Modding X11 fonts. - Desktop Customization & Workflow

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yrmt
Grey Hair Nixers
*Hello everyone, this is a little tutorial on how to modify or create X11 fonts:*

First you'll need a bitmap font editor: [gbdfed](http://sofia.nmsu.edu/~mleisher/Software....6.tar.bz2).

If the compilation fails, comment this from the Makefile:

` -DG_DISABLE_DEPRECATED \
-DGDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED \
-DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
`

Here's how it looks like with the default gtk theme:

![](http://i.imgur.com/gzrOaVc.png)


Now, you can load a font with ctrl+g :
You can use filters to get the font you want easily:

![](http://i.imgur.com/R2CdsvE.png)

Once the font is loaded, it will look like this:

![](http://i.imgur.com/qbndaJV.png)

You can modify the font line to use the name you want and you can click on any character to modify it, and click the "V" when you're done.

![](http://i.imgur.com/bB5mYXz.png)

You can also add a few cool chars for your bar.


When you're done modding or creating the font save it as title.bdf .

Now you can convert it to a pcf font by running:

PHP Code:
bdftopcf -t title.bdf  >  title.pcf 

-t is used to have a more terminal friendly font.

Now put you font in your font path and you're done!
venam
Administrators
Thanks Beastie for the tutorial, I've been wondering how to do that for some time.
The coolest part is that you can create weird 8-bit like characters like monsters or mushrooms for examples.
Ippytraxx
Members
THANKYOU SO MUCH! I've been wanting to convert a TTF font I have to a proper bitmap font so that it is rendered properly in the terminal. Gonna get straight to it.
yrmt
Grey Hair Nixers
No problem, tell me if you run into problems.
Mafia
Long time nixers
You told me about gbfed so long ago, and now your just showing me a tutorial?
>.< Thank you.
zygotb
Long time nixers
Thanks Beastie... Once again, you deliver the goods!
When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!
Someone doesn't appreciate my php generated image!
yrmt
Grey Hair Nixers
http://www.x.org/archive/X11R6.8.0/doc/fonts2.html guide explains how to install fonts on X.org.