macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mkfontscalelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mkfontscaleMacPorts ports tree · x11/mkfontscale/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install mkfontscale with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
Create an index of scalable font files for X. Version 1.2.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-18.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add mkfontscaleAlpine Linux edge package indexes · mkfontscale · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mkfontscaleFedora Rawhide package metadata · mkfontscale · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mkfontscalenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/mk/mkfontscale/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install mkfontscaleopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mkfontscale · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Create an index of scalable font files for X
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mkfontdir
- mkfontscale
history
Project history and usage
mkfontscale is an X.Org command-line utility for the legacy X11 font system. Its manual states that the version shipped with X.Org was originally written by Juliusz Chroboczek for the XFree86 project and that its functionality was inspired by Joerg Pommnitz's ttmkfdir utility. The program scans scalable font files and writes index data that X11 font machinery can use; the related mkfontdir command creates fonts.dir files.
How it is used
The package's role is infrastructural rather than application-facing. X.Org and downstream package managers keep it available for systems that still need X11 core font directories, scalable font indexes, or compatibility with older X font workflows. The freedesktop GitLab project describes it as utilities for creating the fonts.scale and fonts.dir index files used by the legacy X11 font system, while Homebrew packages it with freetype and libfontenc dependencies and installs both mkfontscale and mkfontdir.
Sources
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/mkfontscale.json
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/api/v4/projects/xorg%2Fapp%2Fmkfontscale
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/mkfontscale
- https://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.5/doc/man/man1/mkfontscale.1.html
- https://www.x.org/releases/current/doc/man/man1/mkfontscale.1.xhtml
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 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
mkfontdir | cli | global executable | |
mkfontscale | 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 version1.2.4
manager updated2026-04-18
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.x.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mkfontscale |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.2.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mkfontscale |
| Homepage | https://www.x.org/ |
| Repository | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/mkfontscale |
| Upstream docs | https://www.x.org/releases/current/doc/man/man1/mkfontscale.1.xhtml |
| License | X11 |
| Source archive | https://www.x.org/releases/individual/app/mkfontscale-1.2.4.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-04-18T23:54:30Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | freetype, libfontenc |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf, xorgproto |
| Uses from macOS | bzip2 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | mkfontscale |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
mkfontscale
nix profile install nixpkgs#mkfontscale- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
apk95%
mkfontscale 1.2.4-r0
Scalable font index generator for X
sudo apk add mkfontscale- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mkfontscale
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
apk95%
mkfontscale-doc 1.2.4-r0
Scalable font index generator for X (documentation)
sudo apk add mkfontscale-doc- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mkfontscale
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
dnf95%
mkfontscale 1.2.3-4.fc44
Tool to generate legacy X11 font system index files
sudo dnf install mkfontscale- License: MIT-open-group AND X11 AND MIT AND HPND-sell-variant
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mkfontscale
- 6 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
zypper95%
mkfontscale 1.2.4-1.2
Utility to create index of scalable font files for X
sudo zypper install mkfontscale- License: MIT
- Category: System/X11/Utilities
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mkfontscale
- 5 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
MacPorts95%
mkfontscale
sudo port install mkfontscale- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mkfontscale
Nix92%
mkfontdir
nix profile install nixpkgs#mkfontdir- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Mkfontdir
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.
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