Using True Type Fonts in XTerm
I’ve not had to use TrueType fonts before as my desktop display resolution never warranted it. Now with eyesight failing and much better monitors, I decided to give them a go. Fonts are globally managed by settings in /etc/X11/app-defaults . However, TrueType fonts can be locally set in ~/.Xresources . To browse the list of fonts use: fc-list :fontformat=TrueType -f "%{family}\n" | sort -u | less Test a font by specifying in the xterm command using the -fa option: xterm -fa 'Luxi Mono' -fs 10 Where fa refers to the fonts face name, and fs , the font size. Once happy with your font, apply to your application in ~/.Xresources. For example to apply for XTerm : ! my customisations XTerm*faceName: DejaVu Sans Mono XTerm*faceSize: 11 The final step is to set these resource changes using xrdb : xrdb -merge .Xresources So, next time you invoke a plain xterm command you will be greeted with your new font.