Most Linux desktops read fonts from a few standard folders. You can install a font just for yourself or for every user on the machine, then rebuild the font cache so apps pick it up.
Install for your account only
- Unzip the font archive if needed.
- Create the folder ~/.local/share/fonts if it does not already exist.
- Copy the .ttf or .otf files into that folder.
- Run fc-cache -f -v in a terminal to refresh the font cache.
Install system wide
To make a font available to all users, copy the files into /usr/share/fonts or /usr/local/share/fonts using sudo, then run sudo fc-cache -f -v. System wide installs require administrator rights.
Using the desktop font viewer
Many distributions ship a graphical font viewer. Double click a font file, then click Install. This places the font in your user folder automatically, the same as the manual method above.
Confirm the install
Run fc-list | grep -i fontname in a terminal, replacing fontname with part of the family name. If the font appears in the output, it is installed and ready to use.
License terms vary from one font to another. Always review the license included with a specific font before using it, especially for commercial work.