How to Install Microsoft Text Fonts in Ubuntu Linux

Microsoft TrueType Fonts

Back in 1996, Microsoft released a package of fonts, called “TrueType core fonts for the web” with a license giving any user permission to install them. Naturally, in true Microsoft style, the aim was for their fonts to become dominant.

Although canceled six years later, the font pack is still available and includes:

1. Andale Mono
2. Arial Black
3. Arial (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
4. Comic Sans MS (Bold)
5. Courier New (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
6. Georgia (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
7. Impact
8. Times New Roman (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
9. Trebuchet (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
10. Verdana (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
11. Webdings

You’ll probably recognize most of these; Times New Roman used to be the default text for Word (replaced by Calibri in 2007), while Impact is the sort of font that appears on posters around the word. And as for webdings… 

Of course, you might not require any of these fonts. After all, Ubuntu and other distributions already feature a wide selection of adequate substitute fonts thanks to the inclusion of the Red Hat “Liberation Fonts” package. They’re not completely identical, but these fonts do use the same widths as the Microsoft fonts they replace.

Which is why you might want the real thing.

In short, if Microsoft fonts were installed in Linux, your Linux apps anything ranging from LibreOffice Writer (which takes seconds to install) to GIMP would present them as options. LibreOffice could benefit from it, especially if you’re struggling to transition from Microsoft Word.

Install Microsoft TrueType Fonts in Ubuntu

In older versions of Ubuntu, it was possible to install these fonts using the Software Center, but this is no longer an option. Fortunately, you can just use the command line instead.

Launch the terminal, then use this command to install the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package.

sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Unusually, you’ll be prompted to agree to a Microsoft EULA . Now, this is the bristly bit: you might have reservations about this. Although these TrueType fonts different from OpenType fonts—have been made available for free, you’ll notice that they’re not open source. Also, the EULA has “Microsoft” pasted all over it.

But, if you aren’t a pure open source user, carry on, scrolling through the EULA with the Page Up/Down keys. Use Tab or the arrow keys to select Yes and agree to the EULA with entering.

Once downloaded into your system, the fonts will be configured so that they can be used in the usual apps.

If you’re using a different Linux distribution, you may find that the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package isn’t available. However, an alternative should be open to you, under a slightly different name. A few minutes of research should turn this up.

Running a Dual Boot Windows and Linux System? Try This!

If you have both Windows and Ubuntu operating systems installed on the same PC, you don’t even need to download the fonts, as you already have them installed in Windows. This means that you can copy the fonts into Ubuntu.

More importantly, this is a great way to pull all manner of modern, cool fonts from Windows into Linux. ClearType fonts like Calibri can be added to your system this way.

In Ubuntu, you should be able to easily browse the partition where Windows is installed, using your default file manager. Next, you’ll need to copy fonts from the directory in the Windows partition to your Linux fonts directory.

mkdir /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts

Then copy the contents of the mounted Windows drive fonts directory into the WindowsFonts location:

cp /Windowsdrive/Windows/Fonts/* /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts

Change permissions for the directory and its contents:

chmod 755 /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts/*

Then regenerate the Linux fontconfig cache with

fc-cache

That’s all there is to it.