Most Linux distributions, including Manjaro Linux, employ open-source alternatives to Microsoft’s renowned typefaces, such as Arial, Courier New, and Times. These distributions typically utilize the Red Hat Liberation font family, which provides visually similar but differently-sized replacements. However, you may need authentic Microsoft fonts for professional tasks or document compatibility in certain situations. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing Microsoft TrueType Core Fonts on Manjaro Linux using the command line terminal and the Arch Linux User Repository (AUR).
Step 1: Update Manjaro
First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date. This will ensure no conflicts arise as best as possible during the installation.
sudo pacman -SyuSometimes, you may need a complete database download if you have not upgraded your Arch Linux system for a while; use the following command if the above update command does not work.
sudo pacman -SyyuStep 2: Install Microsoft Fonts on Manjaro
The following method will use the default installed Manjaro package manager and enable the AUR for users who have not yet enabled it.
First, by default, AUR is disabled. You will first need to enable it, which you can do with the following command.
sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^#//' /etc/pamac.confNext, run the install command; you can use install or build, given it’s only available from the AUR, but I would stress using the build command for best practice.
pamac build ttf-ms-fontsIf successful, you should see a similar output at the end of your terminal.
Additional Commands & Tips
How to Update Microsoft Fonts
The best way to check for updates and upgrade fonts is to use the following command.
sudo pamac checkupdates -asudo pamac upgrade -aPlease note these fonts do not often require updating, as few new fonts have come out. You will be lucky to see one update a year. This is ok, as it is not a security issue or performance requirement, given it’s just fonts!
How to Remove (Uninstall) Microsoft Fonts
When you no longer want the fonts installed on your system, use the following command to remove them.
pamac remove ttf-ms-fontsLastly, for users that enabled pamac and then had second thoughts about using it and instead wanted to use something else, you can easily disable it using the following command.
sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^/#/' /etc/pamac.confConclusion
The small tutorial taught you how to quickly and easily install Microsoft Fonts on Manjaro Linux with AUR using the command line terminal. This method should work for all future versions of Manjaro, given you are constantly building through the AUR when you check for updates, but as I said previously, an update only occurs when new fonts are available from Microsoft that cannot be easily installed by other means which is going to be pretty rare.