Displaying Asian characters on your system requires installing the appropriate font packages. Without them, you might see blank squares or garbled text when viewing content in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or other Asian languages. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to install Asian fonts on Ubuntu and Debian, ensuring smooth and accurate display.
By default, Asian language support is not installed on Ubuntu/Debian systems. To properly render documents with Asian fonts, support for corresponding languages should be installed.
Update Your Package Lists
Before installing any new software, it’s a good practice to update your system’s package lists to ensure you’re getting the latest versions. Open a terminal and run:
sudo apt update
This updates the list of available packages and their versions.
Install Popular Asian Font Packages
To install Japanese language support, run the following commands:
sudo apt-get install language-pack-ja sudo apt-get install japan*
To install Chinese language support, run the following commands:
sudo apt-get install language-pack-zh* sudo apt-get install chinese*
To install Korean language support, run the following commands:
sudo apt-get install language-pack-ko sudo apt-get install korean*
And finally, you will need to add additional fonts:
sudo apt-get install fonts-arphic-ukai fonts-arphic-uming fonts-ipafont-mincho fonts-ipafont-gothic fonts-unfonts-core
Verify the Installation
Once the fonts are installed, verify that they are working correctly by viewing a document or visiting a website that uses a specific Asian language. The characters should now render properly.
Reboot Your System (If Necessary)
While most applications recognize new fonts immediately, some may require a system reboot to apply changes. If the fonts aren’t displaying as expected, reboot your system:
sudo reboot
or
sudo init 6
Conclusion
Installing Asian fonts on Ubuntu and Debian is an essential step to ensure proper rendering of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Asian languages. By following the steps outlined above, you can enhance your system’s capability to handle diverse languages. Whether you’re a multilingual user or simply need to view documents and websites in different languages, these fonts will provide the clarity and quality you need.
If you encounter any issues or need further customization, feel free to explore additional font packages or reach out for support. Your Ubuntu or Debian system is now ready to handle Asian text seamlessly!