How can I install fonts on built-in Collabora CODE server?

I cannot believe how much time I have wasted looking for a solution online and that there is not a simple solution. It should have been as simple as a place in admin config that lets you do a simple upload of any font file you want. And then it just works. Why is this not a thing? Fonts are almost the most important issue when dealing with documents. How has this not been implemented yet.

All we have is this area

with some cryptic message about some json file somewhere .

No. That is not acceptable. It needs to be a simple upload and then it just works.

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Therefor you must understand, how Nextcloud Office works. The Office Work is done on a Collabora Online sever. You can:

  • Use your own server

Nextcloud Office requires a separate server running Collabora Online to provide editing capabilities. Collabora Online requires a separate server acting as a WOPI-like Client to provide editing capabilities.

  • Use the built-in CODE - Collabora Online Development Edition

Easy to install, for home use or small groups. A bit slower than a standalone server and without the advanced scalability features.

  • Use a demo server

You can use a demo server provided by Collabora and other service providers for giving Collabora Online a try.

If you are making use of the pre built CODE Server, then you must understand what this means:

… A bit slower than a standalone server and without the advanced scalability features.

This is due to the fact that this CODE server is delivered as a squashfs AppImage. This makes it possible to use the Collabora Online Server as an individual.
However, since squashfs is an explicit read-only file system, no changes can be made to the file /etc/coolwsd/coolwsd.xml like when you have the full Collabora Online Server.

If you want to take a look inside of the CODE Server, then download the AppImage (location: apps/richdocumentscode/collabora/Collabora_Online.AppImage) e.g. on your windows PC and open it with 7z. There you can see how the server looks inside. There you will find the file /etc/coolwsd/coolwsd.xml with all the adjusting screws that are needed to get the bottom one out of the pot. Since - as with personal fonts - these are different for everyone, in a community solution like this you cannot simply demand that the URL be entered personally for each user.

However, you are welcome to build your own CODE server and make these changes in it. However, this requires a little more work, but still not much compared to the work that thousands upon thousands of volunteers and motivated developers have put into the project that you are so harshly criticizing.

Much luck,
ernolf

Regardless of what I said before - I hadn’t even tried it with the fonts myself - I have to correct myself:

It works out of the box for the builtin CODE Server. Simply upload the font and the uploaded fonts can be immediately selected in the writer without any further work. Everything done by the richdocumentscode App.

You can safely overlook the hint:

because it is only important if you have your own CODE server running.

Much luck,
ernolf

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First, no, I am the user and do not need to understand anything. It simply needs to work.
Second, built in CODE server should be by default installed, enabled and turned on and working with zero mishmash on the admin’s behalf.
Advanced admins can chose to install their own server if they wish and muck about with whatever.
Third, the build in CODE server should have no issue adding fonts via the admin web interface.

That’s a great attitude :sunglasses:

… what it actually does.

Do you want to get the information with Neurolink or thought transfer?

But as you wrote yourself, you don’t want to have to understand anything, then I wish you…

good and much luck!
ernolf

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I strongly disagree. Not only do many users run Nextcloud on HW or in VMs with limited resources or web hosting providers that are not capable of running the document server, there are also users who simply don’t need the Office functionality.

So does it have issues with adding new fonts? Sorry, but that’s not entirely clear from your posts.

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The JSON message is if you’re not using the built-in CODE server (the built-in CODE server already knows to use this URL to load the fonts).

To add a new font all you do is exactly what you said/requested: click the Upload extra font file button.

Ignoring the “obvious” SysAdmin that has ranted through this post…

I am an actual qualified and experienced SysAdmin and I can’t get any of the fonts I upload to appear in Nextcloud Office using the built-in CODE server.

Same here. I’m uploading fonts through Office-Admin-Panel, where they are shown correctly in the list, but not in the richdocumentscode App. I’m running Nextcloud Hub 8 (29.0.7) snap on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with the builtin CODE server enabled…