How to Install Microsoft Fonts on Ubuntu Linux

Windows includes Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana by default, but Ubuntu ships with metric-compatible open-source alternatives (Liberation Sans, Liberation Serif) that closely approximate Microsoft’s originals. Opening Microsoft Office documents on Ubuntu without the actual Microsoft fonts reveals formatting shifts, misaligned text, and broken layouts. The ttf-mscorefonts-installer package delivers Microsoft’s core TrueType fonts, ensuring LibreOffice documents, presentations, and web pages display identically whether viewed on Ubuntu or Windows systems.

This guide covers installing Microsoft Fonts through Ubuntu’s default repository, accepting the required End User License Agreement (EULA) during setup, verifying installation through terminal commands and the Font Manager application, and optionally removing the fonts if no longer needed.

Why Ubuntu Doesn’t Include Microsoft Fonts by Default

Ubuntu ships with open-source Liberation and DejaVu font families that provide metric-compatible alternatives to Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New. However, these substitutes don’t match Microsoft’s original fonts pixel-for-pixel, which causes formatting shifts when opening Windows-created documents. Microsoft’s core fonts require EULA acceptance and cannot be redistributed freely under open-source licenses, so Ubuntu provides the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package as a legal download mechanism that fetches fonts directly from Microsoft-approved SourceForge mirrors during installation.

Microsoft Font	Ubuntu Default	Metric Compatible?
Arial	Liberation Sans	Yes
Times New Roman	Liberation Serif	Yes
Courier New	Liberation Mono	Yes
Georgia	DejaVu Serif	Partial
Verdana	DejaVu Sans	Partial

Metric compatibility means Liberation fonts match the spacing and line heights of Microsoft fonts, reducing layout shifts. However, subtle differences in character shapes and kerning can still affect document appearance, especially with Georgia and Verdana where compatibility is only partial.

Update System Before Installation

Before installing the Microsoft Fonts package, open the Terminal (press Ctrl+Alt+T, similar to launching Command Prompt on Windows) and use the Advanced Package Tool (APT), Ubuntu’s package manager that fills the same role as Windows Update, to refresh package metadata:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Microsoft Fonts Package

After updating your system, keep the same Terminal window open and install the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package from Ubuntu’s default repository:

sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

The installation requires an active internet connection since the installer downloads fonts directly from SourceForge mirrors during setup.

The package includes the following Microsoft core fonts:

• Andale Mono
• Arial (including Arial Black and Bold variants)
• Comic Sans MS
• Courier New
• Georgia
• Impact
• Times New Roman
• Trebuchet MS
• Verdana
• Webdings

During installation, you’ll encounter prompts to read and accept Microsoft’s End User License Agreement (EULA). The first prompt displays the license terms for review.

Press the <TAB> key, select <Ok>, and press the <ENTER> key to proceed.

Next, accept the license terms to continue. You must accept the EULA to install and use the Microsoft Fonts package. If you decline, the installation will halt.

Press the <TAB> key, select <Ok>, and press the <ENTER> key to proceed.

Once the installation completes, your terminal displays confirmation output.

This message confirms the fonts are ready for use in any program supporting TrueType fonts. If applications don’t immediately recognize the new fonts, rebuild the font cache:

sudo fc-cache -fv

The font cache refresh typically completes in seconds and ensures all applications detect the newly installed Microsoft fonts without restarting.

Common Use Cases for Microsoft Fonts

Installing Microsoft fonts solves practical cross-platform compatibility challenges in several scenarios:

LibreOffice document sharing: Documents created in LibreOffice Writer using Arial or Times New Roman maintain identical formatting when opened in Microsoft Word on Windows. Headers, footers, page breaks, and table layouts remain pixel-perfect across platforms, eliminating the need to adjust formatting after file transfer.

Web development and testing: CSS declarations like font-family: Arial, sans-serif; render accurately during local development and browser testing. Designers can preview websites exactly as Windows users see them, ensuring consistent typography across operating systems without requiring separate Windows testing environments.

Professional document submissions: Resumes, CVs, and business proposals created with standard Microsoft fonts display correctly when reviewed by HR departments and hiring managers using Windows. Page counts, line breaks, and section spacing remain stable, preventing formatting surprises during document review.

Print shop and PDF workflows: Documents exported to PDF with embedded Microsoft fonts guarantee consistent output whether printed from Ubuntu or Windows systems. Professional printing services receive files with industry-standard fonts already embedded, reducing prepress issues and revision requests.

Business presentations: PowerPoint files with corporate templates using Calibri, Arial, or Verdana open correctly in LibreOffice Impress without font substitution warnings. Slide layouts, text boxes, and bullet points maintain intended positioning when presenting or editing files received from Windows colleagues.

Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

If the installation fails or encounters problems, try these solutions:

SourceForge download failures: The installer downloads fonts from SourceForge mirrors during setup. If downloads fail due to network issues or mirror unavailability, wait a few minutes and retry the installation. The package uses standard download tools to fetch files automatically, so verify your internet connection works properly.

EULA navigation problems: If the terminal becomes unresponsive during EULA prompts, press <TAB> to highlight the <Ok> button, then press <ENTER>. If the terminal remains frozen, press <CTRL+C> to cancel, then restart the installation.

Interrupted installation: If the installation stops mid-process, reconfigure the package to restart the download and installation:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Fonts not appearing in applications: Some applications cache font lists and may not immediately detect new fonts. Close and reopen the application, or rebuild the system font cache with sudo fc-cache -fv as shown above.

Verify Fonts in Font Manager Application

Verify the installation through the terminal by listing installed Microsoft fonts with grep:

fc-list | grep -iE "arial|times|verdana|georgia|trebuchet"

The command outputs paths to the installed font files:

/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Arial_Bold.ttf: Arial:style=Bold
/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Arial.ttf: Arial:style=Regular
/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Times_New_Roman.ttf: Times New Roman:style=Regular
/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Verdana.ttf: Verdana:style=Regular
/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Georgia.ttf: Georgia:style=Regular
/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/trebuc.ttf: Trebuchet MS:style=Regular

Additionally, verify the installation through the Fonts application:

Open the Fonts application from Activities > Show Applications > Fonts.

The Fonts application displays all system-installed fonts, including the newly added Microsoft fonts like Arial and Times New Roman.

Test Microsoft Fonts in LibreOffice Writer

Confirm the fonts work correctly in LibreOffice Writer by following these steps:

1. Open LibreOffice Writer from the application menu or run libreoffice --writer in the terminal
2. Type sample text such as “Testing Microsoft Fonts on Ubuntu”
3. Select the text with your mouse
4. Click the font dropdown menu in the toolbar (default shows “Liberation Sans”)
5. Scroll through the font list and select “Arial” or “Times New Roman”
6. Verify the font applies to your selected text and appears in the font dropdown

If Microsoft fonts appear in the dropdown and apply correctly to text, the installation succeeded. Documents created with these fonts will now maintain formatting when shared with Windows users.

Remove Microsoft Fonts (Optional)

If you no longer need the Microsoft fonts, remove them with the following command:

sudo apt autoremove ttf-mscorefonts-installer --purge

This removes the ttf-mscorefonts-installer package and all installed Microsoft fonts from your system.

Conclusion

The ttf-mscorefonts-installer package delivers essential Microsoft fonts through Ubuntu’s default repository, ensuring cross-platform document compatibility without formatting breaks. Your system now handles LibreOffice documents, Windows-created content, and web pages seamlessly across different operating systems and applications.