Ugly fonts in Mandriva 2007 [solved]

[estebanmora]

Hi,

 

I've just installed Mandriva 2007 and I'm not able to make the Microsoft True Type fonts work fine. I've used Mandrake (Mandriva) since release 10.1 and I've used the bytecode interpreter adjustment to make my desktop look like a windows machine (http://www.convexhull.com/mandrake_fonts.html). But with 2007 I'm not able to do it. I'm seriously thinking of going back to 2006. :-( Someone has a clue...???

 

Thanks...!!!

 

 

[moved from Installing Mandriva by spinynorman - welcome aboard :)]

[arctic]

Welcome aboard.

 

https://mandrivausers.org/index.php?showtopic=35856&hl=

 

Maybe the hints in there help you. :)

[Krisbee]

May be you'll never see this reply. Two months have gone by since you posted and I have only just installed Mandriva 2007 and immediately hit the same problem.

 

I hate anit-aliased fonts and prefer the "windows fonts" look as shown here:

 

http://avi.alkalay.net/linux/docs/font-howto/Font.html

 

Believe it or not there is a bug in the font installer which incorrectly imports windows fonts into Mandriva (its broken in the KDE control centre and faulty in the Control centre) . See here:

 

http://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=27506

 

Obviously the testers are obssessed with AA fonts etc. without paying attention to just how many users hate them and want to experience on screen rendering as per windows OS.

 

The solution is simple, load your Windows fonts manually.

 

(1) Copy the windows fonts to /usr/share/fonts/ttf

(2) In a console do

cd /usr/share/fonts/ttf

ttmkfdir > fonts.scale

mkfontdir

chkfontpath -a /usr/share/fonts/ttf

(3) Check that fontpath is added to /etc/X11/fs/config

(4) Restart KDE (service xfs restart does not work)

 

I came across this on the "mandriva club forum", you can view posts there without being a paying member.

 

I was about to give up and stick with 2006 - to my mind this bug really ought appear on the errata page.

[estebanmora]

Yeah... it works. Finally I will be able to use the 2007 edition. THANKS. Some final details... to have perfect fonts on mandriva 2007 you have to copy the fonts manually to the fonts folder (as explained in the previews reply) or fix the drakfont as explained in the mandriva forum. Then, you have to download the freetype release 2.2.1 (I don't try with the new 2.3.0 release) and compile uncommenting the bytecode interpreter line.

 

If you need extra help with freetype, just type in google "perfect fonts mandrake 10.1", without the quotes, or go to this url: http://www.convexhull.com/mandrake_fonts.html and follow the instructions in the freetype native hinting section.