Ubuntu Installation :: Msttcorefonts Errant License Response

Over the last week or so I ran into a problem that was caused by a mix of justifiable frustration with an Ubuntu distribution upgrade in combination with, well let's just be blunt about it: a dimly lit candle upstairs. Ubuntu decided that it was going to download 50 megabytes of font packages whether I wanted it to or not, so, when I came back to find the license requester waiting for my response, I thought it was referring to those fonts that I told it not to download, but which it downloaded anyway (steam, steam, steam!), so I rejected the license. Instead, it was referring to the MScoreFonts package (which I DID want). Upon discovering what I had done, I found out that, using the Software Center, I could download those packages all I wanted to and they would NEVER install properly because I would never again get re-presented with the option of accepting the license. Instead, I am simply reminded over and over again that I have rejected the license. Apparently, Software Center is a tad unforgiving of stupid mistakes.

The answer, my friends, is not blowing in the wind, but is contained in a readme file that gets left where the fonts would have been installed. To save you a little bit of time, here is what you need to do to get those fonts installed: Open a terminal and enter the following quoted command (without the quotes, of course): "sudo apt-get install --reinstall ttf-mscorefonts-installer" This will present you with a text-based requester to use the arrow keys to highlight the "<ok>" at the bottom and hit return, thus accepting the license. From this point the install should go smoothly. Regarding the frustration mentioned above: I am not Japanese; I don't know any Japanese; and no Japanese is going to be using my systems, so, no, I do NOT need that 50 megabyte Japanese font.