problems with fonts

MillTek · 2005-01-31 22:05:54

Hi,
Installed Arch 7 two days ago. I really like it. I had been using Kanotix and have noticed that my fonts are really bad. I have searched the forums and the wiki for a fix with no success. When I was using Kanotix it had a "fix-fonts.sh" that you ran after installing the msttcorefonts that fixed some font issues in that distro.

Some of the info in the wiki talks about directories and links that don't seem to be on my system so the wiki seems to be out of date.

Is there a way to get the fonts to work properly that I haven't found yet? Any advice?

Thanks,

Jim

phrakture · 2005-01-31 22:26:21

How did you install the MS fonts? If you installed them from pacman, everything should be setup properly. If you didn't then grab them from pacman. I'd also suggest the bitstream vera fonts as well.

What is it, specifically, that looks ugly? Can you provide screenshots?

xerxes2 · 2005-01-31 22:32:54

1. set your DisplaySize in xorg.conf

2. edit your /etc/fonts/local.conf , here is mine for example

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<!-- /etc/fonts/local.conf file to configure system font access -->
<fontconfig>
         <match target="font">
            <edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>true</bool></edit>
             <edit name="autohinting" mode="assign"><bool>true</bool></edit>
         </match>
         <match target="pattern">
                 <edit name="dpi" mode="assign"><double>85</double></edit>
         </match>
         <!--  Dongs  -->
 
         <alias>
                 <family>serif</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Serif</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
         <alias>
                 <family>sans-serif</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Sans</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
         <alias>
                 <family>monospace</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Sans Mono</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
          <match target="font">
                <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
                        <const>rgb</const>
                </edit>
    </match>

<dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF</dir>
<dir>/home/xerxes2/.config/fonts/texcm-ttf</dir>
</fontconfig>

3. Enjoy

Edit: Added a missing tag

phrakture · 2005-01-31 22:44:56

very nice setup xerxes... close to mine, though I don't have all the bitstream matchings you do... I may steal that from you...

MillTek · 2005-01-31 23:16:57

Hi guys,

I've tried so many of the things mentione in the forums and the wiki that I can't remember how I installed the MS fonts. Anyway, I just issued a "pacman -S ttf-ms-fonts" and then applied the changes suggested above for display size and to my local.conf. Then I rebooted but nothing much changed.

I can't find the bitstream package mentioned either.

The problem I'm having is very raggedy fonts in Firefox, and no increase in the number of available fonts in a console. In KDE programs the letter k (lowercase) has an almost invisible upper-right piece (the one that points at two o'clock).

I'd love to get this fixed. Unfortunately I don't have a place to host screen shots (or even know how to generate them!).

Thanks for the help.

Jim

dp · 2005-01-31 23:59:57

MillTek wrote:

Hi guys,
I've tried so many of the things mentione in the forums and the wiki that I can't remember how I installed the MS fonts. Anyway, I just issued a "pacman -S ttf-ms-fonts" and then applied the changes suggested above for display size and to my local.conf. Then I rebooted but nothing much changed.
I can't find the bitstream package mentioned either.

bitstream vera fonts are now part of xorg ... no need to install them separately

MillTek wrote:

The problem I'm having is very raggedy fonts in Firefox, and no increase in the number of available fonts in a console. In KDE programs the letter k (lowercase) has an almost invisible upper-right piece (the one that points at two o'clock).
I'd love to get this fixed. Unfortunately I don't have a place to host screen shots (or even know how to generate them!).

gimp can make screenshots easily

free image hosting is e.g. here:
http://www.imageshack.us/

MillTek · 2005-02-01 01:15:19

Thanks for the info dp.

Here's a partial screenshot of Firefox showing the 'Edit' menu. Notice that the first few options are greyed out. This happened when I was trying to fix fonts as well. Anyone have any ideas how to fix this?

[URL=http://img161.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img161&image=screen17dl.jpg] screen17dl.th.jpg [/URL]

Jim[/url]

IceRAM · 2005-02-01 08:59:51

I'm not sure I got this right but... grayed menu options mean that those items are not available in the current context. Try selecting something in a webpage and they'll un-gray themseleves. The color has no connection with the fonts.

dp · 2005-02-01 11:49:09

MillTek wrote:

Thanks for the info dp.
Here's a partial screenshot of Firefox showing the 'Edit' menu. Notice that the first few options are greyed out. This happened when I was trying to fix fonts as well. Anyone have any ideas how to fix this?
[URL=http://img161.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img161&image=screen17dl.jpg][/URL]

Jim[/url]

seems you are using firefox under kde ... firefox uses gtk and kde in some configs controls gtk-stuff

check in the control panel of kde under "appearance + themes"-> "gtk style and fonts" ... there it is maybe a good idea to play around to fix this

MillTek · 2005-02-01 14:10:40

dp,

When I go to the 'K' menu, select Control Center, and then select 'Appearance & Themes' there is no "gtk style and fonts"

Should I be looking for this elsewhere??

Jim

phrakture · 2005-02-01 16:11:50

a) to the original topic - look here http://wiki2.archlinux.org/index.php/XO … figuration

b) those menu options will show up when you highlight some text... that is not related to the fonts... it's how firefox behaves (what would you copy if you didn't have anything highlighted?)

antiloaded · 2006-03-02 17:21:23

xerxes2 wrote:

1. set your DisplaySize in xorg.conf

2. edit your /etc/fonts/local.conf , here is mine for example

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<!-- /etc/fonts/local.conf file to configure system font access -->
<fontconfig>
         <match target="font">
            <edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>true</bool></edit>
             <edit name="autohinting" mode="assign"><bool>true</bool></edit>
         </match>
         <match target="pattern">
                 <edit name="dpi" mode="assign"><double>85</double></edit>
         </match>
         <!--  Dongs  -->
 
         <alias>
                 <family>serif</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Serif</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
         <alias>
                 <family>sans-serif</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Sans</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
         <alias>
                 <family>monospace</family>
                 <prefer>
                         <family>Bitstream Vera Sans Mono</family>
                 </prefer>
         </alias>
          <match target="font">
                <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
                        <const>rgb</const>
                </edit>
    </match>

<dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF</dir>
<dir>/home/xerxes2/.config/fonts/texcm-ttf</dir>
</fontconfig>

3. Enjoy

Edit: Added a missing tag

Thanks alot for posting this awsome local.conf

It really gave my fonts the 'last touch'

Sincerely, Jørgen

Arch Linux

#1 2005-01-31 22:05:54

problems with fonts

#2 2005-01-31 22:26:21

Re: problems with fonts

#3 2005-01-31 22:32:54

Re: problems with fonts

#4 2005-01-31 22:44:56

Re: problems with fonts

#5 2005-01-31 23:16:57

Re: problems with fonts

#6 2005-01-31 23:59:57

Re: problems with fonts

#7 2005-02-01 01:15:19

Re: problems with fonts

#8 2005-02-01 08:59:51

Re: problems with fonts

#9 2005-02-01 11:49:09

Re: problems with fonts

#10 2005-02-01 14:10:40

Re: problems with fonts

#11 2005-02-01 16:11:50

Re: problems with fonts

#12 2006-03-02 17:21:23

Re: problems with fonts

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