Getting Scribus on Ubuntu/Kubuntu up and running

BIG FAT WARNING: Scribus users on Kubuntu Dapper Drake will experience difficulties while changing values in real number spinboxes. This is a long standing bug which has been reported to both Ubuntu and Scribus bug tracker. As long as there is no real solution, you can use the following easy workaround: launch Scribus in this way: LC_ALL=C scribus

Please refer also to this metabug for other *buntu issues that may diminish its suitability as a good platform for Scribus and DTP

Requirements:
Operating System:	Ubuntu/Kubuntu Linux
Scribus Version:	1.2.* and 1.3.*
DTP skills:	novice
OS skills:	novice

Adding repositories with Scribus related packages

Note that there are packages for Ubuntu/Kubuntu Breezy¹, Dapper and Edgy, Edgy or Feisty² users should simply replace "dapper" by "feisty" or "edgy" in the belowmentioned repositories:

¹ Unsupported.
² When it's released.

• Kubuntu: go to KDE menu/System/Adept (Package Manager)
  Ubuntu: System/Administration/Synaptic (Package Manager)
• Kubuntu: in Adept go to Adept/Manage Repositories
  Ubuntu: in Synaptic go to Settings/Repositories/New
• Kubuntu: Add the following repositories one by one using the Add field and click on Apply:
  Ubuntu: Fill the fields and use the OK button to add the following repositories:

# debian.scribus.net - Primary repository
deb http://debian.scribus.net/debian dapper main restricted
deb-src http://debian.scribus.net/debian dapper main restricted

# debian.tagancha.org - Backup repository
deb http://debian.tagancha.org/debian dapper main restricted
deb-src http://debian.tagancha.org/debian dapper main restricted

Using cryptographic repository signatures

Our repositories are cryptographically signed for added security. Add the gpg-keys for our repositories to avoid having to confirm your installation choice to the package manager each time you update a scribus or scribus-ng package.

root$ gpg --keyserver wwwkeys.eu.pgp.net --recv-keys DA286F326C5F196B
root$ gpg --armor --export DA286F326C5F196B | apt-key add - 

or as a normal user (with an appropriate entry for apt-key in the sudoers file):

user$ gpg --keyserver wwwkeys.eu.pgp.net --recv-keys DA286F326C5F196B
user$ gpg --armor --export DA286F326C5F196B | sudo apt-key add -

Installing Scribus and related packages

Launch Adept (on Kubuntu) or Synaptic (on Ubuntu) and install the following packages:

• scribus – Scribus 1.2.x or
• scribus-ng – Scribus 1.3.x. scribus-ng package can be installed paralelly to the scribus package
• scribus-template – developer and user-contributed additional templates
• scribus-doc – Scribus 1.2.x documentation, which has to be provided as a separate package due to its non-free nature by the Debian Free Software Guidelines
• scribus-ng-doc – Scribus 1.3.x documentation, which has to be provided as a separate package due to its non-free nature by the Debian Free Software Guidelines
• icc-profiles – a collection of common ICC profiles to use with Scribus and other color profile-aware software
• lprof – hardware color profiler that can be used to create color profiles for your hardware to be used with Scribus
• qt3-qtconfig – Ubuntu users are strongly advised to install this package for finetuning the Scribus GUI with their Gnome desktop
• gs-afpl – The AFPL Ghostscript PostScript interpreter, the Ghostscript version recommended by the Scribus team

Optionally, install the following high quality font packages:

• t1-xfree86-nonfree
• ttf-bitstream-vera
• ttf-gentium
• ttf-xfree86-nonfree

Finetuning Scribus

Default GUI font (Ubuntu users only)

• Launch gtconfig: ALT + F2 / enter "qtconfig" / hit Enter
• Go to Fonts tab and choose the font family and size to match your Gnome settings

External tools and additional fonts

• Launch Scribus and go to File/Preferences/External Tools
• PostScript Interperter: enter gs-apfl
• Image Processing Tool: gimp-remote
• Go to Fonts subsection and add/disable/enable additional fonts

Other installation howtos

• Scribus on Debian GNU/Linux
• Scribus on Mac OSX
• Scribus on Windows