July 7th, 2010 byLadies and Gentlemen,
Today we are kicking off the Ubuntu Font BETA testing. This is a happy day!
Today all Ubuntu Members will have access to a private PPA so that they can use, test and enjoy the font.
The first four variants of the font family are scheduled for completion 8 August 2010 and this is when we aim to do a phased beta to anyone who is interested, and then to release the font to everyone.
For some background and to remind yourself about the project here are Bruno Maag’s UDS sessions on video:
- Plenary session (34:45 into the video)
- Slides from Presentation: Font Development
- Follow-up session on the font: UDS Session
How do I get it?
I want to tell you but I also want you to read the rest of the announcement so I am going to put that information at the end. I am sorry, I have kept it as short as possible, I promise!
What do I get?
For now, only the regular is available for testing, bold comes next. We will announce as more becomes available so you can make sure you have latest.
The Ubuntu font (family) is open-type ttf based font format and fully unicode compliant. It contains Latin A and B extended character sets, Greek Polytonic and Cyrillic extended. The font has been hinted for superior screen display. Its spacing and kerning is optimised for body copy sizes.
How do I give feedback?
We’ve created a font testing tool at fonttest.design.canonical.com. It has some example text and the ability for you to paste in your own text, so if you find a problem you can highlight the exact use of the font and submit your feedback right from the form. It’s connected to Launchpad so you can log in with your existing credentials.
At this stage we would like to encourage you to test the font on screen and print, on different platforms and in different applications.
Please ensure that all feedback contains details of:
- medium (paper or screen)
- platform (operating system including version number)
- application (including version number)
- a description of the problem
- and a screenshot where appropriate
- when printing please include make of printer and driver including version.
The tool at fonttest.design.canonical.com should help a bit so please feel free to go and give it a go. (Bugs can be reported against the tool at: https://launchpad.net/lp-bug-form.)
What will happen with the feedback?
Feedback will be accumulated for analysis and responded to fortnightly. We anticipate high volume feedback so the primary method for response will be the updated font and a list of changes and known issues.
When does everyone get it?
The font is currently in development and is scheduled to be shipped in Ubuntu 10.10. It will be free for everyone to use and share. For now, the exact details of the license are not confirmed.
Do I need to know anything else?
Please note that the stylistic direction has been set.
This is how you get it
Sometime today if you’re an Ubuntu member you’ll get an email inviting you to the private PPA with instructions:
-
This email will include a link to the private PPA page on Launchpad with the proper sources.list: http://launchpad.net/people/+me/+archivesubscriptions Please note that add-apt-repository will NOT WORK; you need to add the sources.list information that is available in the link aboveIt takes Launchpad a moment or two to generate your little private PPA, so please be patient as it generates a Packages.gz file.The following command adds the PPA’s GPG key to your keyring: sudo apt-key adv ––keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com ––recv-keys 42F834ECPlease just don’t just install the .deb, make sure the Private PPA is working for you so you can get font updates.
Using the font.
The font is named “UbuntuBeta” and the package name is ubuntu-private-nda-fonts.See here if you want to know how to change fonts.
Updated instructions – December 2010
- Ubuntu 10.10 and above ship with the
ttf-ubuntu-font-familypackage already installed (for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS you will need to installttf-ubuntu-font-familyand select it manually. - For using on web sites visit “Ubuntu – Use this font” at the Google Font Directory
- For source code and everything else, visit and link to font.ubuntu.com.
And finally
This font is the result of a lot of great work by a lot of talented people. Together we can make it outstanding. We hope very much that you will enjoy using it and look forward to your participation in this final sprint to the finish.
The toolkit
84 Responseshide comments
Btw, that font is not probably the latest version of it, so don’t send feedback to canonical unless you have the official one.
I am a ubuntu member and never got an invite.
So, where or how is this font availbale? Can I just have a link without all of the tech babble and project-speek? No?
MmmmOK…
*surfs on*
You think putting something at the end of an article will make people read the entire thing to get to it? I don’t think you understand how reading works, lady.
I gave up using Ubuntu (or any other Linux for that matter) on my desktops. A new font is not gonna change that. The fact that the designer needed to use Windows to get the job done kinda proves me right.
I third the need for the addition of Hebrew glyphs.
Right now Ubuntu ships with no fonts that display Hebrew text well, and all Israeli Ubuntu users need to install Microsoft fonts (Tahoma usually) to use the system. We’re a little nation but we are a tech leader, it is not a market that Canonical can afford to lose.
Greek and Cyrillic will be in the 10.10 release and Hebrew will come along a little later.
@Mike that’s odd. If you are an Ubuntu Member you should have got an email from Launchpad.
Will this help my Ubuntu computer run more reliably?
Nice looking font, and I appreciate the effort for the multi-language support.
Anyway, far from being an ‘integralist’, it tastes a little bitter to me having to use Microsoft VisualTrueType to create Ubuntu fonts…
Great!
I think it’s great that canonical have created a new font. I don’t really have an issue with it being a closed beta however once again the design teams lack of communication with the community is the most disappointing aspect.
This should be a good thing. It should generate a huge buzz that canonical / ubuntu can use to build the excitement around the next release.
This should have said something like
“Today we are kicking off the Ubuntu Font private BETA testing for all Ubuntu Members. This is a happy day!
The font is scheduled for completion 8th August and this is when we aim to open the beta to everyone.
At the moment we are unsure of the exact license however it will be distributed under a license appropriate for a free software project. ”
It’s only a slight change in wording but it
a) Gives people incentive to become an ubuntu member
b) Assures the rest of the community that the they will get a chance to preview the font and report issues with applications / use cases.
c) Assures everyone that the font is not proprietary.
(if it _is_ proprietary then really whats the point in making another font ?)
We appreciate the effort the design team is going to in order to be a part of the community. I think a few small steps is all that’s needed in order for them to better engage in the community.
Kerning in Cyrillic is terrible, glyphs looks great – I like it. If I do not Ubuntu member how can I help?
Is this used for the new Ubuntu title as well, the one which had only letters U B N T complete for 10.04 ?
There’s a leaked one all over the internet. I downloaded it and it’s on my dropbox.
great fonts for better design！
This is bad PR.
Using windows to develop a Free font?
Come on …
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-wallpapers/+bug/357218
Macs to make the wallpapers, Windows to make the fonts. Does anyone at canonical use linux? That certainly explains the quality of ubuntu releases
Esperandola con muchas ganas.
Muy buen trabajo
Solo falta 1 dia!!
How I can download this fonts?
Have I missed something? Have I been redirected @microsoft.com? Hidden PPAs for a secret “community” of “ubuntu members”? Downloading stolen fonts from pirate servers? I though we’d left this behind when joining the GNU/Linux route…
Do you need help with designing Hebrew glyphs to this font?
Hello Canoncial,
I use Ubuntu 10.o4 and when Ubuntu 10.10 will arrive, I’ll replace it. But I would like to tell anything…
I’m member of Launchpad, in spite of I being not able to enter in Ubuntu’s URl that you shared with us, I didn’t desisted, I could enter in the UBuntu private topics because I became Ubuntu member. I got the fonts and I got impressed when I saw with my pure vision the Ubuntu fonts. I was bewitched by these fonts. Ubuntu fonts are very similiar to Aller fonts. But Ubuntu fonts are better than Aller fonts, are elegant, beautiful and charming.
I encourage you to create the font “Ubuntu Unicase”, if you don’t know what unicase is, search for Perla Unicase, Filosofia Unicase, Fono Unicase, Hermes Unicase, Pharmacy, Kerning Unicase, Mean 26, BradbySans Light, Bradbury Unicase, etc. and clear that you’ll see and what will “Neo Sans unicase” font be.
I counsel you to create the Ubuntu unicase fonts for which we don’t use expensive and paid unicase fonts and forget of using Neo Sans and Neo SansUnicase fonts which are officially used by Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games
I’m type design and graphic design student. I’m good in creating the unicase fonts. I know the unicase’s secrets.
I tested Ubuntu on my new notebook and I got amazed with Ubuntu’s desktop. Didn’t you know orange is my favourite colour, althought blue, green, white and other official colours of Vancouver 2010 and Rio 2016 be my favourite colours? Now I don’t know if Ubunut’s colour is purple or violet, but it’s my new another colour! It’s a beautiful, elegant and gallant!
Of course that I like your blog, your blog pleases me enought with these elegant colours!
Continue working and bettering the Ubuntu Linux! Don’t desist of developping this OS!
Gustavo Reis
From Brazil
New Ubuntu font is really looking good, great job.
It’s possible reduce the width of letters (you can see liberation fonts from fedora)
It’s importan to “maximize” (more text on same horizontal space) nautilus, text editors, ide’s (eclipse)
The lower case ‘g’ doesn’t underline well.
Otherwise, looks fantastic.
Probabilitatea sa intalnesti pe cineva cunoscut creste atunci cand esti cu cineva cu care nu trebuie sa fii vazut.
Watch out, theres a big error in your blog.
Why couldn’t you just download it and install it like a normal person font?
Ubuntu. Making the obscure obtuse.
font.ubuntu.com
I liked how you presented this post in an organized manner. Now, it’s easy for me to try the directions and to actually make it work. Thanks so much!
Hi there, simply become aware of your weblog via Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I will be grateful in the event you proceed this in future. Numerous folks might be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
There are certainly a lot of small bits of info like that to take into consideration. That is a great point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are issues like the one you bring up where the most important thing will be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around things like that, but I am sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both boys and girls feel the impact of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.