# update-fonts-scale - generate fonts.scale files - man(8) - [phpMan]

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

## NAME
       update-fonts-scale - generate fonts.scale files

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

## DESCRIPTION
       **update-fonts-scale  **assembles  a  _fonts.scale_  file  in an X font directory using one or more
       scale files found in a subdirectory of _/etc/X11/fonts/_.  It is typically  invoked  only  from
       the  post-installation and post-removal scripts of a package containing scalable fonts usable
       by the X Window System whose X LFD font names are not in the font files themselves,  but  may
       be invoked at any time to reconstruct _fonts.scale_ files.  For each _directory_, which is either
       an absolute path to an X font directory or (preferably) simply the last component of its path
       (such  as  ‘75dpi’ or ‘misc’), **update-fonts-scale **will assemble either _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/_di‐
       rectory_/fonts.scale_ or _/usr/share/fonts/X11/_directory_/fonts.scale_ from the index files  found
       at  _/etc/X11/fonts/_directory_/_package_.scale_,  where  _package_  is  the  name of the package in‐
       stalling the fonts.

       This enables multiple packages to provide names for fonts in the  same  directory.   No  font
       package actually provides the _fonts.scale_ 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-scalable’ (real) and ‘xfonts-nifty’ (hypothetical) may
       both  install  fonts  into  the  directory  _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1_.   They each place their
       _fonts.scale_       files       in        _/etc/X11/fonts/Type1/xfonts-scalable.scale_        and
       _/etc/X11/fonts/Type1/xfonts-nifty.scale_   (respectively).    **update-fonts-scale  **concatenates
       these two files  (as  well  as  any  others  that  match  _/etc/X11/fonts/Type1/*.scale_)  into
       _/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/fonts.scale_.

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

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

## OPTIONS
### -h --help 

## OPERANDS
       **update-fonts-scale **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-scale 75dpi**
       is correct, while ‘**update-fonts-scale /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi**’ and ‘**update-fonts-scale**
       **/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.

       **DEBUG  **determines whether low-level diagnostic messages are issued to standard error  output.
              A  null (empty) or unset value indicates that they are not, and a non-null value indi‐
              cates that they are.

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

### usage error: unrecognized option
              **update-fonts-scale **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-scale **skipped it.

### Notes
       Notes are only displayed under special circumstances; see “ENVIRONMENT”.  above.

       **note: _**index_ **references nonexistent font file _**filename_
              The index file _/etc/X11/fonts/_directory_/_package_.scale_, refers to  a  nonexistent  font
              file, _filename_.  This is normal when _package_ has been removed, but not purged from the
              system.  In other circumstances, it likely indicates an error in _package_.

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

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

       2      **update-fonts-scale **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-scale**, 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-scale **was written by Branden Robinson.

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

Debian Project                               2004-11-12                        [_update-fonts-scale_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/update-fonts-scale/8/markdown)