---
name: "mapscrn"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "kbd"
version: "2.10.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mapscrn"
---

# mapscrn(8)

load screen output mapping table

## NAME

mapscrn - load screen output mapping table

## SYNOPSIS

**mapscrn** \[*options*\] *mapfile*

## DESCRIPTION

The **mapscrn** command is obsolete - its function is now built-in into setfont. However, for backwards compatibility it is still available as a separate command.

The *mapscrn* command loads a user defined output character mapping table into the console driver. The console driver may be later put into **use user-defined mapping table** mode by outputting a special escape sequence to the console device. This sequence is *\<esc\>(K* for the **G0** character set and *\<esc\>)K* for the **G1** character set. When the *-o* option is given, the old map is saved in *map.orig.*

## USE

There are two kinds of mapping tables: direct-to-font tables, that give a font position for each user byte value, and user-to-unicode tables that give a unicode value for each user byte. The corresponding glyph is now found using the unicode index of the font. The command

mapscrn trivial

sets up a one-to-one direct-to-font table where user bytes directly address the font. This is useful for fonts that are in the same order as the character set one uses. A command like

mapscrn 8859-2

sets up a user-to-unicode table that assumes that the user uses ISO 8859-2.

## INPUT FORMAT

The *mapscrn* command can read the map in either of two formats:\
 1\. 256 or 512 bytes binary data\
 2\. two-column text file\
 Format (1) is a direct image of the translation *table. The 256-bytes tables are direct-to-font,* the 512-bytes tables are user-to-unicode tables. Format (2) is used to fill the *table* as follows: cell with offset mentioned in the first column is filled with the value mentioned in the second column. When values larger than 255 occur, or values are written using the U+xxxx notation, the table is assumed to be a user-to-unicode table, otherwise it is a direct-to-font table.

Values in the file may be specified in one of several **formats:**\
 **1. Decimal:** String of decimal digits not starting with '0'\
 **2. Octal:** String of octal digits beginning with '0'.\
 **3. Hexadecimal:** String of hexadecimal digits preceded by "0x".\
 **4. Unicode:** String of four hexadecimal digits preceded by "U+".\
 **5. Character:** Single character enclosed in single quotes. (And the binary value is used.) Note that blank, comma, tab character and '#' cannot be specified with this format.\
 **6. UTF-8 Character:** Single (possibly multi-byte) UTF-8 character, enclosed in single quotes.

Note that control characters (with codes \< 32) cannot be re-mapped with *mapscrn* because they have special meaning for the driver.

## OPTIONS

- **-o**, **--output**=*FILE*

  save the old map to the *FILE*.

- **-C**, **--console**=*DEV*

  the console device to be used.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  be more verbose.

- **-V**, **--version**

  print version number.

- **-h**, **--help**

  print this usage message.

## FILES

- */usr/share/kbd/consoletrans*

  The default directory for screen mappings.

## SEE ALSO

[*setfont*(8)](/setfont/8.md)

## AUTHOR

Copyright (C) 1993 Eugene G. Crosser\
 \<crosser@pccross.msk.su\>\
 This software and documentation may be distributed freely.