SETFONT(8)

NAME
setfont - load EGA/VGA console screen font

SYNOPSIS
setfont [ -o font.orig ] [ -fontsize ] [ font.new ]

DESCRIPTION
The setfont command loads a font into the EGA/VGA character generator, and optionally outputs the previous font. This command reads an 8xH font from the file and loads it into the character generator memory. Usually the font size H will be clear from the file size, but if the input file has code page format, containing the three fonts 8x8, 8x14 and 8x16, the option -8 or -14 or -16 must be used to select one. If no args are given (or only the option -fontsize ), then a default font is loaded. As currently there is no mode switching support in the Linux kernel, setfont has nothing to do with the current EGA/VGA mode. It's totally user's responsibility to choose the font matching the current mode.

Font files are binary files of size 256*H bytes, containing bit images for each of 256 characters, one byte per scan line, and H bytes per character (0 < H <= 32). Also .psf files are accepted; these files have the same format but an additional 4 byte header.

FILES
/usr/lib/kbd/consolefonts is the default directory for fonts.

SEE ALSO
mapkey(8) and mapscrn(8)

AUTHORS
Eugene G. Crosser (crosser@pccross.msk.su)
Andries E. Brouwer (aeb@cwi.nl)