mkfontscale
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Description:
Create an index of scalable font files for X
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: System utilities
Tags: x11 fonts xorg system-utility indexing
Install: brew install mkfontscale
About:
mkfontscale creates an index of scalable font files for the X Window System. It scans directories for Type 1 and TrueType fonts and generates a fonts.scale file. This index is essential for the X server to recognize and properly render scalable fonts.
Key Features:
  • Generates fonts.scale index files for X11
  • Supports Type 1 and TrueType scalable font formats
  • Scans specified directories for font files
  • Integrates with X font server infrastructure
Use Cases:
  • Setting up a custom font directory for X11
  • Refreshing font indexes after adding new scalable fonts
  • Configuring font paths in xorg.conf
Alternatives:
  • xset – Runtime font path management vs index file generation
  • fontconfig – Modern font system vs legacy X11 font handling
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 11, 2025 1:44am 0 VERSION_BUMP 4fd05e15