FreeType 2.7 Bringing DirectWrite/ClearType-Like Rendering -- Much Better Looking Fonts On Linux

FreeType 2.7.0 will be shipping with the v40 TrueType instructions interpreter enabled by default. This interpreter is going to "finally brings DirectWrite/ClearType-like rendering to the screen, or 'subpixel hinting' as some FreeType code calls it."

Nikolaus Waxweiler explained, "Here is the core secret to making fonts render like through DirectWrite/ClearType on Windows: There actually is no subpixel hinting going on here. Shock. The code simply ignores *all* horizontal hinting instructions. That's less work than supersampling and gets us almost identical results *and* additionally prevents changes to the advance width of glyphs. This greatly harmonizes the look of older and newer TrueType fonts and incidentally solves glyph spacing problems of less well instructed fonts. Switching to the new mode might take some getting used to though, so if you think your fonts are suddenly fat, fuzzy or weird, give your brain some time to adjust."

Long story short, FreeType 2.7.0 when released will provide for much better looking fonts on the Linux desktop! Fonts should now be more representative to how they appear on Windows. More details here.