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. This process is slightly different on OS/X 10.3 & 10.4

10.4
  • I believe the X server is now part of the default install. It lives in the Utilities sub-folder of the Applications directory.
10.3
  • The X server lives in a package called X11User on the third install CD.

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.