6

Using Fonts

This chapter describes how to set up fonts on the host to support entries added in the remote configuration file and the fonts.tbl file. The network computers use PCF format as standard, but can read SNF, SCF, PCF, BDF, DECW$FONT, and many compressed formats.

The font access method is specified in the remote configuration file. The network computer can access fonts via TFTP, NFS, or DAP. Font files tend to be large; they do not have to be installed on the same disk as the boot files.

If you use NFS as the file access method, the fonts can be placed anywhere in the host file system, with NFS directories and exports set accordingly. Use an nfs_table command or add an nfs.tbl entry (Chapter 4), and enable NFS access (Chapter 5).

How the X Server Builds the Font Database

At boot time, the X server builds a font database based on the following sequence of events:

1. The X server searches the primary path for a fonts.tbl file.

   If a fonts.tbl file is not found with the primary path, the X server searches the secondary path for a fonts.tbl file. The secondary path is used if the primary path is not specified. Primary and secondary paths are specified in either the remote configuration file or in Setup. If fonts are not found through the primary or secondary paths, the X server searches the boot host and the boot method.

   In this example, the primary file path for the configuration files is \tekxp\boot\fonts on the host arizona, accessed with NFS. The file_host_name is not needed for NFS, but is specified as a null string to ensure a correct path.

ip_host_table "128.07.60.12" "arizona"
file_access_1 NFS
file_host_name_1 ""
file_path_1 "/tekxp/boot/fonts"

In this example, the secondary file path for the configuration files is \usr\tekxp\boot\fonts, where \usr\tekxp\boot\fonts is an exported directory from the host oregon and accessed through NFS. The file_host_name is not needed for NFS, but is specified as a null string to ensure a correct path.

file_access_2 NFS
file_host_name_2 ""
file_path_2 "/usr/tekxp/boot/fonts"

This example assumes that you have entries similar to the following in the nfs.tbl file:

arizona:/tekxp/boot/fonts /tekxp/boot/fonts
oregon:/usr/tekxp/boot/fonts /usr/tekxp/boot/fonts

2. When the X server finds a fonts.tbl file, it searches the directories listed in this file for fonts.dir and fonts.alias files. The X server uses the information in the fonts.dir and fonts.alias files to search for specific font files. The X server rejects the path unless it finds both fonts.dir and fonts.alias files.

Note:

Once the fonts.tbl file is found, the X server ignores file_path_1 and file_path_2 when searching for specific font files.

The fonts.dir file maps file names to an X logical font descriptive name (XLFD); the fonts.alias file lists alternative names for the XLFD font names. A typical entry for fonts.dir is:

5x8.snf -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--8-80-75-75-c-50-iso8859-1

Typical entries for fonts.alias are:

FILE_NAMES_ALIASES
5x8 -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--8-80-75-75-c-50-iso8859-1

3. The network computer resolves font paths in this order:
   1. Primary access and font path
   2. Secondary access and font path
   3. Boot host and boot method

   Access can be a host if using TFTP or DAP as the access method, or a mount point if using NFS. If not resolved, the font path is rejected.

4. Resident fonts are always available unless explicitly removed with the
   xset fp- command. Refer to Table 6-1 for the list of resident fonts.

Resident and Boot Directory Fonts

Resident fonts (Table 6-2) are loaded with the X server, and are always available unless preceded by a fonts.dir or fonts.alias file entry. Boot directory fonts (Table 6-2) are loaded from the installation media into the directory \tekxp\boot.

Table 6-1 Resident Fonts
Font	X Logical Font Description Name (XLFD)
TekDefault	-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-normal--14-140-75-75-P-82-iso8859-1
LucidaV2RT10 (TekFixed)	-bigelow & holmes-lucidav2-medium-r-normal-typewriter-16-100-100-100-m-80-iso8859-1
cursor (TekCursor)	cursor

Table 6-2 Boot Directory Fonts
Font	X Logical Font Description Name (XLFD)
6x13	-misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-120-75-75-c-60-iso8859-1
6x10	-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--10-100-75-75-c-60-iso8859-1
6x13B	-misc-fixed-bold-r-semicondensed--13-120-75-75-c-60-iso8859-1
tdwht132	tekdwht132
8x13	-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-120-75-75-c-80-iso8859-1
9x15	-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--15-140-75-75-c-90-iso8859-1
8x13B	-misc-fixed-bold-r-normal--13-120-75-75-c-80-iso8859-1
9x15B	-misc-fixed-bold-r-normal--15-140-75-75-c-90-iso8859-1
tdwhb132	tekdwhb132
decsess	decw$session
tdwdhb80	tekdwdhb80
LuV2RT12	-bigelow & holmes-lucidav2-medium-r-normal-typewriter-21-120-100-100-m-100-iso8859-1
LuV2RT14	-bigelow & holmes-lucidav2-medium-r-normal-typewriter-22-140-100-100-m-120-iso8859-1
olcursor	-sun-open look cursor-----12-120-75-75-p-160-sunolcursor-1
luRS12	-b&h-lucida-medium-r-normal-sans-12-120-75-75-p-71-iso8859-1
tdwdht80	tekdwdht80
LuciB10	-bigelow & holmes-lucida-bold-r-normal-serif-14-100-100-100-p-97-iso2022_r_tek-l442r433
7x13euroB	-misc-fixed-bold-r-normal--13-120-75-75-c-70-fcd8859-15
techB14	-bitstream-terminal-bold-r-normal--18-140-100-100-c-110-dec-dectech
tekdw80	tekdw80
fg-22	fg-22
ibm2412	ibm2412
ibm2413	ibm2413
ibm1307	ibm1307
ibm1108	ibm1108
ibm1205	ibm1205
ibm1313	ibm1313
ibm2510	ibm2510
ibm1207	ibm1207
ibm1104	ibm1104
ibm2612	ibm2612
ibm1209	ibm1209
deccurs	decw$cursor
ibm2508	ibm2508
ibm1006	ibm1006
ibm1111	ibm1111
LuV2NT12	-bigelow & holmes-lucidav2-medium-r-condensed-typewriter-21-120-100-100-m-100-iso8859-1
ibm0504	ibm0504
ibm1408	ibm1408
ibm2116	ibm2116
ibm0505	ibm0505
ibm2011	ibm2011
ibm0404	ibm0404
ibm1508	ibm1508
ibm1616	ibm1616
ibm0502	ibm0502
ibm1608	ibm1608
ibm1609	ibm1609
luBS14	-b&h-lucida-bold-r-normal-sans-14-140-75-75-p-92-iso8859-1
ibm0707	ibm0707
ibm0604	ibm0604
ibm2108	ibm2108
luBS12	-b&h-lucida-bold-r-normal-sans-12-120-75-75-p-79-iso8859-1
ibm0605	ibm0605
ibm0606	ibm0606
ibm1406	ibm1406
ibm0703	ibm0703
ibm1511	ibm1511
ibm0904	ibm0904
ibm0907	ibm0907
ibm0805	ibm0805
ibm0806	ibm0806
ibm0808	ibm0808
ibm1813	ibm1813
ibm0909	ibm0909
ibm1807	ibm1807
ibm2816	ibm2816
olgl12	-sun-open look glyph-----12-120-75-75-p-113-sunolglyph-1
tis1212	tis1212
tis2412	tis2412
tis2424	tis2424
tis4812	tis4812
tis4824	tis4824
tis1210	tis1210
tis2410	tis2410
tis1203	tis1203
tis2416	tis2416
tis4816	tis4816
tis1205	tis1205
tis2405	tis2405
tis1206	tis1206
tis2406	tis2406
tis2414	tis2414
tis4814	tis4814
tis2407	tis2407
tis4807	tis4807
tis2408	tis2408
tis4808	tis4808
tis1408	tis1408
tis2012	tis2012
tis1610	tis1610
tis2010	tis2010
tis3210	tis3210
tis1616	tis1616
tis2020	tis2020
tis3216	tis3216
tis1605	tis1605
tis3205	tis3205
tis2006	tis2006
tis1608	tis1608
tis3208	tis3208
tis1410	tis1410
tis1404	tis1404
tis1416	tis1416
tis1405	tis1405
tis1414	tis1414
tis1407	tis1407
tis4012	tis4012
LuciRT10	-bigelow & holmes-lucida-medium-r-normal-typewriter-16-100-100-100-m-80-iso2022_r_tek-l442r433
tis4010	tis4010
tis4020	tis4020
tis4006	tis4006
tis2810	tis2810
tis2816	tis2816
tis2805	tis2805
tis2814	tis2814
tis5614	tis5614
tis2807	tis2807
tis2808	tis2808
tis2828	tis2828
tis5628	tis5628
tm14_100	-bitstream-terminal-medium-r-normal--18-140-100-100-c-110-iso8859-1
timR24	-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--24-240-75-75-p-124-iso8859-1
timR10	-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--10-100-75-75-p-54-iso8859-1
helvB12	-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-normal--12-120-75-75-p-70-iso8859-1
tktrm132	tktrm132
LuciBT10	-bigelow & holmes-lucida-bold-r-normal-typewriter-16-100-100-100-m-80-iso2022_r_tek-l442r433
7x13euro	-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-120-75-75-c-70-fcd8859-15
tis704	tis704
tis603	tis603
tis606	tis606
tis708	tis708
tm14_75	-dec-terminal-medium-r-normal--14-140-75-75-c-80-iso8859-1
tis810	tis810
tis805	tis805
tekdw132	tekdw132

Installing SNF Fonts

To run DECwindows most effectively, use the DECwindows host fonts, making sure the 75DPI font is listed before the 100dpi font in the FONTS.TBL file. By default, the TEK$XP_CONFIG:FONTS.TBL contains the following:

TEK$SYSCOMMON:[SYSFONT.DECW.75DPI]
TEK$SYSCOMMON:[SYSFONT.DECW.100DPI]
TEK$SYSCOMMON:[SYSFONT.DECW.CURSOR16]
TEK$SYSCOMMON:[SYSFONT.DECW.CURSOR32]

Some font files are in Bitmap Distribution Format (BDF). This portable format stores font information as ASCII text. BDF fonts can be used as they are, or converted to SNF to increase efficiency. Use the utility BDFTOSNF.EXE.

For best results, compile the fonts on the host where they are used. This procedure is primarily of interest to those who want to install third-party fonts.

1.  Copy the BDF files to be converted to a separate directory.

2.  Change to the new directory.

3.  Convert the BDF files to SNF files:

$ DEFINE/USER_MODE SYS$OUTPUT MYFONT.SNF

$ BDFTOSNF -p4 -m "-M" -u1 -t MYFONT.BDF

4.  You can remove all of the BDF files in the directory.

$ DELETE *.BDF;1

5.  Follow the previous instructions under the heading Installing Fonts to make the converted fonts available to the network computer.

For details about the bdftosnf utility, refer to the BDFTOSNF man page.

Converting BDF to PCF

A utility, bdftopcf, is provided to convert BDF fonts to PCF format.

1.  Copy the BDF files to be converted to a separate directory.

2.  Change to the new directory.

3.  Convert the BDF files to PCF files:

$ bdftopcf -o pcf font filename.pcf bdf font filename.bdf

4.  Remove all of the BDF files in the directory.

$ rm *.bdf

5.  Follow the previous instructions under the heading Installing Fonts to make the converted fonts available to the network computer.

For details about the bdftopcf utility, refer to the BDFTOPCF man page.