Arch Linux

Mt.Tam-Luxer

Member

From: San Rafael, CA, U.S.A.

Registered: 2003-07-24

Posts: 32

Bitstream Vera Fonts

Hello,

Installed Arch on 5 different computers and planning on world-domination with this awesome distro (!!)

However, one of the first search-queries I made in the forums was for help installing Bitstream Vera fonts.  Nothing much turned-up.  Being a recovering Windows-aholic, I am very fond of the high-quality, free, Vera fonts(http://www.gnome.org/fonts/).

Beyond the basic help-file in the src's, can anyone recommend the best way to install in Arch?  My guess follows:

1.  Get fonts:  http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/ … 10.tar.bz2

2.  Install as prescribed to /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/

3.  Run 'mkfontscale', then 'mkfontdir' in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/

4.  Copy 'local.conf' into /etc/fonts/

5.  fc-cache -v

6.  Now what?

Is the base Fontconfig in Arch set-up to auto-detect the new fonts and apply the local.conf or does it need some tweak'n?  (we loves tweak'n)

Thanx.

Xentac

Forum Fellow

From: Victoria, BC

Registered: 2003-01-17

Posts: 1,797

Website

Re: Bitstream Vera Fonts

Reading the license and everything, I think we should convince Dale to add them to the gnome category... they're free and re-distributable, might as well.

---

I have discovered that all of mans unhappiness derives from only one source, not being able to sit quietly in a room
- Blaise Pascal

Mt.Tam-Luxer

Member

From: San Rafael, CA, U.S.A.

Registered: 2003-07-24

Posts: 32

Re: Bitstream Vera Fonts

Mozilla without XFT should NOT use these fonts.  No-big-deal.  The standard adobe fonts in Mozilla are perfectly usable--however, after viewing some pages in Konqueror with XFT/Vera fonts.....well I'm sure you'll agree it is somewhat easier on the eyes to have a little anti-alais'n occasionally.

Hmmm.  If I'm not mistaken, having seen these fonts in Red Hat 9/Gnome/OpenOffice 1.1.RC1 from:

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/gavindi … noarch.rpm

I'm wondering if the font setup in RH9 does additional 'tweak'n'(!?)  It seems that either Gnome(alone) or RH9/Gnome(combo) looks even better ???  Or is the KDE in Arch not compiled against XFT ???  Hmmmm.  I'm really try'n, here, to be helpful to those newbie's from across the Windows "Trail-of-Tear's" to not be discouraged by the lack of good, free, non-MS, fonts in LINUX .... especially ARCH-LINUX.  Hope this doesn't seem trivial to the long-time *nix'ers.  I just know how important screen-fonts are to the less-technically-inclined user a.k.a. the new potential LINUX user.   

Thanx for your time and consideration.

Mt.Tam-Luxer

Member

From: San Rafael, CA, U.S.A.

Registered: 2003-07-24

Posts: 32

Re: Bitstream Vera Fonts

FWIW:  I got to a Red Hat 9 box and it seems that they employ a combo of XFT2/FontConfig.  I think this is the same in ARCH(?).  However I still wonder if RedHat has somehow adjusted the stock GNOME font system to utilize the Freetype renderer in a more optimized fashion?  I really prefer IceWM at the moment, myself, which takes advantage of the XFT sub-sys.  For my friends and customers who I am introducing to LINUX, however, KDE seems a better cross-roads for them.  They will want the fonts to be at least as polished as ARIAL and TIMES NEW ROMAN in Windows.  I think the Bitstream Vera fonts are great(really great) and will do just fine if I can just better understand the font system in ARCH.  I've read the docs at XFREE.org and http://www.freetype.org.  *whew*  Fonts in Linux are a real mix of magical pieces.

O-bother.  Such silly musings about cosmetics .... (but I still like making ARCH look as killer and dressed-up as I can).

Cheers.

Mt.Tam-Luxer

Member

From: San Rafael, CA, U.S.A.

Registered: 2003-07-24

Posts: 32

Re: Bitstream Vera Fonts

FYI:

OpenOffice.org 1.1 RC2 provides some minor updates to OpenOffice.org RC. Windows 98 users will find the installation proceure easier. OpenOffice.org 1.1 replaces our legacy build, OpenOffice.org 1.0.3.1. OpenOffice.org 1.1 RC not only includes features such as export to PDF, SWF, DocBook, and improved on-line Help, but also:

Existing single-user installation update capability
Integrated Bitstream Vera fonts
Built-in proofing tools and hyphenation for many languages
Better Microsoft Office filters

Now we're talk'n.  Go OO.org !!