Fontconfig

2.12+

Creating fontconfig config file

mkdir -p ~/.config/fontconfig
nano ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf

fonts.conf

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
    <match target="font">
        <edit name="hintstyle" mode="assign">
            <const>hintfull</const>
        </edit>
        <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
            <const>rgb</const>
        </edit>
    </match>
</fontconfig>

Setting interpreter

echo 'export FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="truetype:interpreter-version=35"' >> .profile

or globally

echo 'export FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="truetype:interpreter-version=35"' > /etc/X11/Xsession.d/99freetype

Fixing gnome-terminal (and other programs, that are started as services, e.g. thunar) font rendering

Since gnome-terminal is spawned via systemd --user, it ignores some env variables.

Run this at the start of the graphical session as a fix:

dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd FREETYPE_PROPERTIES

On Debian this can be done in desktop environment agnostic way by placing this command in .xsessionrc file.

Enable Terminus font

This is relevant for pango 1.44+

$ cat /etc/fonts/conf.d/52-enable-terminus.conf

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
  <selectfont>
    <acceptfont>
      <pattern>
        <patelt name="family"><string>terminus</string></patelt>
      </pattern>
    </acceptfont>
  </selectfont>
</fontconfig>