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MKFONTDIR(1)                                                                                    MKFONTDIR(1)



NAME
       mkfontdir - create an index of X font files in a directory

SYNOPSIS
       mkfontdir  [-n]  [-x  suffix] [-r] [-p prefix] [-e encoding-directory-name] ...  [--] [directory-name
       ... ]

DESCRIPTION
       For each directory argument, mkfontdir reads all of the font files in  the  directory  searching  for
       properties  named  "FONT",  or (failing that) the name of the file stripped of its suffix.  These are
       converted to lower case and used as font names, and, along with the name of the font file, are  writ-ten written
       ten  out  to  the file "fonts.dir" in the directory.  The X server and font server use "fonts.dir" to
       find font files.

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

       The first line of fonts.dir gives the number of fonts in the file.   The  remaining  lines  list  the
       fonts  themselves,  one  per  line, in two fields.  First is the name of the font file, followed by a
       space and the name of the font.

SCALABLE FONTS
       Because scalable font files do not usually include the X font name, the  file  "fonts.scale"  can  be
       used  to name the scalable fonts in the directory.  The fonts listed in it are copied to fonts.dir by
       mkfontdir.  "fonts.scale" has the same format as the "fonts.dir" file, and can be  created  with  the
       mkfontscale(1) program.

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 two  white-space  separated  columns,
       the  first containing aliases and the second containing font-name patterns.  Lines beginning with "!"
       are comment lines and are ignored.

       If neither the alias nor the value specifies the size fields of the font name,  this  is  a  scalable
       alias.   A  font name of any size that matches this alias will be mapped to the same size of the font
       that the alias resolves to.

       When a font alias is used, the name it references is searched  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 it 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 its suffix) will be used as an alias for that font.

ENCODING FILES
       The option -e can be used to specify a directory  with  encoding  files.   Every  such  directory  is
       scanned  for  encoding  files,  the list of which is then written to an "encodings.dir" file in every
       font directory.  The "encodings.dir" file is used by the server to find encoding information.

       The "encodings.dir" file has the same format as "fonts.dir".  It maps encoding names (strings of  the
       form CHARSET_REGISTRY-CHARSET_ENCODING ) to encoding file names.

OPTIONS
       The following options are supported:

       -e     Specify a directory containing encoding files.  The -e option may be specified multiple times,
              and all the specified directories will be read.  The order of the entries is  significant,  as
              encodings  found  in  earlier  directories override those in later ones; encoding files in the
              same directory are discriminated by preferring compressed versions.

       -n     do not scan for fonts, do not write font directory files.  This option is useful when generat-ing generating
              ing encoding directories only.

       -p     Specify  a  prefix  that is prepended to the encoding file path names when they are written to
              the "encodings.dir" file.  The prefix is prepended as-is.  If a `/' is  required  between  the
              prefix and the path names, it must be supplied explicitly as part of the prefix.

       -r     Keep non-absolute encoding directories in their relative form when writing the "encodings.dir"
              file.  The default is to convert relative encoding  directories  to  absolute  directories  by
              prepending  the  current  directory.   The positioning of this options is significant, as this
              option only applies to subsequent -e options.

       -x suffix
              Ignore fonts files of type suffix.

       --     End options.

FILES
       fonts.dir      List of fonts in the directory and the files they are stored in.  Created  by  mkfont-dir. mkfontdir.
                      dir.   Read  by  the  X  server  and  font  server each time the font path is set (see
                      xset(1)).

       fonts.scale    List of scalable fonts in the directory.  Contents are copied to fonts.dir by  mkfont-dir. mkfontdir.
                      dir.   Can be created with mkfontscale(1).

       fonts.alias    List  of  font  name aliases.  Read by the X server and font server each time the font
                      path is set (see xset(1)).

       encodings.dir  List of known encodings and the files they are stored in.  Created by mkfontdir.  Read
                      by the X server and font server each time a font with an unknown charset is opened.

SEE ALSO
       X(7), Xserver(1), mkfontscale(1), xfs(1), xset(1)



X Version 11                                   mkfontdir 1.0.4                                  MKFONTDIR(1)