FontForge install procedures
for the macintosh

Installing from a pre-built package

Before you install

You must insure that you have the the X11 server installed on your system. Check and see if there is an application called X11 in the Utilities sub-folder of the Applications folder. If it is not present you must

10.4
  • Open the Install DVD that came with your system.
  • Scroll down to "Optional Installs" and open it.
  • Keep clicking Continue until you get to the pane "Custom Install on "Macintosh HD""
  • Press the arrow beside "Applications so you get a list of them.
  • Select X11
  • Keep pressing Continue
10.3
  • The X server lives in a package called X11User.pkg in the Packages folder on the third install CD.
  • Just double click on this file and follow its instructions to install X11

You may also want to install the fink package which includes many useful libraries (see the dependencies section below for more info on this)

Obtaining one of my pre-built packages

I post a mac install package on sourceforge's file release system. There's a certain amount of pother involved in using the file release system, but you get the file eventually.

Installing

Generally your browser will decompress the package after pulling it down, and then start the install process itself.

If this doesn't happen, find the package (it's usually on the desktop) and double-click on it.

The install will request your password (to make sure you have the right to do an install on your machine, and then ask some innocuous questions, and proceed to install.

Notes

FontForge does not conform to Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. FontForge never will. Don't expect it to look like a normal Mac Application. It doesn't.

Before you can start FontForge you must start the X11 server. You do this by opening the Utilities sub-folder of the Applications folder and double-clicking on X11. This will bring up a new menu bar, and under the Applications menu you should find an entry for FontForge.