A.1. xfstt

One such font server is xfstt. xfstt was designed specifically with TrueType fonts in mind.

A.1.1. Installation

xfstt is very easy to install and configure. If it isn't already installed, you'll want to download the tarball, or check your CD. The most current version can be found at http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/X11/fonts/

Once you have the tarball, unpack it:

 $ tar -zxvf xfstt-*tgz
   

Then build and install it. Read the INSTALL file for quick instructions, but it's a no brainer.

From the xfstt directory is all you have to do.

 # make
 # make install
   

Then start xfstt with:

 # xfstt --sync            # updates xfstt's font database
 # xfstt &                 # runs xfstt in the background.
    

xfstt should be started before the X server starts. Once you have this working correctly, you can add the above lines to /etc/rc.d/rc.local, or other suitable start up file. Then type:

 $ xset +fp unix/:7101     # tells X about xfstt, and where to look for fonts.
    

or add:

FontPath "unix/:7101"

to your XF86Config to tell X about the font server. Rerun xfstt --sync any time the FontPath, or contents, change.

A.1.2. Adjusting the Default Font Size

If your TrueType fonts appear to be very tiny, the following commands may help.

Add the -dpi switch to your X server command line (see above to do this.)

Use the --res switch to tell xfstt to increase the default resolution. Use the following command line.

 # xfstt --res 120