Arch Linux

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Font issues

I recently installed Arch Linux after using Ubuntu for a while and I want to make my desktop similar to Ubuntu and Gnome. The issue I am having is how to change the font rendering so that I can match as close as possible with my original Ubuntu set up.

I read the Wiki for font rendering but I can't find any answers yet. I read about font configuration and I saw this link:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … g_Examples

Do I change the settings by putting code into the "font.dtd" file? I know someone will say "look at the wiki" but honestly, I need more details.

Also, can I just download a package and drop it into the system->preferences->appearance to change the fonts?

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: Font issues

Did you install the Ubuntu font packages yet?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ion#Ubuntu

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rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

Ah... yes I have. I looked at the AUR and downloaded.

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: Font issues

Ok, the examples you see on your first link go to ~/.fonts.conf in your user's home directory. This overrides any settings from the main configuration directories under /etc/fonts/conf.d, which are symlinked entries from /etc/fonts/conf.avail. I'm not sure, but i believe that if you have the Ubuntu packages installed and no separate .fonts.conf, you should have the default Ubuntu font rendering.

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rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

well... I just looked at the ~/.fonts.conf file and I see that the code that I found from that link is in that file. So how can I be sure that the Ubuntu packages are installed? should I just check the AUR for any missing packages... and then I guess restart and it should work then?

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: Font issues

% pacman -Qs ubuntu
local/cairo-ubuntu 1.10.2-4
    Cairo vector graphics library, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/fontconfig-ubuntu 2.8.0-1
    A library for configuring and customizing font access, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/freetype2-ubuntu 2.4.4-1
    TrueType font rendering library, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/libxft-ubuntu 2.2.0-1
    FreeType-based font drawing library for X, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches

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rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

ah ok here is my output:

$ sudo pacman -Qs ubuntu
Password: 
local/freetype2-ubuntu 2.4.4-1
    TrueType font rendering library, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/ttf-ubuntu-font-family 0.71.2-1
    Ubuntu font family
$ 

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: Font issues

Then you need the other ones too.

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rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

==> Continue installing fontconfig-ubuntu ? [Y/n]
==> [v]iew package contents [c]heck package with namcap
==> ---------------------------------------------------
==> y

Password: 
resolving dependencies...
looking for inter-conflicts...
:: fontconfig-ubuntu and fontconfig are in conflict. Remove fontconfig? [y/N] 

I am not sure what this is saying... for the Cairo package... should I say yes or no?

stlarch

Member

From: hell

Registered: 2010-12-25

Posts: 1,265

Re: Font issues

yes

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

ok now I am getting this message:

==> Finished making: fontconfig-ubuntu 2.8.0-1 (Mon Apr  4 02:40:15 CDT 2011)

==> Continue installing fontconfig-ubuntu ? [Y/n]
==> [v]iew package contents [c]heck package with namcap
==> ---------------------------------------------------
==> y

==> Pacman is currently in use, please wait.

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

ok I fixed that... I should be able to get these packages in the system installed now

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

$ sudo pacman -Qs ubuntu
local/cairo-ubuntu 1.10.2-4
    Cairo vector graphics library, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/fontconfig-ubuntu 2.8.0-1
    A library for configuring and customizing font access, with Ubuntu's LCD
    rendering patches
local/freetype2-ubuntu 2.4.4-1
    TrueType font rendering library, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering patches
local/libxft-ubuntu 2.2.0-1
    FreeType-based font drawing library for X, with Ubuntu's LCD rendering
    patches
local/ttf-ubuntu-font-family 0.71.2-1
    Ubuntu font family
$ 

Ok now I have this output... so now my font rendering will be much like Ubuntu once I restart?

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Font issues

Just fire up an app, e.g. start or restart firefox, and you'll see the difference.

To see the difference fully, restart xorg.

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

Well I did the changes and I do see some differences but I noticed that depending on some sites a lower case "u" will appear to be strangely different than the rest of the word. Is it ctrl+alt+backspace to restart Xorg? Nothing happens when I do that.

rg_arc

Member

Registered: 2011-03-20

Posts: 507

Re: Font issues

I changed my settings and tweaked around. It seems I can't figure out exactly why that "u" is like that. In fact, my upper case "R" looks really weird as well. The diagonal line on the "R" is really faint which makes it look almost like a "P". Is there anything I can do to fix this?

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Font issues

Yes, see my example config. That thread is full of useful info - read it.

For font rendering which is even better than Ubuntu's, you can try Infinality's