# How to get font info on \*nix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501 "2005-11-21T16:07:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rmagick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501/1 "2005-11-21T16:07:56Z")
I’m thinking about writing a Ruby extension for Linux/\*BSD/Darwin to enumerate all the fonts (Postscript and TTF) that are installed, along with their attributes. Given such an extension I could write a Ruby program to generate a custom ImageMagick font config file. Can somebody enlighten me about where to start? Is there an existing library I can leverage? I found fontconfig ([www.fontconfig.org](http://www.fontconfig.org)) but I’m not sure that’s right. ---
**Author:** ![rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rmagick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501/2 "2005-11-21T17:20:41Z")
On 11/21/05, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m thinking about writing a Ruby extension for Linux/\*BSD/Darwin to > enumerate all the fonts (Postscript and TTF) that are installed, along > with their attributes. Given such an extension I could write a Ruby > program to generate a custom ImageMagick font config file. > > Can somebody enlighten me about where to start? Is there an existing > library I can leverage? I found fontconfig ([www.fontconfig.org](http://www.fontconfig.org)) but I’m > not sure that’s right. Take a look near the top of the PDF::Writer main file (lib/pdf/writer.rb) and you’ll see what I do in order to find existing fonts. It’s imperfect and somewhat untested, but you may need to parse the fonts themselves to determine the relevant information. -austin ---
**Author:** ![rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rmagick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501/3 "2005-11-21T18:33:24Z")
Quoting “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > Can somebody enlighten me about where to start? Is there an > existing library I can leverage? I found fontconfig > ([www.fontconfig.org](http://www.fontconfig.org)) but I’m not sure that’s right. Fontconfig is about the closest you can come to a standard for font configuration on \*nix right now. Which is to say: not very, but it’s probably the best you can do. It should at least work anywhere that’s got a modern Gtk. -mental ---
**Author:** ![rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rmagick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501/4 "2005-11-21T19:49:57Z")
On 11/21/05, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > It should at least work anywhere that’s got a modern Gtk. > Or xterm, recent xterms can use TrueType fonts, and they are linked > with fontconfig. > I only wish more Xlib applications did that 🙂 Thanks Michal – Support the freedom of music! Maybe it’s a weird genre … but weird is _not_ illegal. Maybe next time they will send a special forces commando to your picnic … because they think you are weird. [www.music-versus-guns.org](http://www.music-versus-guns.org)[http://en.policejnistat.cz](http://en.policejnistat.cz) ---
**Author:** ![rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@rmagick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rmagick)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-font-info-on-nix/48501/5 "2005-11-22T02:04:35Z")
Austin Z. wrote: > Take a look near the top of the PDF::Writer main file > (lib/pdf/writer.rb) and you’ll see what I do in order to find existing > fonts. It’s imperfect and somewhat untested, but you may need to parse > the fonts themselves to determine the relevant information. Verrrry interesting…Thanks, Austin!