Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 7.8

Chapter 44. Other X-based Programs

FontForge-20150824

Introduction to FontForge

The FontForge package contains an outline font editor that lets you create your own postscript, truetype, opentype, cid-keyed, multi-master, cff, svg and bitmap (bdf, FON, NFNT) fonts, or edit existing ones.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-7.8 platform.

Package Information

FontForge Dependencies

Required

FreeType-2.6, GLib-2.44.1, and libxml2-2.9.2

Recommended

Cairo-1.14.2, GTK+-2.24.28, Harfbuzz-1.0.3, Pango-1.36.8 (required if Xorg libraries are present), and Xorg Libraries

Optional

giflib-5.1.1, libjpeg-turbo-1.4.1, libpng-1.6.18, LibTIFF-4.0.5, Python-2.7.10, IPython, libspiro, libunicodenames, libuninameslist, and zeromq (libzmq),

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/fontforge

Installation of FontForge

Install FontForge by running the following commands: 

./configure --prefix=/usr     \
            --enable-gtk2-use \
            --disable-static  \
            --docdir=/usr/share/doc/fontforge-20150824 &&
make

To test the results, issue: make check.

Now, as the root user: 

make install
[Note]

Note

Fontforge may need a workaround to start, due to a bug in the splash screen. If you wish to start from a terminal, either issue fontforge -new, or, after issuing fontforge, press Ctrl-C once, after the splash screen appears. For the menu, make the following substitution, as the root user: 

sed -e '/Exec/ s/fontforge/& -new/' \
    -i /usr/share/applications/fontforge.desktop

Command Explanations

--enable-gtk2-use: allows to use the GTK+2 graphics instead of basic Xorg graphics.

--disable-static: This switch prevents installation of static versions of the libraries.

--enable-debug: Turn on debug build and FONTFORGE_DEBUG conditional code. Requires libspiro.

Contents

Installed Programs: fontforge, fontimage, fontlint and sfddiff
Installed Libraries: libfontforgeexe.so, libfontforge.so, libgdraw.so, libgioftp.so, libgunicode.so, libgutils.so, and /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/{fontforge,psMat}.so
Installed Directories: /usr/{include,share}/fontforge and /usr/share/doc/fontforge-20150824

Short Descriptions

fontforge

is a program that allows you to create and modify font files.

fontimage

is a program that produces an image showing representative glyphs of the font.

fontlint

is a program that checks the font for certain common errors.

sfddiff

is a program that compares two font files.

Last updated on 2015-09-21 18:11:20 -0700