FAQ Font Update (please update http://www.abisource.com/faquser.phtml#2.7)


Subject: FAQ Font Update (please update http://www.abisource.com/faquser.phtml#2.7)
From: Adam Warner (mailing_lists@consulting.net.nz)
Date: Fri Apr 13 2001 - 18:25:07 CDT


Hi all,

Below is an update for the fonts question in the FAQ. Feel free to modify it at
will.

Please note that a URL is needed to a continuing updated version of
UnixFont.txt (see ***FIXME)

Regards,
Adam

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How do I use True Type fonts for AbiWord on Linux?

AbiWord supports TrueType fonts in GNU/Linux. However your system must already
have a properly configured TrueType font server. To find out how to configure
your font server to use TrueType fonts, or how to install a separate TrueType
font server, please read the Font HOWTO:
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO.html

In particular the section "Making Fonts Available to X":
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO-4.html

Please also refer to the "Customizing Fonts for Unix in AbiWord" Document:
***FIXME:
http://news.gnome.org/gnome-news/983042494/983069185/983094457/983099487/983099
761/UnixFonts.html

Be aware that fonts will only appear in AbiWord if they exist in or are
symlinked to the AbiWord fonts directory:
/usr/share/AbiSuite/fonts

Certain font names are critical to the operation of AbiWord, notably "Times New
Roman".

If you want to use Microsoft's core fonts in AbiWord and the core fonts are
already properly installed in a separate directory, such as (this is just an
example):
/usr/share/fonts/MSCoreFonts

Then to make those fonts available to AbiWord, delete or move the current fonts
in /usr/share/AbiSuite/fonts and type (as root):
ln -s /usr/share/fonts/MSCoreFonts/* /usr/share/AbiSuite/fonts

If the fonts are already properly installed it doesn't appear necessary
to update the fonts.dir and fonts.scale files (i.e. they can be left as
symlinks). AbiWord should now detect the Microsoft core fonts.

If you want to know how to install Microsoft's core fonts, which are freely
available and redistributable with certain restrictions, download them from
here:
http://www.microsoft.com/truetype/fontpack/

Microsoft stipulates you can only distribute the fonts as Windows
executables. It is fortunate that decoding these executables is possible
under Linux:
http://www.kyz.uklinux.net/cabextract.php3

Once all the TrueType fonts are extracted into a (separate) directory of your
choosing you just (this explanation may be Redhat 6.2+ specific):
(a) execute ttmkfdir (the True Type make font directory)
(b) execute "chkfontpath --add (directory of the fonts)", or edit
/etc/X11/fs/config manually.
(c) Optional: Put the Microsoft core fonts at the top of the directories list
in
/etc/X11/fs/config.

Then restart the font server:
/etc/rc.d/init.d/xfs restart

The Microsoft core fonts will now be properly installed and you can make the
fonts available to AbiWord by symlinking as explained above.

----------
Regards,
Adam



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