MKFONTDIR(1)                                         MKFONTDIR(1)


NAME
       mkfontdir  -  create fonts.dir file from directory of font
       files

SYNOPSIS
       mkfontdir [directory-names]

DESCRIPTION
       Mkfontdir For each directory argument, mkfontdir reads all
       of  the  font files in the directory searching for proper-
       ties named "FONT", or (failing that) the name of the  file
       stripped  of  its  suffix.   These are used as font names,
       which are written out  to  the  file  "fonts.dir"  in  the
       directory along with the name of the font file.

       The  kinds of font files read by mkfontdir depends on con-
       figuration parameters, but typically include  PCF  (suffix
       ".pcf"),  SNF (suffix ".snf") and BDF (suffix ".bdf").  If
       a font exists in multiple formats,  mkfontdir  will  first
       choose PCF, then SNF and finally BDF.

SCALABLE FONTS
       Because  scalable  font files do not usually include the X
       font name, the fonts.dir file  in  directories  containing
       such fonts must be edited by hand to include the appropri-
       ate entries for those fonts.  However, when  mkfontdir  is
       run, all of those additions will be lost, so be careful.

FONT NAME ALIASES
       The  file  "fonts.alias" which can be put in any directory
       of the font-path is used to  map  new  names  to  existing
       fonts,  and  should  be  edited  by  hand.   The format is
       straight  forward  enough,   two   white-space   separated
       columns,  the first containing aliases and the second con-
       taining font-name patterns.

       When a font alias is  used,  the  name  it  references  is
       search for in the normal manner, looking through each font
       directory in turn.  This means that the aliases  need  not
       mention fonts in the same directory as the alias file.

       To  embed  white-space in either name, simply enclose them
       in double-quote marks, to embed double-quote marks (or any
       other character), precede them with back-slash:

       "magic-alias with spaces"     "\"font\name\" with quotes"
       regular-alias            fixed

       If the string "FILE_NAMES_ALIASES" stands alone on a line,
       each file-name in the directory (stripped of it's  suffix)
       will be used as an alias for that font.

USAGE
       Both the X server and the Font Server look for "fonts.dir"



X Version 11                Release 5                           1

MKFONTDIR(1)                                         MKFONTDIR(1)


       and "fonts.alias" files in each directory in the font path
       each time it is set (see xset(1)).

SEE ALSO
       X(1), Xserver(1), fs(1), xset(1)




















































X Version 11                Release 5                           2