Brew: Support Cask for Fonts

[iandol]

A detailed description of the proposed feature

Brew cask is dedicated to macOS binary images so it makes sense to not allow it to work from the main cask formulae. But cask can also install a huge variety of regularly updated fonts:

https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask-fonts

$ brew tap homebrew/cask-fonts                  # you only have to do this once!
$ brew cask install font-inconsolata

Now I suspect, just as has been the case for macOS brew working to integrate linux brew directly, cask will need to know if it is linux, where to move the fonts etc.

The motivation for the feature

An easy way to standardise font installs across Linux machines.

How the feature would be relevant to at least 90% of Homebrew users

I suspect many Linux brew users have preferences for different types of monospace coding and other fonts, and it is a pain to get and install them.

What alternatives to the feature have been considered

Well I currently just manually install fonts from Github etc. Perhaps there is an amazing tool, but at least apt is limited in font selection and not regularly updated normally.

[sjackman]

Hi, Ian. Linuxbrew/brew is being merged into Homebrew/brew, so we're not accepting new features into Linuxbrew. It's an interesting idea though. If you're able to get it working, you're welcome to submit a PR to Homebrew/brew.

[iMichka]

There is also this alternative to consider: https://dev.to/xtaniguchimasaya/linuxbrew-as-a-font-manager-5af2

[iandol]

Thank you to both, I am unlikely to be able to develop this myself in the short term. I'll close this and have a look at how difficult it would be for getting Homebrew/brew to do this.

[sjackman]

I didn't known about xtaniguchimasaya/fonts, which has 1,158 fonts! That seems a better approach than bringing casks to Linuxbrew just for fonts. brew tap xtaniguchimasaya/fonts and off you go!
See https://github.com/xtaniguchimasaya/homebrew-fonts#readme https://github.com/xtaniguchimasaya/homebrew-fonts/tree/master/Formula

[iMichka]

Maybe we should propose them to join the linuxbrew org and make it an official tap. Looks like a great project.

[sjackman]

Sounds good to me if it's still actively maintained.