Install the old version of the Ubuntu font

Question

The Ubuntu font was redesigned to be thinner and, to my eyes, it is harder to read than the old one (yet the bold version looks extra chunky now?). This new thinner version is was introduced in Ubuntu 23.04.

I thought I might just download the older font and install it with ttf files, but can't since the new ones are installed. Removing the fonts-ubuntu package tries to take desktop package with it, so I couldn't do that.

How do I remove that font and replace it with the old version? Or have them side by side, that'd be just fine too as long as I could distinguish between the two. Yes, I could just change to another font, but I liked the old one!

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 25 '23 at 15:26

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You can download the old fonts-ubuntu package, for instance from here:

https://packages.ubuntu.com/jammy/all/fonts-ubuntu/download

Then downgrade by simply installing that package locally.

cd to the directory in which the downloaded package resides.

Do:

sudo dpkg -i fonts-ubuntu_0.83-6ubuntu1_all.deb

answered Apr 25 '23 at 15:26

Gunnar Hjalmarsson

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That worked, but if I update apt tries to install the new version over it each time. – Fern Moss Apr 25 '23 at 15:36
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@FernMoss: Check out this question. – Gunnar Hjalmarsson Apr 25 '23 at 16:56
Tell me if I should ask a new question or just comment ? I'd like to change the interface/gnome-shell font, from Ubuntu to Ubuntu Condensed in 23.04 but seems like gnome-tweaks only applies to gnome-shell, not other parts of the interface nor app's. – Coeur Noir May 17 '23 at 00:22
@CoeurNoir: Please ask a new question about how to do that system wide. – Gunnar Hjalmarsson May 17 '23 at 14:07
@GunnarHjalmarsson wise → https://askubuntu.com/questions/1468338/23-04-how-change-font-in-interface-gnome-shell-window-title-bar – Coeur Noir May 17 '23 at 21:40

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 26 '23 at 22:05

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Check this article https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2023/04/restore-old-fonts-ubuntu-2304/ (I am not the author of it).

And hold for packages:

$ sudo apt-mark hold fonts-ubuntu fonts-ubuntu-console

So you can skip Synaptic GUI part.

answered Apr 26 '23 at 22:05

ipeacocks

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Ubuntu 23.10 provides the package fonts-ubuntu-classic for the old fonts, so there is no longer a need for workarounds. Source: The article linked above. – user103227 Nov 06 '23 at 09:59
The fonts-ubuntu-classic package is indeed available in 23.10, making the replacement easy. The downside is that it totally replaces the new fonts (and removes the default fonts-ubuntu package), so you can't mix and match or compare the two. – Fern Moss Feb 04 '24 at 17:11

Install the old version of the Ubuntu font

2 Answers2