Idea #223: Copy standard MS fonts from Windows installation

226

Written by idd the 28 Feb 08 at 21:26. Category: Installation.
Related to: Nothing/Others. Status: New

Description

If the Ubuntu installer detects Windows, it should copy Arial, Verdana and other standard Windows fonts into Ubuntu, because the user has the license to use them.

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lifeless85 wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 00:52

that would be an nice idea if they wheren't covered by patents.
maybe canonical could ask if microsoft could conceed in honor of crossplatform cross scripting and coders mental sanity, to free fonts from patents ...

wolfier wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 02:47

Patents does not cover copying. Copyright does...

I wonder if the OS can just offer to mount the volume and use the fonts directly from the Windows mount.

Or, in the destructive installation case, resize the Windows partition to only storing the Windows fonts, and then do the above. It does not involve copying at all - just removing the rest of Windows but skip the fonts.

RichardNeill wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:34

apt-get install corefonts will get many of the MS fonts; this is entirely legal, and does not require a windows license. The KDE font installer tool does what you want - I agree, this ought to be automatic at install time.

meticulo wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:46

this is definetly a good idea, along with certain dlls from the windows harddrive as well as various "illegal" codecs,

hackel wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 06:37

Time should not be wasted working on solutions to dual-boot scenarios. If people refuse to delete Windows, fine, the operating systems should co-exist peacefully, but these people should be in the minority.

simpsonsfan74 wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 06:57

Dual-Boot users the minority? I would go so far as to say that most Ubuntu users dual-boot Windows. If you buy the computer with Windows preloaded and you have plenty of space, why take it off? There are situations where Windows is needed/better for the task.

I think the MS Core fonts aren't included by default because they must be downloaded individually from a separate website to satisfy the licensing terms. I really like the idea of using the fonts from Windows directly.

hfb wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 07:18

I agree that many Ubuntu users are in the Dual-Boot category, but programming in a whole bunch of Windows fixes is just going to create more problems down the track.
It would be better to leave fixes/patches out of the default installation and have them available in repositories.
Why would they be necessary for an OEM version of Ubuntu?

sourcejedi wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 10:18

Here's the obvious reason:

User became attached to some strange font on their Windows install and used it in all their documents. When they open them in OpenOffice, it will look totally different.

E.g. if they used a font that looked like cursive, or normal handwriting, or an extended dingbats, then OpenOffice won't know that; it will just use a default, right?

BadChoice wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 15:02

Doing everything to be like windows, to support windows.. its not the goal.. a big % uses windows yes, but this is not the reason why do it all the same, if everything its the same, it won't be better

rawsausage wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 23:42

Do this especially if there is Vista installed somewhere. Those new fonts are some 10 years ahead in development, must to have on any desktop no matter what operating system you are running.

ShakataGaNai wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 03:15

"If the Ubuntu installer detects Windows" does NOT mean "the user has the license". One of the big things in the Linux community is trying to get machines w/o Windows pre-installed - and failing that rejecting the EULA and "returning" windows. Just because Windows is on hard drive does not mean the user has accepted the EULA.

PS. This is an argument in addition to the fact that this will NEVER happen.

probono wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 16:39

Ubuntu on a machine that has Windows installed should NOT behave different than Ubuntu on a machine with Windows.

This is important for support and for a unified look and feel.

Instead of using MS fonts, Ubuntu should come with and use sane default fonts.

herorev wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 03:11

I would prefer for Linux to stand completely on its own. I think this would give Ubuntu a bad reputation. Imagine people saying, "To take full advantage of Ubuntu, you need Windows already installed."

ethana2 wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 08:09

herorev: it already does.

I payed for those codecs, I payed for those fonts, I payed for that unique license key, I payed for those wallpapers, and I payed for those .dll's.

Ubuntu and WINE need to be able to take full advantage of that. Many fonts I've also collected-- lord of the rings, star wars, etc... and it'd be nice not to have to move them over myself.

...I payed for MSN, WMP... I did. And all those other apps? WINE needs to import all of them if possible.

nivus wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 18:52

Why not use Linux Libertine fonts?

joshedmonds wrote on the 7 Mar 08 at 00:03

I dual boot, but in the spirit of FOSS I don't want my windows fonts etc to come from my windows install - this just reinforces the dual boot idea. Eventually everyone should be able to get rid of Windows, and finding better long term solutions is the way to go

kripkenstein wrote on the 8 Mar 08 at 11:24

I agree with nivus. Ubuntu should install Red Hat's Liberation fonts and use them. These fonts are size-for-size compatible with Microsoft fonts, so spacing of documents will remain the same. They don't look identical, but they are much closer than current fonts.

That would be better than using Microsoft fonts even when they are available, IMO.

sedra wrote on the 12 Mar 08 at 19:17

agree with ethana2 we paid the MS tax so what's the problem when copying those fonts into ubuntu?

sedra wrote on the 12 Mar 08 at 19:17

agree with ethana2 we paid the MS tax so what's the problem when copying those fonts into ubuntu?

jespdj wrote on the 19 Mar 08 at 21:49

I have Windows and Ubuntu on my computer, and I do not want the Windows fonts on Ubuntu.

This should certainly not be done automatically during installation. Maybe as an optional thing to which I can say yes or no, but not automatically.

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