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When to Run a
Font Server
Part of a normal Linux computer's X
configuration is the specification of the font path
for that system. With XFree86, this is set using the FontPath entries in the XF86Config file (which is normally stored in /etc or /etc/X11 ). The
font path consists of one or more locations where the X server can find font
information. In the mid-1990s, Linux distributions tended to name local
filesystem directories in the font path. These directories contained fonts and
font configuration files. Such a configuration is still possible, and is even
used today as part or all of the default font configuration for some
distributions.There are several problems with telling X to
use fonts stored on a hard disk, though. For one thing, this relies upon X's
capacity to handle the font formats in question. Prior to the release of
version 4.0, XFree86 could not directly handle the popular TrueType font
format, for instance. Adding support for a font format directly to XFree86 is
fairly difficult, but a font server is a small and comparatively simple
program, so support for TrueType appeared in font servers long before it became
a standard part of XFree86. With XFree86 4.0, TrueType support isn't an issue,
but this situation could arise again with new or expanded font formats, such as
the Multiple Master format that's been growing slowly in popularity.Another problem with storing fonts on disk is
in administering a network of computers. If you have a collection of fonts you
want to make available to all the computers on a network, installing them on
all the computers on your network can be tedious. If you then want to add,
delete, or change some of the fonts, you're in for more tedium. Using a font
server permits you to centralize your font configuration; you need only
configure all your clients to use a particular font server, then make additions
and other changes to that one server. This can greatly ease your administrative
burden.Finally, font servers can sometimes deliver
features that aren't present in X's normal font handling. This is particularly
important for word processors, page layout programs, and other text-handling
programs. X was designed with displays on monitors in mind, not paper
printouts. Word processors and similar programs frequently need to perform
textual operations that simply aren't supported by X's font handling. An
expanded font server can provide these needs, thus simplifying the task of
writing programs that manipulate text layouts, and especially those that
provide what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) printing.Font servers may be run either locally, to
serve fonts to a single computer, or as full network servers, to deliver fonts
to many systems. Some Linux distributions today rely upon the first
configuration to handle some or all of the computer's font needs in X. The
latter configuration is something you'll have to design with your own network's
needs in mind. Most aspects of font server configuration are identical for
these two modes of operation; just a few details differ.WARNING
align=left border=0> In the United States, fonts cannot be
copyrighted, but their implementation in computer-readable font files can be copyrighted. In many other countries,
fonts can be copyrighted. In any event, you should check the licenses for
your fonts before you make them available on a font server. A font's license
might forbid such a use, or require that you pay a fee based on the number of
computers that use the font.
