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installing bitmap font

Graphical Environments, Managers, Multimedia & Desktop questions.
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morgon
Posts: 189
Joined: 2010-08-28 03:04

installing bitmap font

#1 Post by morgon »

Hi,

I have a problem installing a bitmap font in testing.

Here is what I did:

I enabled bitmap-fonts via "sudo dpkg-reconfigure fontconfig-config"
I copied the pcf-file to a directory in my home-dir and ran "mkfontdir"
Then I ran "sudo xset +fp <my font-dir>" and verified that fp had been updated via "xset q".
Then I ran "sudo xset rehash"
Then I ran "sudo dpkg-reconfigure fontconfig"

I now expected the font to be available, but it seems it isn't. fc-list cannot find it and an application that uses it gives warnings.

What am I doing wrong?

Many thanks!

UPDATE:

Can someone explain this to me:

Code: Select all

/home/mh > xlsfonts | grep -i siji
-wuncon-siji-medium-r-normal--0-0-75-75-c-0-iso10646-1
-wuncon-siji-medium-r-normal--10-100-75-75-c-80-iso10646-1
/home/mh > fc-list | grep -i siji
/home/mh >
What I tried above was to install the siji-font. After that xlsfonts seems to list it, fc-list does not.
What is the difference?

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: installing bitmap font

#2 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

morgon wrote:I have a problem installing a bitmap font in testing
Which font? How are you installing it? Which version of Debian are you running?
Then I ran "sudo xset +fp <my font-dir>" and verified that fp had been updated via "xset q".
Then I ran "sudo xset rehash"
FWIW you should run those commands as your normal user and the second one should be `xset fp rehash` (I think).

If you place your fonts in ~/.local/share/fonts then the X server should pick them up automagically.

To enable bitmap fonts use the method described here by urukrama:

https://urukrama.wordpress.com/2016/01/ ... in-debian/

I don't think the xorg configuration file described in that link will be needed for fonts installed from the Debian repositories though.
deadbang

morgon
Posts: 189
Joined: 2010-08-28 03:04

Re: installing bitmap font

#3 Post by morgon »

As I've said I run testing.
As I've said it's about the siji-font.
I have tried to install it as I have said.

And I try to avoid "automagical" solutions, I would rather understand a little bit how things work.

xset -q shows that my font-directory is in fp.
Yet when I run "fc-cache -f -v" this directory does not seem to get processed... but why?

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debiman
Posts: 3063
Joined: 2013-03-12 07:18

Re: installing bitmap font

#4 Post by debiman »

troubleshooting:
does xfontsel see the font?
but some gtk font chooser dialog doesn't?

where and how do you plan to use it? siji, was it?

edit: it looks like that urukrama post has all you need.

morgon
Posts: 189
Joined: 2010-08-28 03:04

Re: installing bitmap font

#5 Post by morgon »

xfontsel sees it.
xlsfonts sees it.
fc-list does not see it.

I want to use the siji-font with polybar.

So what is is that the urukaram post does and I do not?

Pleas enlighten me as I don't see it....

morgon
Posts: 189
Joined: 2010-08-28 03:04

Re: installing bitmap font

#6 Post by morgon »

Ok. I think I figured it out (do a certain degree):

The issue I had has to do with fontconfig-caches.

Now you can put your font in one of the directories that fontconfig knows about it by default, then the urukrama-posting mentioned above should do the trick.

However the information given there that pcf-files need to be gzipped is wrong. At least on my testing system plain pcf-files work just fine.

If you want to put your fonts into a directory that fontconfig does not know about you need to tell it by placing a file into /etc/fonts/conf.d with this example syntax:
<?xml version='1.0'?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM 'fonts.dtd'>
<fontconfig>
<dir>/path/to/my/dir</dir>
</fontconfig>
The whole topic of how fonts work in X and in debian is still a mystery to me - I'd be thankful for a pointer to a good tutorial.

User avatar
debiman
Posts: 3063
Joined: 2013-03-12 07:18

Re: installing bitmap font

#7 Post by debiman »

morgon wrote:The whole topic of how fonts work in X and in debian is still a mystery to me
there's basically two separate systems:
the old xfonts, bitmapped fonts.
and the new scalable fonts: xft (freetype).
the latter are usually managed by fontconfig.
fontconfig can be made to "see" the old xfonts also, but doesn't do so by default on most distros.
yes, it's a jungle.

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