Someone on Mastodon asked, and for fun, I ran it through the Technical Project in ChatGPT. It’s a Project I set up to keep track of all the technical questions I have. With a few modifications, this is the result of how to move fonts from Windows to GNU/Linux. I had no idea how to do this before, but it was fun to learn.

You do not have to start over. You can migrate almost all fonts you’ve collected on Windows to Linux with minimal effort. The key is understanding where the fonts live and how Linux handles them.

What Transfers Cleanly (Most Cases)

Linux supports the same common font formats as Windows:

• TTF (TrueType)
• OTF (OpenType)
• TTC (TrueType Collections)

If your fonts are in these formats, they will work on Linux.

Step 1: Locate Your Windows Fonts

On Windows, fonts are typically in C:\Windows\Fonts. Go to that folder by typing at CMD line:

cd C:\Windows\Fonts

Type dir to see a listing of all files and folders in that directory/folder. Also check any personal collections you may have stored elsewhere (e.g., Documents, Downloads, external drives).

You can safely copy:

• Individual .ttf, .otf, .ttc files
• Entire folders of fonts

No export process is required—fonts are just files.

Step 2: Copy Fonts to Linux

Use one of these methods:

• USB drive
• External SSD/HDD
• Network share
• Dual-boot shared partition

Copy the font files to Linux. Need help on how? Read directions at the end of this document for using robocopy.

Step 3: Install Fonts on Linux

Option A: Install for your user only (recommended)

Create a fonts folder if it doesn’t exist:

mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts

Copy fonts into it, then refresh font cache:

fc-cache -f -v

Fonts become available immediately.

Option B: Install system-wide (all users)

sudo mkdir -p /usr/share/fonts/truetype/custom
sudo cp *.ttf *.otf /usr/share/fonts/truetype/custom/
sudo fc-cache -f -v

Step 4: Verify

List installed fonts:

fc-list | less

Or open:

• LibreOffice
• GIMP
• Inkscape

Your fonts should appear normally.

Important Caveats (Read This)

1. Microsoft Core Fonts

Fonts like:

• Arial
• Times New Roman
• Calibri
• Cambria

These do work, but licensing technically restricts redistribution. For personal use, copying from your own Windows install is common practice.

Alternative (open equivalents):

• Arial → Liberation Sans
• Times → Liberation Serif
• Calibri → Carlito

2. Adobe / Commercial Fonts

If your fonts came from:

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Paid font foundries

They may:

• Require re-activation
• Be license-restricted
• Fail to load if DRM-protected

Check licenses before copying.

3. Windows Registry Is Irrelevant

Linux does not need:

• Registry entries
• Font installers
• .exe files

Only the font files matter.

Practical Recommendation (Cleanest Workflow)

1. Copy all .ttf / .otf fonts from Windows
2. Install them under:~/.local/share/fonts
3. Refresh cache
4. Replace missing proprietary fonts over time with open alternatives

This avoids system clutter and keeps your setup portable.

Bottom line

You can keep nearly your entire font library. Linux does not lock you out or force a reset—fonts are one of the easiest things to migrate.

Copy all Windows system fonts to a USB drive

Assume:

• Windows fonts folder: C:\Windows\Fonts
• USB drive letter: E:

Command

robocopy "C:\Windows\Fonts" "E:\Windows_Fonts_Backup" *.ttf *.otf *.ttc /R:1 /W:1

If you want everything in the Fonts folder (recommended)

robocopy "C:\Windows\Fonts" "E:\Windows_Fonts_Backup" /E /R:1 /W:1

Notes (Important)

• Run as Administrator
  Some fonts are protected and won’t copy otherwise.
• robocopy skips locked files cleanly.
• /E copies all subfolders (safe for Fonts).
• /R:1 /W:1 prevents long hangs on locked files.