dh_installxfonts - Linux

Overview

dh_installxfonts is a utility employed within the Debian packaging system to handle the installation, removal, and management of font packages. It facilitates the seamless integration of fonts into Debian-based systems, following the Debian Font Packaging Guidelines.

Syntax

dh_installxfonts [options] [debhelper options]

Options/Flags

  • -a, –all: Include all fonts, even those not marked for installation by their copyright notice.
  • -f, –force: Force the installation of fonts, overriding copyright restrictions.
  • -L, –license: Activate the installation of fonts with the specified license. License names can be prefixed with + (to treat as required) or - (to exclude).
  • -P, –package: Package name to use for output package. Default: fonts-<font-family>.
  • -p, –path: Append additional path to font search list. Can be specified multiple times.
  • -R, –remove: Remove specified fonts from the system.
  • -V, –verify: Verify that fonts are correctly installed.

Examples

Installing a specific font:

dh_installxfonts -L "GPL" dejavu-fonts

Installing all fonts in a package, ignoring copyright notices:

dh_installxfonts -a -P my-own-fonts

Removing a font:

dh_installxfonts -R DejaVuSans.ttf

Common Issues

  • Copyright conflicts: Fonts may have conflicting copyright licenses. Use the -L and -f options to handle these.
  • Font conflicts: Multiple font packages may provide the same font. Use dpkg -L to check for conflicts.

Integration

Updating metadata in Debian packages: Use dh_installxfonts --createonly to update package metadata without installing files.

Related Commands

  • dpkg: Package management utility
  • debhelper: Debian helper scripts for package building
  • fontconfig: Font configuration and management system