{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "update-fonts-dir",
    "section": "8",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/update-fonts-dir/8/json",
    "generated": "2026-10-07T22:38:37Z",
    "synopsis": "update-fonts-dir [OPTION] directory ...",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "update-fonts-dir - compile fonts.dir files\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "update-fonts-dir [OPTION] directory ...\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "update-fonts-dir  creates  a  fonts.dir file in an X font directory by invoking mkfontdir(1x)\nwith the appropriate arguments.  It is typically invoked only from the post-installation  and\npost-removal  scripts  of  a package containing fonts for the X Window System, but may be in‐\nvoked at any time to reconstruct fonts.dir files.  For each directory, which  is  simply  the\nlast component of its path (such as ‘75dpi’ or ‘misc’), update-fonts-dir will generate either\n/usr/lib/X11/fonts/directory/fonts.dir  or  /usr/share/fonts/X11/directory/fonts.dir from the\nfonts.scale and font files found within it.\n\nThis enables multiple packages to provide names for fonts in the  same  directory.   No  font\npackage  actually  provides the fonts.dir file in the X font directory itself, so there is no\ndanger of overwriting one package's font names with those of another.\n\nFor instance, the two packages ‘xfonts-base’ (real)  and  ‘xfonts-nifty’  (hypothetical)  may\nboth  install fonts into the directory /usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc, and update-fonts-dir will en‐\nsure that the fonts.dir file in that directory contains information about the font files pro‐\nvided by both packages.\n\nThe format of fonts.dir files is described in the mkfontdir(1x) manual page.\n\nAn example of how to use update-fonts-dir in package maintainer scripts is  provided  in  the\nDebian Policy Manual.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-h --help",
                    "content": "",
                    "flag": "-h",
                    "long": "--help"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-7 --x11r7-layout",
                    "content": "/usr/share/fonts/X11/directory (default is: fonts in /usr/lib/X11/fonts/directory)\n",
                    "flag": "-7",
                    "long": "--x11r7-layout"
                }
            ]
        },
        "OPERANDS": {
            "content": "update-fonts-dir takes one or more X font directory names to operate on  as  operands.   Only\nthe final path component of the directory name should be specified; e.g.,\nupdate-fonts-dir 75dpi\nis  correct,  while  ‘update-fonts-dir  /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi’ and ‘update-fonts-dir\n/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi’ are not.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "ENVIRONMENT": {
            "content": "COLUMNS\nindicates the width of the terminal device in character cells.  This value is used for\nformatting diagnostic messages.  If not set, the terminal is queried using stty(1)  to\ndetermine its width.  If that fails, a value of ‘80’ is assumed.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DIAGNOSTICS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "Errors",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "usage error: one or more font directories must be provided",
                    "content": "update-fonts-dir  was  invoked  without operands.  Supply one or more X font directory\nnames to operate on.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "usage error: unrecognized option",
                    "content": "update-fonts-dir was invoked with an unrecognized option argument.  Use only  the  op‐\ntions documented in “OPTIONS”, above.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "fatal error: path to X font directory must be used",
                    "content": "A  directory  name  was supplied that was not an X font directory name.  Supply X font\ndirectory names only.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "Warnings",
                    "content": "warning: absolute path directory was provided\nUsage of absolute paths is deprecated.  Use only the final component of the X font di‐\nrectory name for directory.\n\nwarning: directory does not exist or is not a directory\nThe supplied directory was invalid.  update-fonts-dir skipped it.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "EXIT STATUS": {
            "content": "0      update-fonts-dir ran successfully.\n\n1      update-fonts-dir experienced a fatal error; see the  section  on  diagnostic  messages\nabove.\n\n2      update-fonts-dir was invoked with invalid arguments.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "BUGS": {
            "content": "See  the  Debian  Bug Tracking System ⟨https://bugs.debian.org/xfonts-utils⟩.  If you wish to\nreport a bug in update-fonts-dir, please see /usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt  or  the\nreportbug(1) command.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "update-fonts-dir was written by Branden Robinson.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "mkfontdir(1x)\n\nDebian Project                               2004-11-11                          update-fonts-dir(8)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "update-fonts-dir - compile fonts.dir files",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-h",
            "long": "--help",
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        },
        {
            "flag": "-7",
            "long": "--x11r7-layout",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "/usr/share/fonts/X11/directory (default is: fonts in /usr/lib/X11/fonts/directory)"
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "mkfontdir",
            "section": "1x",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkfontdir/1x/json"
        }
    ]
}