How to Install Fonts into Template for pass down to appVMs
I have installed both Microsoft Fonts and Google fonts in my template and in one of my AppVMs. The problem is when I restarted other AppVMs based on that template the fonts do not show up. For other newbies like myself who have not fooled around with fonts yet, let me review how I initially installed these fonts into my AppVM.
Install downloaded fonts manually
- Create a fonts folder using Xfce Terminal:
~/.local/share/fonts
user@debian-12-xfce:~$ cd .local/share
The “cd” command moves you to the “share” folder in the “.local” folder.
user@debian-12-xfce:~/.local/share$ mkdir fonts
The “mkdir” command atually makes the folder/directory “fonts”.
2. Copy your .ttf and .otf files into that folder.
3. Update the font cache:
sudo fc-cache -f -v
This command updates the system to recognize the new fonts or something to that effect.
4. Restart LibreOffice. Or what ever program you were trying to use the fonts in.
Install Microsoft fonts automatically
Run this in a terminal:
sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
Then run:
sudo fc-cache -f -v
I have fond a lot of issues with the ttf-mscorefonts-installer so just be aware of that.
The issue is when I install the fonts this way in a template it does not filter down to the AppVMs based on that template. In the File System there are two other locations for fonts I found. They are:
etc/fonts
usr/share/fonts
usr/share/fontconfig
So my question is where should I install the fonts so they will be persistent?
Why this matters: Many times when you have issues with documents that were created in Microsoft, Google, or Adobe it is caused by not having the actual fonts installed on your system. I have a list of both Microsoft and Google fonts you should install to solve this problem.
If “ttf-mscorefonts” packages will not install here is a list of the fonts with recent links that work to download them for free.
Andale Mono Andale Mono Font : Download Free for Desktop & Webfont
Arial Arial Font - Download Free Font
Arial Black Arial Black font
Comic Sans MS Comic Sans MS Font
Courier New https://www.freefonts.io/download/courier-new/
Georgia https://www.freefonts.io/download/georgia-font/
Impact Impact Font Family - Free Download & Preview | Deefont
Times New Roman Times New Roman Font : Download Free for Desktop & Webfont
Trebuchet MS Trebuchet MS Font Family : Download Free for Desktop & Webfont
Verdana https://www.freefonts.io/download/verdana/
Webdings Webdings - Download Fonts
Calibri https://www.freefonts.io/download/calibri/
Cambria https://www.freefonts.io/download/cambria/
Calibri is being retired and replaced by Aptos in 2026.
Aptos (formally Bierstadt) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=106087
A disciplined, classic look inspired by Swiss mid-century typography. Very clean and balanced.
These are the other fonts they considered that you might want to install. As long as you have the above Microsoft fonts installed you should be fine though.
- Tenorite Tenorite Font Family : Download Free for Desktop & Webfont
Bright, round, and friendly — almost “bubbly.” Great for screens and modern interfaces. - Skeena Releases · microsoft/Skeena-Indigenous-Typeface · GitHub
A humanist sans serif with gentle strokes, slightly warm and approachable. - Grandview grandview font Full Family Free [Download Now]
Industrial and strong, inspired by German road signs. Bold, clear, and direct. - Seaford Seaford Font Family : Download Free for Desktop & Webfont
Comfortable, slightly quirky shapes inspired by armchairs — designed to improve readability.
Google Fonts You Should Install
- Roboto (The default Google Sans)
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto - Open Sans (Widely used in business web docs)
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Open+Sans - Lato (Common in startups/tech docs)
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Lato - Noto Sans & Noto Serif
https://fonts.google.com/noto - Source Sans Pro
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Sans+Pro - Montserrat (Often used for Presentation slides/Headings) Google Fonts - Montserrat
- Garamond - Use for printed proposals or resumes to look sophisticated and high-end. https://fonts.google.com/specimen/EB+Garamond OR https://www.freefonts.io/download/garamond/
- Proxima Nova - The “Startup” font used by modern SaaS and D2C brands. https://freefonts.style/proxima-nova-font/
- Playfair Display - or Fashion and Luxury Beauty. https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playfair+Display
- Futura - used heavily by sports brands and modern furniture companies https://freefonts.style/futura-font/
- Helvetica Used by high-end brands; crisp look for luxury or electronics product pages. Original name Neue Haas Grotesk Helvetica Font Free Download
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