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Font Installation under Unix/Linux
Fonts from MyFonts.com are fully compatible with Linux and Unix systems. PostScript fonts have been supported by virtually all flavors of Unix for many years. TrueType fonts are generally supported, especially by more recent distributions.
Step 1: Determine what type of fonts are supported on your system
If you're not sure about your particular version of Unix, check to see what type of fonts are currently installed:
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/UTI_____.pfa
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/cour.pfa
# locate .ttf
/usr/share/fonts/default/TrueType/starmath.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/default/TrueType/timi____.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/default/TrueType/comicbd.ttf
.pfa and .pfb are PostScript fonts. .ttf files are TrueType fonts.
Step 2: Get the right files
Order the Windows version of the font
Unpack the distribution
# unzip eyeballs.zip
Archive: /home/bryce/tmp/eyeballs.zip
inflating: 1401a___.inf
inflating: 1401A___.AFM
inflating: 1401A___.PFB
inflating: 1401A___.PFM
inflating: READMEPC.HTM
inflating: TT1401M_.TTF
inflating: license.htm
This example includes both TrueType and Type1 fonts. The .ttf file is all you need for TrueType.
.pfa or .pfb files contain PostScript fonts and require corresponding metrics files .afm or .pfm.
The .inf file is for the Macintosh.
Step 3: Install the fonts appropriate to your system
If a graphical font installation utility is present on your system, use it. The simplest possible case of a manual font install is:
Add the .ttf files to an existing directory that already has .ttf font files.
Regenerate the index with
ttmkfdir > fonts.dir
Restart the font server (or just restart the window manager).
In general the font install process is:
Unfortunately, the details vary considerably between Unix distributions. Look at how the fonts already installed on your system are set up to learn more.
Step 4: See if it worked
The following utilities are useful for looking at fonts:
kcharselect
gfontsel
xfontsel
xlsfonts
chkfontpath
fslsfonts
“kcharselect”, which comes with KDE, is capable of selecting any glyph from a full Unicode font.
If you need more details, or have special needs
Note that not all programs will support all fonts. Some programs even keep their own private font lists. For more information search for “fonts”, “type 1”, “TrueType” or “Unicode” at www.linuxdoc.org.
