---
name: "showfont"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "x11-xfs-utils"
version: "7.7+3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/showfont"
---

# showfont(1)

font dumper for X font server

## NAME

showfont - font dumper for X font server

## SYNOPSIS

**showfont** \[ *-options* ... \] **-fn** *pattern*

## DESCRIPTION

*Showfont* displays data about a font that matches the given *pattern*. The information shown includes font information, font properties, character metrics, and character bitmaps.

The wildcard character "\*" can be used to match any sequence of characters (including none) in the font name, and "?" can be used to match any single character. The "\*" and "?" characters must be quoted to prevent them from being expanded by the shell. If no pattern is given, "\*" is assumed.

## OPTIONS

- **-server *servername***

  The X font server to contact. *servername* must be specified in one of the formats defined in the *Font Server Names* section of [X(7)](/X/7.md).   If not specified, the server name in the **FONTSERVER** environment variable is used.

- **-fn** *name*

  The font to display.

- **-lsb**

  The bit order of the font should be requested as LSBFirst (least significant bit first).

- **-msb**

  The bit order of the font should be requested as MSBFirst (most significant bit first).

- **-LSB**

  The byte order of the font should be requested as LSBFirst (least significant byte first).

- **-MSB**

  The byte order of the font should be requested as MSBFirst (most significant byte first).

- **-ext\[ents\_only\]**

  Only the character extents should be displayed, but not the bitmaps.

- **-start** *char*

  The start of the range of the characters to display (*char* is a number).

- **-end** *char*

  The end of the range of the characters to display (*char* is a number).

- **-unit** *n*

  The scanline unit of the font (8, 16, 32, or 64).

- **-pad** *n*

  The scanpad unit of the font (8, 16, 32, or 64).

- **-b\[itmap\_pad\]** *n*

  The bitmap padding unit of the font (0, 1, or 2, where 0 is ImageRectMin, 1 is ImageRectMaxWidth and 2 is ImageRectMax).

- **-noprops**

  Do not show the font properties.

- **-version**

  Print the program version and exit.

## SEE ALSO

[xfs(1)](/xfs/1.md), [fslsfonts(1)](/fslsfonts/1.md), [fstobdf(1)](/fstobdf/1.md), [xlsfonts(1)](/xlsfonts/1.md), [X(7)](/X/7.md).

## ENVIRONMENT

- **FONTSERVER**

  the default X font server to contact.  The server name must be specified in one of the formats defined in the *Font Server Names* section of [X(7)](/X/7.md).

## AUTHOR

Dave Lemke, Network Computing Devices, Inc.