# FontForge install procedures
for the macintosh

- Installing from a pre-built mac package
  - Before you install
  - Obtaining one of my pre-built packages
  - Installing
  - Notes
- Installing on a unix/linux system
- Installing on MS/Windows
- Installing on VMS
- Building and installing from source
- Dependencies (external libraries/helper programs)
- Installing documentation
- Running FontForge
- Uninstalling

## Installing from a pre-built package

### Before you install

You must insure that you have the the X11 server installed on your system.

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`
  - (I have been told that if you have already installed the developer's tools (XCode or whatever) then part of X11 will be on your system but you still need to instal the X11User package)
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 mac install packages 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.

I currently post builds for Mac 10.5 & 10.4 (I post different builds for the two systems because they provide different python libraries). Neither of these builds will work on 10.3. If you wish a 10.3 or earlier build you must build from source.

- If you follow the link above you will end up on a page showing many releases of FontForge for many systems
  in most cases you will want the most recent release.
- Then click on the executable package you want to download:
  - The mac release will be called something like "FontForge-200xxxxx.pkg.sitx
- Then you have the joy of choosing a mirror site (pick one that's on the same continent you are) and click on the little icon in the download column
- Then you wait. After a bit you get another copy of this same page. After an even longer time your browser notices that you've started a download.

### 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.

- Building and installing from source
- Dependencies (external libraries/helper programs)
- Installing documentation
- Running FontForge