most (if not all) of his rpms are high quality and worthy to be downloaded and used.

 

Let's do this one step at a time, shall we?

 

First, we put the texstar ftp site into your urpmi database. Go to

http://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distribut...drake/9.0/rpms/

and look at the bottom for instruction on how to do that. Remember, you need to be root to do this kind of things.

 

Second, if his ftp site is added properly, the next time you run rpmdrake (or install new softare in mandrake control center), pick all packages (third option) and choose sorted by source repository. One of the sources should be ttexstar. Now expand that sources thread and one of the choices should be msttcorefonts-bootstrap-0.1-3mdk. Pick that choice. You may also need to install cabextract-0.6-2tex too so pick that one also (if it is not picked automatically).

 

Now, if everything is installed ok.. you should have the fonts installed. It should be located in /usr/share/fonts/msttfonts directory or something. You need to add that font directory into these files.

/etc/fonts/fonts.conf

/etc/X11/XftConfig

/etc/X11/fs/config

 

After that, type

service xfs restart

 

And it should be done.

 

If the fonts doesn't come out check the ttf section of this doc below

http://www.mandrakeusers.org/docs/xwin/xfont.html#Add

 

Hope it helps.

[bigjohn]

Thanks DragonMage, I'll go and give that a try now and post back as to how it goes.

 

regards

 

John

[bigjohn]

Well, I seem to have managed to get the fonts into /usr/share/fonts/msttcorefonts, but how do I actually add the font directory to the

 

/etc/fonts/fonts.conf

/etc/X11/XftConfig

/etc/X11/fs/config

 

files please ? Oh and as for the "X restart" ?????

 

regards

 

John

 

p.s. sorry if this is a cross between grannies egg sucking lessons and pulling teeth (long nosed electricians pliers!) but as an intermediate level window$ using drone, I always figured that I should be able to pick up this linux "lark" relatively easily. WRONG!!!

 

Mandrake - linux, a lot of OS and applications to try and fit into a very small brain (mine!!)

[DragonMage]

Well.. all you have to do is just put a line in those files.. repeating what it says. for example, this is an excerpt of my /etc/fonts/fonts.conf file

 

<!-- Font directory list configured on Sat Oct  5 19:36:51 CDT 2002 -->



       <dir>/usr/share/fonts</dir>

       <dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1</dir>

       <dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont/Type1</dir>

       <dir>/usr/share/fonts/msttcorefonts</dir>

       <dir>/usr/share/fonts/default/Type1</dir>

       <dir>/usr/share/fonts/ttf/western</dir>

 

and this is my /etc/X11/XftConfig

# User installed fonts

dir "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont"

dir "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont/ttf"

dir "/usr/share/fonts/msttcorefonts"

dir "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont/Type1"

 

While this is my /etc/X11/fs/config

# where to look for fonts

#

catalogue = /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont/ttf,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/drakfont/Type1,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo,

       /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/mdk:unscaled,

       /usr/share/fonts/default/Type1,

       /usr/share/fonts/msttcorefonts,

 

See that I just imitate the naming sequence but just add a line that puts the msttcorefonts directory? You can use any text editor you like to edit those three files. You just need to be root in order to do it.

 

Now for the service xfs restart part. It basically restart the font server so that the new font directory is detected by the font server. Type that command as root, then restart X.

 

Of course, this is the hard part. There is an easier part (yet somewhat tedious). Open drakfont (from Mandrake Control Center -> System -> Fonts) then pick Advanced Options. Then pick add.

Now the tricky part is that first you need to make that 'Select the Font directory and click on add' writing blank first, then go to /usr/share/fonts/msttcorefonts directory, then choose each font file then press add until all the font files are added, then you can close the add window then press 'install list' in the main drakfont window. That one should add all the font files.

 

Anyway, whichever you like.