From: walsh@cs.umass.edu (Norman Walsh)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Subject: FAQ: Part VI: X Info
Date: 4 Sep 92 19:35:41 GMT
Reply-To: walsh@cs.umass.edu
Organization: Dept of Comp and Info Sci, Univ of Mass (Amherst)

FAQ for comp.fonts: Part VI: Sun-specific Info

Version 0.0.3, Release 04SEP92

Welcome to the comp.fonts FAQ.  This article, posted monthly, describes many
of the basic questions that seem to be repeated frequently on comp.fonts.
Your comments are both welcome and encouraged. 

The FAQ is divided into five parts posted seperately.  The parts are:

   Part   I: General Info
   Part  II: Macintosh-specific Info
   Part III: MS-DOS-specific Info
   Part  IV: *nix-specific Info
   Part   V: Sun-specific Info
   Part  VI: X-specific Info

The decision to divide the FAQ into multiple parts is somewhat arbitrary
although it stems, in part, from the fact that it would be too long to mail in
one piece anyway.  Even if you don't use a particular architecture, you may
find it helpful to read the FAQ for that platform at least once.  Some ideas,
like font format conversion, may be relevant to more than one platform even if
they are expressed in platform-specific tools at this time.

This section is divided into the following topics:

0.  Please help!
1.  X fonts and font utilities

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0. Please help!

  This section needs a lot of work.  At the time of this release, I'm not
  in a position to write it so I'm leaving it basically blank.  Even if
  you don't have time to write it, if you know what _should_ be in this
  section, please forward it to norm <walsh@cs.umass.edu>.

1. X fonts and font utilities

  The following programs will allow you to create fonts for display under
  X.  IBM has contributed Type1 font support for X11R5 but, at present,
  I have no experience with it.  

  On any given platform, X requires specially 'compiled' fonts.  The
  standard method of interchange between platforms is BDF format.  The
  BDF format is defined by Adobe.  A document describing the format is
  available from Adobe (send "help" to <ps-file-server@adobe.com>).

  Once you have a file in BDF format, your X platform should have the
  tools required to convert it into 'snf' or 'pcf' format (these seem
  to be the two most common "compiled" formats).

  Here's a quick list of possible steps to get from "what you got" to X:

  Mac format bitmaps:

    No idea.  If _you_ know how to read a Mac format bitmap file on some
    other platform, please tell norm <walsh@cs.umass.edu>.

  PC format bitmaps:

    Conversion to BDF is possible from TeX PK format and LaserJet softfont
    format.  Other conversions are also within the realm of possibility.
    Feel free to ask norm <walsh@cs.umass.edu> for more information if you
    have a specific conversion in mind.

  TeX PK format bitmaps:

    PKtoBDF gets us directly to BDF format from here.

  Mac format postscript:

    Under MS-DOS, conversion to PC format postscript allows the font to 
    be accessed with PS2PK (under *nix or MS-DOS).  See above for TeX
    PK to X conversions.

  PC/*nix format PostScript 

    Conversion to TeX PK with PS2PK allows us to get to BDF (indirectly).

--END OF PART VI--
Newsgroups: comp.fonts