Liberation Fonts Increase Interoperability For Linux Users

hweimer writes "Most problems when opening Word documents under GNU/Linux are due to missing fonts. Therefore, Red Hat published a set of fonts metric-compatible with the Windows core fonts last year. However, there were some concerns regarding the licensing that prevented many other distros to ship them. We finally managed to settle these problems, leading to better document interoperability for all GNU/Linux users."

Comments

Used to be known as...

[rishistar]

..French fonts!

I fixed it for you

[seanonymous]

Most problems with opening Word documents are that they were created with Word.

Re:I fixed it for you

[plover]

No, Word is a cruel developer-led plot to sap the output of the business analysts. By keeping their conflicting requirements tangled up in Word, and by shifting their focus to fonts and colors, it keeps them from ever actually finishing them and so inflicting them upon the hapless developers.

By one estimation*, developers would have almost twice as many annoying requirements if business analysts were to switch to open-source word-smithing tools.

*In his defense, the estimator was both drunk and bitter at the set of requirements he had just been handed.

Re:I fixed it for you

[deniable]

We had Word documents get so screwed up that Word wouldn't open them. The best fix was to open them in OpenOffice and re-save them. It messed up the formatting, but it was better than losing a days work. I keep it around as a repair tool even in an all MS shop.

If you think Word is evil, stay away from Publisher.

Linux Liberation Font?

[Kell Bengal]

Sounds like a open-source typography terrorist organisation.

Re:Linux Liberation Font?

[Chris Mattern]

Correct kerning derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!

Re:Linux Liberation Font?

[HTH NE1]

Sounds like a open-source typography terrorist organisation. No, that's the Liberation Font of Linux. Forkers!

Re:Linux Liberation Font?

[plover]

Long live the Font for the Liberation of Linux! Down with the heretics of the LFL!!

Do I need/want these?

[whoever57]

If I already have corefonts installed, do I need or want these?

Re:Do I need/want these?

[pshuke]

Probably not. The appeal with these fonts, as I understand it, is that they can be distributed along with the rest of the operating system. Corefonts have some slight copyright issues. From the licence:

Reproduction and Distribution. You may reproduce and distribute an unlimited number of copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT; provided that each copy shall be a true and complete copy, including all copyright and trademark notices, and shall be accompanied by a copy of this EULA. Copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT may not be distributed for profit either on a standalone basis or included as part of your own product.

Note in particular the "Copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT may not be distributed for profit either on a standalone basis or included as part of your own product." part.

This is good, but

[dfaulken]

What is really needed to help Linux stand out is a set of F/LOSS-licensed fonts that are of even better quality than the default MS stuff--I mean it's essential to be able to show Times New Roman correctly, but what would make Linux (and other free operating systems) stand out is a selection of superb fonts.

Look to Firefox for an example--people didn't choose it (solely) because it was free; they chose it because it works better (for them). I suspect at least some users could be swayed by better default fonts.

Re:This is good, but

[RiotingPacifist]

Define better.
Also font making doesnt lend it self to collaboration, basically you need 100 font making drones to try their hardest and then you tell 99 of them to go home. Companies don't mind doing this but if you didn't even get paid to make your font, youd be pretty pissed when it hours of your work are ditched in favor of something with a few more curly bits.

Re:This is good, but

[Anonymous Coward]

Gentium. It's released under the Open Font License, which I believe is "free" (by the FSF's definition).

It was also designed with many extended Latin characters, allowing ethnic groups across the world to produce documents typeset in Gentium. (I mean, just look at all these diacritics!)

Say what you want about the organization that produced these (SIL International), but this is a good-looking, high-quality typeface, which fits your criteria perfectly.

You think you're funny

[argent]

Well you are, OK, that was funny.

But it's also serious.

GOD DAMN the Word document structure sucks like something that sucks a lot.

And similar enough to be a good substitute

[Lonewolf666]

Like Arial is rather similar to Helvetica. Some people claim that Microsoft did this to avoid paying royalties, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arial#Criticism.2FSimilar_fonts.
Now this may be true or not, but after they almost copied Helvetica with Arial, turnabout's fair play.