install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install bdftopcf

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install bdftopcf

MacPorts ports tree · x11/bdftopcf/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add bdftopcf

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · bdftopcf · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install bdftopcf

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · bdftopcf · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#bdftopcf

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bd/bdftopcf/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install bdftopcf

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · bdftopcf · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Convert X font from Bitmap Distribution Format to Portable Compiled Format

Project links

Commands and aliases

bdftopcf

history

Project history and usage

bdftopcf is a small X.Org utility that compiles BDF bitmap fonts into PCF, the Portable Compiled Format used by the X server and X font server. It is not glamorous, but it is part of the plumbing that made bitmap font distribution and loading practical across architectures.

Project history

The X.Org manpage carries MIT X Consortium and Open Group copyright notices from the 1990s and identifies Keith Packard as the author. The current upstream README describes bdftopcf as a font compiler whose output is portable across architectures while still allowing fast native reads on the architecture it was optimized for.

Like many X11 utilities, bdftopcf moved through the modular X.Org era. The freedesktop GitLab tag history includes modular-copy and X.Org 7.0-era tags in 2005, followed by standalone bdftopcf 1.0.x and 1.1.x releases through bdftopcf-1.1.2 in 2024.

Adoption history

bdftopcf is adopted wherever traditional X11 bitmap-font tooling is still packaged. The input package facts show it in Homebrew, Alpine, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE packaging, reflecting its role as a compatibility and build utility rather than an end-user application.

How it is used

The documented command takes a .bdf font and writes PCF to standard output or an output file. Options set glyph padding, scanline unit, bit order, byte order, terminal-font conversion, ink-metric handling, and output filename.

Why package nerds care

bdftopcf is package-nerd significant because it is a surviving shard of the X11 bitmap font toolchain. Its value is mostly infrastructural: font packages, old X deployments, reproducible builds, and compatibility stacks need tiny tools like this to keep legacy formats buildable.

Timeline

1990s: bdftopcf is part of the MIT X Consortium/Open Group X11 utility set.
2001: The XFree86/X.Org manpage revisions document the tool and Keith Packard authorship.
2005: X.Org modularization tags appear in the upstream history.
2007: bdftopcf-1.0.1 appears as an early standalone util release.
2024: bdftopcf-1.1.2 is tagged upstream on freedesktop GitLab.

Related projects

BDF is the text bitmap font source format converted by the tool.
PCF is the compiled bitmap font format produced by the tool.
X.Org Server and the historical X font server are the consumers named by the upstream README and manpage.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`bdftopcf`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version1.1.2

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/util/bdftopcf

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/util/bdftopcfnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:bdftopcf
Version	1.1.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bdftopcf
Homepage	https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/util/bdftopcf
Repository	https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/util/bdftopcf
Upstream docs	https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/util/bdftopcf
License	MIT-open-group
Source archive	https://www.x.org/releases/individual/util/bdftopcf-1.1.2.tar.xz
Build dependencies	pkgconf, xorgproto
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	bdftopcf
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

bdftopcf

nix profile install nixpkgs#bdftopcf

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bd/bdftopcf/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

apk95%

bdftopcf 1.1.2-r0

X.Org font utility

https://xorg.freedesktop.org/

sudo apk add bdftopcf

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: bdftopcf
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: bdftopcf from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

bdftopcf-doc 1.1.2-r0

X.Org font utility (documentation)

https://xorg.freedesktop.org/

sudo apk add bdftopcf-doc

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: bdftopcf
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: bdftopcf-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

bdftopcf 1.1.2-5.fc44

Font compiler for the X server and font server

https://www.x.org

sudo dnf install bdftopcf

License: MIT-open-group
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: bdftopcf
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bdftopcf from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

bdftopcf 1.1.2-1.5

Font compiler for the X server and font server

http://xorg.freedesktop.org/

sudo zypper install bdftopcf

License: MIT
Category: System/X11/Utilities
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: bdftopcf
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: bdftopcf from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

bdftopcf

sudo port install bdftopcf

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bdftopcf

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: x11/bdftopcf/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/bdftopcf.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install bdftopcf with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper