# update-fonts-dir - compile fonts.dir files - man(8) - [phpMan]

[_update-fonts-dir_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/update-fonts-dir/8/markdown)                    System Manager's Manual                   [_update-fonts-dir_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/update-fonts-dir/8/markdown)

## NAME
       update-fonts-dir - compile fonts.dir files

## SYNOPSIS
       **update-fonts-dir **[_OPTION_] _directory_ _..._

## DESCRIPTION
       **update-fonts-dir  **creates  a  _fonts.dir_ file in an X font directory by invoking [**mkfontdir**(1x)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkfontdir/1x/markdown)
       with the appropriate arguments.  It is typically invoked only from the post-installation  and
       post-removal  scripts  of  a _package_ containing fonts for the X Window System, but may be in‐
       voked at any time to reconstruct _fonts.dir_ files.  For each _directory_, which  is  simply  the
       last component of its path (such as ‘75dpi’ or ‘misc’), **update-fonts-dir **will generate either
       _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/_directory_/fonts.dir_  or  _/usr/share/fonts/X11/_directory_/fonts.dir_ from the
       _fonts.scale_ and font files found within it.

       This enables multiple packages to provide names for fonts in the  same  directory.   No  font
       package  actually  provides the _fonts.dir_ file in the X font directory itself, so there is no
       danger of overwriting one package's font names with those of another.

       For instance, the two packages ‘xfonts-base’ (real)  and  ‘xfonts-nifty’  (hypothetical)  may
       both  install fonts into the directory _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc_, and **update-fonts-dir **will en‐
       sure that the _fonts.dir_ file in that directory contains information about the font files pro‐
       vided by both packages.

       The format of _fonts.dir_ files is described in the [**mkfontdir**(1x)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkfontdir/1x/markdown) manual page.

       An example of how to use **update-fonts-dir **in package maintainer scripts is  provided  in  the
       Debian Policy Manual.

## OPTIONS
### -h --help 

### -7 --x11r7-layout  
       _/usr/share/fonts/X11/_directory (default is: fonts in _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/_directory)

## OPERANDS
       **update-fonts-dir **takes one or more X font directory names to operate on  as  operands.   Only
       the final path component of the directory name should be specified; e.g.,
              **update-fonts-dir 75dpi**
       is  correct,  while  ‘**update-fonts-dir  /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi**’ and ‘**update-fonts-dir**
       **/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi**’ are not.

## ENVIRONMENT
       **COLUMNS**
              indicates the width of the terminal device in character cells.  This value is used for
              formatting diagnostic messages.  If not set, the terminal is queried using [**stty**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/stty/1/markdown)  to
              determine its width.  If that fails, a value of ‘80’ is assumed.

## DIAGNOSTICS
### Errors
### usage error: one or more font directories must be provided
              **update-fonts-dir  **was  invoked  without operands.  Supply one or more X font directory
              names to operate on.

### usage error: unrecognized option
              **update-fonts-dir **was invoked with an unrecognized option argument.  Use only  the  op‐
              tions documented in “OPTIONS”, above.

### fatal error: path to X font directory must be used
              A  directory  name  was supplied that was not an X font directory name.  Supply X font
              directory names only.

### Warnings
       **warning: absolute path _**directory_ **was provided**
              Usage of absolute paths is deprecated.  Use only the final component of the X font di‐
              rectory name for _directory_.

       **warning: _**directory_ **does not exist or is not a directory**
              The supplied _directory_ was invalid.  **update-fonts-dir **skipped it.

## EXIT STATUS
       0      **update-fonts-dir **ran successfully.

       1      **update-fonts-dir **experienced a fatal error; see the  section  on  diagnostic  messages
              above.

       2      **update-fonts-dir **was invoked with invalid arguments.

## BUGS
       See  the  Debian  Bug Tracking System ⟨<https://bugs.debian.org/xfonts-utils>⟩.  If you wish to
       report a bug in **update-fonts-dir**, please see _/usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt_  or  the
       [**reportbug**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/reportbug/1/markdown) command.

## AUTHOR
       **update-fonts-dir **was written by Branden Robinson.

## SEE ALSO
       [**mkfontdir**(1x)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mkfontdir/1x/markdown)

Debian Project                               2004-11-11                          [_update-fonts-dir_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/update-fonts-dir/8/markdown)