[Linux] Most TTF fonts in user/fonts directory won't work

Hark · General User Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 29

I try to get some TTF fonts working in OpenOffice.org (2.0.4) under Linux (Debian and Ubuntu). I used to copy the fonts (.ttf files) from Windows to my .openoffice.org2/user/fonts folder, that worked great with OpenOffice 2.0.2.

But with OpenOffice 2.0.4 most fonts don't work anymore, but some do work however. For example wingding.ttf works, but pala.ttf, palab.ttf and dendanewlight.TTF don't work. When a font doesn't work it does show up in the font pull-down menu, but it is displayed as the default font.

When I copy the font(s) to /usr/share/fonts/truetype I can use them in OpenOffice, then they are displayed correctly. Unfortunately I have to be able to use the fonts from the user profile. Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

acknak · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:47 am Post subject:

If you have the font files in .openoffice.org2/user/fonts, you need to run "spadmin" and add the font files to OOo's list of installed fonts.

However, what you are doing sounds different from the standard ways of installing fonts on Linux, which typically install the fonts to be used by any user and any application on the system, or if limited to one user, then at least available for any application run by that user. What do you mean by this:

Hark · General User Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 29

Thanks for your quick reply acknak. If I'm correct the only thing spadmin does is copying the selected fonts to the .openoffice.org/user/fonts directory. The fonts are already there, so spadmin won't solve the problem. I have tried spadmin a few days ago, and as expected it didn't change the situation.

I have to use the user profile (.openoffice.org/) because people should be able to upload their own fonts. I can't install the fonts system wide because of licensing issues.

acknak · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:09 am Post subject:

Hmm--you may be right; I assumed that spadmin did some kind of "registration" of the fonts, but that's just a guess.

I typically install personal fonts by copying them into ~/.fonts, and that's all that's necessary (aside from re-starting OOo). But that's a feature of fontconfig, and I don't know if Debian supports that yet.

Hagar Delest · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:41 pm Post subject:

dpeach · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject:

I had a similar situation recently where I knew the fonts were installed as a system wide font, but would not show up as usable in OOo or anywhere. It was a matter of telling KDE where the fonts lived.

The issue may be similar for Gnome. You should be able to enable them on a per user basis, but for the whole desktop environment.

Interestingly, though I have used KDE and Linux for many years, this is the first time I had to manually do this. I recently switched to Slackware from Mandriva. Mandriva did a lot more magic behind the scenes. But if you have done this before in Ubuntu (which it sounds like you have), then it should work the same as before.

Anyway, check to see if there is a way to tell Gnome where your fonts are, either system wide or per user.
_________________
dpeach
OOo 2.0.4 *** Slackware 11

www.mythoughtspot.com <-- My Blog *** My Podcast --> www.missionarytalks.com