---
name: "update-fonts-scale"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "xfonts-utils"
version: "1:7.7+7"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/update-fonts-scale"
---

# update-fonts-scale(8)

generate fonts.scale files

## NAME

update-fonts-scale - generate fonts.scale files

## SYNOPSIS

**update-fonts-scale** \[*OPTION*\] *directory ...*

## DESCRIPTION

**update-fonts-scale** assembles a *fonts.scale* file in an X font directory using one or more scale files found in a subdirectory of */etc/X11/fonts/*. It is typically invoked only from the post-installation and post-removal scripts of a package containing scalable fonts usable by the X Window System whose X LFD font names are not in the font files themselves, but may be invoked at any time to reconstruct *fonts.scale* files. For each *directory*, which is either an absolute path to an X font directory or (preferably) simply the last component of its path (such as ‘75dpi’ or ‘misc’), **update-fonts-scale** will assemble either */usr/lib/X11/fonts/*directory*/fonts.scale* or */usr/share/fonts/X11/*directory*/fonts.scale* from the index files found at */etc/X11/fonts/*directory*/*package*.scale*, where *package* is the name of the package installing the fonts.

This enables multiple packages to provide names for fonts in the same directory. No font package actually provides the *fonts.scale* file in the X font directory itself, so there is no danger of overwriting one package's font names with those of another.

For instance, the two packages ‘xfonts-scalable’ (real) and ‘xfonts-nifty’ (hypothetical) may both install fonts into the directory */usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1*. They each place their *fonts.scale* files in */etc/X11/fonts/Type1/xfonts-scalable.scale* and */etc/X11/fonts/Type1/xfonts-nifty.scale* (respectively). **update-fonts-scale** concatenates these two files (as well as any others that match */etc/X11/fonts/Type1/\*.scale*) into */usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/fonts.scale*.

The format for *fonts.scale* files is given in the [**mkfontdir**(1x)](/mkfontdir/1x.md) manual page.

An example of how to use **update-fonts-scale** in package maintainer scripts is provided in the Debian Policy Manual.

## OPTIONS

**-h, --help** displays a brief usage message and exits.

## OPERANDS

**update-fonts-scale** takes one or more X font directory names to operate on as operands. Only the final path component of the directory name should be specified; e.g.,

**update-fonts-scale 75dpi**

is correct, while ‘**update-fonts-scale /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi**’ and ‘**update-fonts-scale /usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi**’ are not.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **COLUMNS**

  indicates the width of the terminal device in character cells. This value is used for formatting diagnostic messages. If not set, the terminal is queried using [**stty**(1)](/stty/1.md) to determine its width. If that fails, a value of ‘80’ is assumed.

- **DEBUG**

  determines whether low-level diagnostic messages are issued to standard error output. A null (empty) or unset value indicates that they are not, and a non-null value indicates that they are.

## DIAGNOSTICS

### Errors

- **usage error: one or more font directories must be provided**

  **update-fonts-scale** was invoked without operands. Supply one or more X font directory names to operate on.

- **usage error: unrecognized option**

  **update-fonts-scale** was invoked with an unrecognized option argument. Use only the options documented in “OPTIONS”, above.

- **fatal error: path to X font directory must be used**

  A directory name was supplied that was not an X font directory name. Supply X font directory names only.

### Warnings

- **warning: absolute path** *directory* **was provided**

  Usage of absolute paths is deprecated. Use only the final component of the X font directory name for *directory*.

- **warning:** *directory* **does not exist or is not a directory**

  The supplied *directory* was invalid. **update-fonts-scale** skipped it.

### Notes

Notes are only displayed under special circumstances; see “ENVIRONMENT”. above.

- **note:** *index* **references nonexistent font file** *filename*

  The index file */etc/X11/fonts/*directory*/*package*.scale*, refers to a nonexistent font file, *filename*. This is normal when *package* has been removed, but not purged from the system. In other circumstances, it likely indicates an error in *package*.

## EXIT STATUS

- 0

  **update-fonts-scale** ran successfully.

- 1

  **update-fonts-scale** experienced a fatal error; see the section on diagnostic messages above.

- 2

  **update-fonts-scale** was invoked with invalid arguments.

## BUGS

See the Debian Bug Tracking System ⟨URL: https://bugs.debian.org/xfonts-utils ⟩. If you wish to report a bug in **update-fonts-scale**, please see */usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt* or the [**reportbug**(1)](/reportbug/1.md) command.

## AUTHOR

**update-fonts-scale** was written by Branden Robinson.

## SEE ALSO

[**mkfontdir**(1x)](/mkfontdir/1x.md)