Install Fonts,TimesNewRoman,Arial,Verdana in OpenOffice/Linu

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:55 am

Hi,
I have installed Linux Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition which comes with Openoffice.org-core 1:2.4.1-1ubuntu2 30 Jun 2008. I also installed a HP Laserjet 1100 Printer.

My problem is that when I try to print an MS-Office doc or xls file that uses Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana fonts, the fonts get all messed up on paper and they're not even available in the in OpenOffice fonts menu to choose and change them.

So, how can I install Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana and other MS-Office based fonts in OpenOffice 2.4.1 in Linux Ubuntu 8.04?

The Windows version of OpenOffice has Times New Roman, Arial & Verdana fonts available.

Thanks in advance

junkeR · Post by **junkeR** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:26 pm

Applications-->Add/Remove Programs...

Show "All available applications"

Search for MS Core Fonts

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:13 pm

Thanks for the info!!
I'll try it out on Monday when I get back to work!

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:42 am

Thanks for the info!

I installed the MS Core Fonts in Linux:
Applications-->Add/Remove Programs...
Show "All available applications"

And they work just fine now!

However, now that I think about it, since these Fonts are owned by Microsoft, I can't legally install and use these fonts at work in Linux Ubuntu.
Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Thanks in advance.

junkeR · Post by **junkeR** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:12 pm

I wouldn't worry about legality of installing some stupid fonts.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:02 am

Ok, so far I learned how to install Microsoft's Core Fonts package using the following 3 methods:

1. Install msttcorefonts from synaptic package manager.

2. Install the MS Core Fonts in Linux:
Applications-->Add/Remove Programs...
Show "All available applications"

3. Install from command line:
sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

However, using all these methods the fonts are automatically downloaded from sourceforge.net and then extracted to the Fonts folder in Linux Ubuntu.
I would like to do it manually by placing the original unmodified MS Core fonts *.iff to the fonts folder in Linux my self.

I searched the web and found the original unmodified Fonts (distributed freely by Microsoft long time ago) from here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... p_id=34153
http://web.nickshanks.com/typography/corefonts

But they’re for Windows based O/S (*.exe files)
Where can I get the original unmodified *.tff MS Core fonts for Linux?

It is mentioned in Microsoft’s site that they can freely be used as long as they’re not modified!
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq8.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fontpack/eula.htm
However, I have one query; since they’re called “TrueType core fonts for the Web” does that mean that they can only be used freely for web-based developing and not for Linux / OpenOffice as well?

Thanks in advance.

AWJ · Post by **AWJ** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:29 pm

The EULA for the Core Fonts doesn't say anything about restricting what applications or operating systems you're allowed to use the fonts with. Why would you assume something that isn't there?

The new Vista fonts (the ones with names that all begin with C) have a license that explicitly restricts their use to Windows only--maybe you're getting confused between these and the Core Fonts?

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:19 pm

But they’re for Windows based O/S (*.exe files)
Where can I get the original unmodified *.tff MS Core fonts for Linux?

As far as I know, the .exe file is the unmodified distribution file from Microsoft. It's an installer with an embedded .cab archive, so Linux package managers use something like cabextract to pull the .ttf files out without actually running the installer. This way, they don't have to distribute a modified package (which is forbidden by MS), but it will still work on different architectures without any kind of weird dependence on an x86 emulator, Wine, etc.

As for the legalities of font copyright, they're pretty confusing and depend on what country you're in. The US takes the (unusual?) stance that a font design isn't eligible for copyright per se, but a "font program" (i.e. most .ttf files) is eligible.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:06 pm

Or copy the files from a Windows machine to /usr/share/fonts or wherever your fonts are. Note that due to some copyright horse cock Tahoma isn't in the corefonts package.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:26 pm

Ok,
The only remaining question is whether these *.exe files from here:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... e_id=56408
http://web.nickshanks.com/typography/corefonts

Are these actually the original unmodified Fonts that were distributed freely by Microsoft long time ago?

Also in the EULA it says that they're freely distributed within the USA,but what about other countries in the EU? Can they also be used freely in the EU in a working environment as well?
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq8.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fontpack/eula.htm

If you acquired this product in the United States, this EULA is governed by the laws of the State of Washington.
If this product was acquired outside the United States, then local laws may apply.
Should you have any questions concerning this EULA, or if you desire to contact Microsoft for any reason, please contact the Microsoft subsidiary serving your country

Sorry for being so picky about all this stuff, but I wanted to install these fonts and use them at work (Linux/OpenOffice), so I want to be 100% legal.

Thanks in advance.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:33 pm

No disrespect to you, STDragon, but do they have some sort of Software Police over there in Greece? Or is it some sort of requirement you provide proof of the legality of your software when working with it to generate revenue?

AWJ · Post by **AWJ** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:37 pm

Of course the .exe files on sourceforge are the original, unmodified distribution files from Microsoft. The very reason they're kept as .exe files instead of being converted into something more convenient (e.g. bare .ttf files) is to comply with Microsoft's EULA.

The reason for the jurisdiction language in EULAs is that some terms in the EULA might not be enforceable in some countries (hell, in some countries EULAs have no legal validity at all) What that means is that you might actually have more rights to use the software the way you want to than the EULA admits (the "use on Windows only" clause in the Vista fonts license is an excellent example of one that would probably violate antimonopoly laws, and thus be invalid, in many countries)

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:29 am

Or is it some sort of requirement you provide proof of the legality of your software when working with it to generate revenue?

No. But typically we do have laws against software piracy and you're compelled to own legal licenses when using M$ Windows, etc... (especially for companies).
The ones that check the legality of the software being used is the Greek public Inland Revenue (and maybe a few other legal enforcing entities that I'm not aware of?!) But they only check (rarely) on companies and corporations, not individual people at their homes

Typically if you're caught using software you don't actually own (no licenses), you're fined to pay 40times it's actual price. So since I want to try this at work (Public Civil service), I would rather be on the safe side

The thing is that even if someone wanted to be legal/typical and go by the book regarding M$ O/S and software licenses, it's one hell of a frustrating experience trying to make some sense out of all those retarded EULAs. Especially the Windows Server CAL licensing (Device, User & Per-Server), OEM, DSP, Retail and all that crap just don't make sense!It's a joke really! So. I'll just try to convince them to switch to Linux / OpenOffice here at work! Especially some new PCs well be receiving soon, I'll install Linux Ubuntu on all of them my self!
It's definitely not worth paying all that money for that joke Win Vista & Office 2007!

The thing is that they're scared of Linux here at work and they're afraid that they wont be able to use it (Too hard), or be incompatible with their current doc & excel files.... so they're very skeptical when I proposed that we switch to Linux... The majority of user here at work are not exactly computer-oriented, they can barely use office and a web browser as well as few mouse clicks here and there!

LOL!!

By the way, I installed “Wine” in Linux Ubuntu so that I could execute some *.exe files and I noticed that it created a virtual “drive_c”, along with a “Windows” folder, “program files”, etc...
I take it that it's not using any M$ libraries or anything and that it's 100% legal to use it?!

Thanks in advance

AWJ · Post by **AWJ** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:55 am

ST Dragon wrote:By the way, I installed “Wine” in Linux Ubuntu so that I could execute some *.exe files and I noticed that it created a virtual “drive_c”, along with a “Windows” folder, “program files”, etc...
I take it that it's not using any M$ libraries or anything and that it's 100% legal to use it?!

Yes, Wine is a from-scratch reimplementation of the Windows API and contains no Microsoft-owned code or resources (fonts, etc.). It creates a Windows-like directory tree because many Windows applications expect those directories, with those exact names, to be there. However, you don't have to put document files, etc., there in order for Wine applications to see them--your Linux filesystem appears in Wine as "Drive Z:"