# Install mftrace with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Trace TeX bitmap font to PFA, PFB, or TTF font. Version 1.2.20 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:mftrace ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mftrace ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mftrace ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/mftrace/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install mftrace ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: mftrace from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mftrace ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mftrace from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#mftrace ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mf/mftrace/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install mftrace ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mftrace from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mftrace - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.2.20 - **Source summary:** Trace TeX bitmap font to PFA, PFB, or TTF font - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gf2pbm (cli) - mftrace (cli) - gf2pbm (alias) - mftrace (alias) ## Dependencies - fontforge - potrace - python@3.14 - t1utils ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.2.20 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://lilypond.org/mftrace/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage mftrace grew out of the TeX and METAFONT font toolchain as a Python wrapper for converting TeX bitmap fonts into scalable outlines. The LilyPond-hosted manual describes it as tracing a TeX bitmap font into PFA, PFB, or TTF output, and notes that versions before 1.0.5 were named pktrace. The project documentation and man page identify Han-Wen Nienhuys as the author. ### Project history The tool's importance is narrow but durable: it bridges METAFONT-era bitmap fonts and scalable font formats used by PostScript, PDF, and TrueType workflows. Its manual describes the reason for the conversion in package-nerd terms: scalable fonts render across printer resolutions and let Ghostscript generate better PDFs than bitmap-only inputs. ### How it is used In use, mftrace delegates the heavy lifting to font and tracing utilities such as METAFONT, potrace or autotrace, t1asm, and FontForge-like tooling. That makes it a glue package for TeX distributions, music engraving and document publishing systems, and maintainers converting old METAFONT designs into formats expected by modern font consumers. Its packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE reflects that it is infrastructure for a specialized publishing niche rather than an end-user font editor. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** mftrace - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 2 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - mftrace - 1.2.20+git20191022.3b4bc2e-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: mftrace from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Converts Metafont fonts into Type1 fonts | https://lilypond.org/mftrace/index.html - Nix - mftrace: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mf/mftrace/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - mftrace - 1.2.20+git20191022.3b4bc2e-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mftrace from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Converts Metafont fonts into Type1 fonts | https://lilypond.org/mftrace/index.html - dnf - mftrace - 1.2.20-19.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mftrace from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utility for converting TeX bitmap fonts to Type 1 or TrueType fonts | http://lilypond.org/mftrace/ - zypper - mftrace - 1.2.20-4.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mftrace from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Scalable PostScript Fonts for MetaFont | https://lilypond.org/mftrace/ - MacPorts - mftrace: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/mftrace/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [fontforge](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fontforge/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [potrace](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/potrace/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [t1utils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/t1utils/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [eot-utils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/eot-utils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media, truetype. - [font-util](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/font-util/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media. - [fontconfig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fontconfig/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media. - [freetype](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freetype/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media. - [psftools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/psftools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media. - [graphite2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/graphite2/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fonts, media. - [otf2bdf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/otf2bdf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, font-conversion, fonts, media. - [lilypond](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lilypond/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, media, python, python-3-14. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mftrace.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mftrace.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph