Re: can I change the font of default "xterm"?

[Chris Gray <cgray@nowonder.com>]

On Thu, Apr 13, 2000 at 11:27:39PM +0000, john smith wrote:
> yes. actually what I meant to ask was the fonts for the terminals when you 
> press alt+f1,f2 etc..

First of all, you can't change it to a true type font as far as I know.
*But* you can make it much nicer.  The way I did it involves some kernel
configuring, and it might also not work on all systems.  So if you try
it, make sure that you have a backup kernel image to boot into.

So, now that the formalities are over, here's how you do it.  

1) You go into your kernel source tree and make menuconfig (or xconfig)
2) Turn on the experimental stuff in Code Level Maturity Options.
3) Go to Console Drivers.
4) Select VGA text console and video mode selection support.
5) Go to Frame buffer support and turn on frame buffer devices
6) Select the video card that you have, or if it's not listed VESA VGA
graphics console.  Resist the temptation to use modules.  They don't
work.
7) Turn on Advanced low level driver options, and select everything from
mono to 32 bpp
8) Turn on Select compiled in fonts.  (This is the fun part)
9) I really like the Sparc console 12x22 font, and it's the only one
that I selected.  It seems to me that it has to be the only one that you
select for you to use it.
10) That's it with kernel configuration.  Now compile the newly
configured kernel.  Make sure that you don't overwrite your last one,
you'll want it if things go wrong.
11) I added the line append="video=atyfb:1024x768-60,font:SUN12x22" to
my /etc/lilo.conf for the part which contained the new kernel.  This
depends on which card you chose when configuring.
12) When the kernel's done compiling, run lilo.
13) Reboot.  If things went well, you should now have a really nice font
to look at.  If the only problem is that your resolution is now out of
whack, you can use the fbset utility to fix it.  The command line that I
use is "fbset 1024x768-60".
14) Salt to taste.

Good luck,
Chris Gray

-- 
pick, pack, pock, puck: like drops of water in a fountain falling
softly in the brimming bowl.