How to Install Nerd Fonts on Manjaro Linux

The technical landscape is vast and continuously evolving, providing endless opportunities to expand our toolset and improve our productivity. Among these vast resources, the spotlight today falls on Nerd Fonts, a collection of over 50 patched fonts specifically tailored to suit the needs of developers and tech enthusiasts.

These fonts have distinct features that set them apart from regular fonts:

  • Wide Range of Selection: Nerd Fonts offer a multitude of font families, giving you the flexibility to choose based on your preference and coding needs.
  • Glyph Support: Each Nerd Font includes a comprehensive range of glyphs, icons, and symbols. These augment your code readability and provide you with quick visual cues.
  • Multi-OS Compatibility: Nerd Fonts are designed to be cross-platform compatible, supporting various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.

One of the popular distributions of Linux, Manjaro, has gained much admiration from the tech community for its user-friendly approach yet robust, customizable nature. However, Nerd Fonts are not available out of the box in Manjaro Linux, necessitating a manual installation.

By following this guide, you’ll be able to comfortably navigate the process of installing Nerd Fonts on Manjaro Linux. This expertise in handling Nerd Fonts installation will enhance your Manjaro Linux experience and equip you with a new tool that can benefit your coding and technical tasks.

Section 1: Install NerdFonts via AUR

Step 1: Update Your Manjaro System

Before diving into the installation of NerdFonts, it’s essential to make sure your Manjaro system is current. An updated system minimizes the chance of running into any compatibility issues, particularly when utilizing the Arch Linux User Repository (AUR).

Let’s refresh the package database and upgrade all packages by executing the command below in your terminal:

sudo pacman -Syu

Please be patient; this process can take some time, depending on how many updates are required. If the Linux Kernel gets updated during this process, rebooting your system is wise, ensuring stability as you move forward.

Step 2: Configuring AUR for NerdFonts Installation

The Arch User Repository (AUR) is an invaluable resource managed by the community, hosting a plethora of packages not found in the official repositories. To make use of AUR for installing NerdFonts, we need to ensure it is enabled.

Verifying AUR Status on Your System

Let’s check if AUR is already active on your system. Run this command:

cat /etc/pamac.conf | grep EnableAUR

This command examines the pamac.conf file for the EnableAUR entry. If AUR is enabled, the output will present the EnableAUR entry without the # character at the start of the line.

Activating AUR on Your Manjaro System

If AUR is not enabled, you can enable it by running this command:

sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^#//' /etc/pamac.conf

This sed command seeks the EnableAUR entry in the pamac.conf file and eliminates the # character at the beginning, activating AUR.

Step 3: Installing NerdFonts on Manjaro

Now that you have AUR enabled, you’re all set to install NerdFonts on your Manjaro system. NerdFonts is an amazing collection of fonts and icons specifically tailored for developers and tech enthusiasts.

To install NerdFonts, input the following command in the terminal:

pamac install nerd-fonts-complete

This command takes care of downloading and installing NerdFonts, managing all the necessary dependencies and configurations in the background.

Section 2: Confirming NerdFonts Installation

Installing GNOME Font Viewer

Post-installation, you should be able to access an extensive collection of NerdFonts such as nerd-fonts-cascadia-code, nerd-fonts-fantasque-sans-mono, nerd-fonts-fira-code, nerd-fonts-hack, nerd-fonts-iosevka, nerd-fonts-jetbrains-mono, nerd-fonts-overpass, nerd-fonts-roboto-mono, nerd-fonts-source-code-pro, nerd-fonts-terminus, nerd-fonts-ubuntu-mono, otf-nerd-fonts, ttf-font-nerd, ttf-iosevka-nerd, ttf-nerd-font, ttf-nerd-fonts, ttf-nerd-fonts-symbols, ttf-nerd-fonts-symbols-mono, and more.

To verify this, we’ll need to install the GNOME FontViewer application. Here’s how you can do this:

sudo pamac install gnome-font-viewer

Note: This application isn’t restricted to the GNOME desktop environment. It can also be installed on other desktop environments. For instance, this guide has been drafted using a Manjaro XFCE installation.

Opening FontViewer to Verify Nerd Fonts

Access the FontViewer by navigating to Taskbar > Accessories > Fonts. Once open, utilize the search bar to type “nerd font”. You should be presented with a comprehensive list of installed NerdFonts.

Example with Font Application and Manjaro Linux showing Nerd Fonts:

Verifying NerdFonts via the Appearance Tab

If you’d rather not install an additional application, there’s an alternate method to check for NerdFonts. Navigate to the Appearance tab and search for NerdFonts. This should work the same way, listing all installed NerdFonts.

Section 3: Managing NerdFonts on Manjaro Linux

This section will discuss how to manage NerdFonts on your Manjaro Linux system. Specifically, we will focus on the process of uninstallation.

Uninstalling NerdFonts

There might come a time when you decide that you no longer need NerdFonts on your system. In such cases, knowing how to uninstall them is essential. This ensures that you keep your system clean and free from unnecessary clutter.

Uninstalling NerdFonts is a straightforward process. You need to execute a simple command in the terminal that tells the package manager to remove NerdFonts from your system.

Here’s the command you need to enter:

pamac remove nerd-fonts-complete

This command communicates with pamac, which is the package manager in Manjaro Linux. It tells pamac to remove the nerd-fonts-complete package.

When you execute this command, pamac will look for the nerd-fonts-complete package on your system, and then proceed to uninstall it. It’s a clean and efficient way to handle the removal of software packages that you don’t need anymore.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this article, we have embarked on a methodical process of installing and managing NerdFonts on a Manjaro Linux system. We began by comprehending the significance of NerdFonts and the vast array of options they provide. The steps for installation were concisely articulated, ensuring that even a beginner could follow through with minimal hassle. Next, we explored how to verify the installation to confirm that NerdFonts are ready for use. Finally, for the sake of system hygiene and resource management, we delved into how to uninstall NerdFonts when they are no longer required.

It is recommended that users acquaint themselves with the various NerdFonts and their features to make the most out of them. Additionally, it’s prudent to periodically check for updates or new releases to stay current with the latest offerings. NerdFonts are an invaluable resource for developers, designers, and anyone who values a rich and customizable typography experience.

Additional Useful Links

To deepen your understanding and broaden your knowledge about NerdFonts, here are some official resources you might find invaluable:

  • NerdFonts on AUR: The official Arch User Repository page for NerdFonts. This page contains the meta package for NerdFonts, and is useful for those looking to install them on Arch-based systems like Manjaro Linux.
  • NerdFonts Official Website: The official NerdFonts website is a treasure trove of information. Here you can find all available NerdFonts and learn about their features.
  • NerdFonts Features: An in-depth look at the features that NerdFonts offer. This is helpful for understanding what sets NerdFonts apart from other font options.
  • NerdFonts Cheat Sheet: A handy cheat sheet that presents all the glyphs and icons available in NerdFonts. This is essential for designers and developers who want to use the special characters that NerdFonts provide.
  • NerdFonts Releases: Stay updated with the latest releases of NerdFonts. This page chronicles the newest additions and updates to the NerdFonts library.

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