In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Microsoft Truetype Fonts system-wide on Ubuntu. This is particularly useful if you’re transitioning from a Windows environment and need access to familiar fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New.
To install Microsoft Truetype Fonts system-wide on Ubuntu, you can use the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package available in the Ubuntu repository. Simply run the command sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer in the terminal, accept the End User License Agreement, update the font cache with sudo fc-cache -f -s -v, verify the installation with fc-list, and restart the application where you want to use the fonts.
What are Truetype Fonts?
Truetype Fonts (TTF) are a standard for digital type fonts that was developed by Apple and Microsoft in the late 1980s as a competitor to Adobe’s Type 1 fonts. They are widely used in both Windows and Mac operating systems, and are recognized for their high degree of control over precise pixel layouts.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure that you have administrator (sudo) privileges on your Ubuntu system.
Step 1: Installing the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package
To install the Microsoft Truetype Fonts, we will use the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package available in the Ubuntu repository. Open your terminal and type the following command:
sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installerThe sudo command is used to run the following command as a superuser, or system administrator. The apt-get install command is used to install the specified package.
During the installation process, you will be asked to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Navigate through the prompt using the Tab key and accept the agreement by selecting ‘Yes’.
Step 2: Updating the Font Cache
After the installation is complete, the fonts should be located in the directory /usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts. To ensure that the fonts are recognized by the system, we need to update the font cache. Run the following command:
sudo fc-cache -f -s -vThe fc-cache command is used to build font information cache files. The -f option forces the rebuild of the cache, -s stands for system-wide cache, and -v enables verbose mode, providing more detailed output.
Step 3: Verifying the Installation
To verify that the fonts are installed correctly, use the fc-list command, which lists all fonts and font families that fontconfig knows about.
fc-listIf the Microsoft fonts are not listed, try clearing the contents of the ~/.fontconfig/ directory by running the following command:
rm -rf ~/.fontconfig/*This command removes all files in the ~/.fontconfig/ directory, which may contain cached information about the fonts installed on your system.
Step 4: Restarting the Application
Finally, restart the application where you want to use the fonts (e.g., LibreOffice, GIMP). The newly installed fonts should now be available in the font dialog of the application.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed how to install Microsoft Truetype Fonts system-wide on Ubuntu. This process involves installing the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package, updating the font cache, verifying the installation, and restarting the application. By following these steps, you should now have access to Microsoft Truetype Fonts on your Ubuntu system.
No, administrator (sudo) privileges are required to install the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package and update the font cache system-wide.
To uninstall the MS Truetype Fonts, you can use the following command: sudo apt-get remove ttf-mscorefonts-installer. This will remove the package from your system.
Yes, once the fonts are installed system-wide, you can use them in any application that supports font selection, such as LibreOffice, GIMP, or any text editor.
If the Microsoft fonts are not listed after installation, you can try clearing the contents of the ~/.fontconfig/ directory by running the command rm -rf ~/.fontconfig/*. This will remove any cached information that may be causing the issue.
Yes, you can use these fonts in web development by specifying them in CSS using the font-family property. However, keep in mind that users viewing your website will also need to have the fonts installed on their system to see them properly.
