Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Indic Fonts HOWTO
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# 7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

7.1. I can't start the X windows system. It gives an error "Could not open default Indic font 'xyz'".
7.2. Can I use any other font as the default system font instead of the raghu font shipped with the IndiX system?
7.3. I have installed IndiX system but it doesn't show Hindi characters. Why?
7.4. Why are some of the pixels in Hindi characters distorted?
7.5. All Hindi characters are displayed, but why are they not rendered properly?
7.6. Why can't I download ISO images of Exodus GNU/Linux, yet?

7.1. I can't start the X windows system. It gives an error "Could not open default Indic font 'xyz'".

Please make sure that the font 'xyz' is correctly installed and is in the current FontPath. The Indic fonts usually reside in the `/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/` directory. Your FontPath is defined in the `/etc/X11/XFree86Config-4` file. To learn more about howto specify your FontPath, read the section on X Window System (3.2) in this HOWTO.

7.2. Can I use any other font as the default system font instead of the raghu font shipped with the IndiX system?

You can load an Indic script font by giving command line server option while starting X Window System. e.g.

      $ startx -- -devanagari "my_devanagari_font"

or

      $ startx -- -tamil "my_tamil_font"

Here, "my_devanagari_font" and "my_tamil_font" should be replaced by the font name that you want to load. You can either specify alias name or full XLFD name for the font. However alias name must be there in `fonts.alias` file and XLFD name in `fonts.dir` file.

7.3. I have installed IndiX system but it doesn't show Hindi characters. Why?

This could possibly be due to the fact that your Hindi locale has not been setup correctly. To change/set the locale you should set LANG environment variable. Append the line

      export LANG=hi_IN.UTF-8

in your `~/.bashrc` and `~/.bash_profile` files. Restart your terminal emulator program and run the application. After this the application should display Hindi characters.

7.4. Why are some of the pixels in Hindi characters distorted?

This is probably because the X Font Server (xfs) is running and is still in the current FontPath. You can either shutdown the X Font Server or remove it from the current FontPath. To shutdown xfs issue the following command after becoming root:

      # /etc/rc.d/init.d/xfs stop

To remove xfs from the current FontPath, read the section Section 3.2 in this HOWTO.

7.5. All Hindi characters are displayed, but why are they not rendered properly?

IndiX system uses an OpenType font to render Indic script characters, as it is the most suitable font format for Indic scripts. If you use some other kind of font, for example a TrueType font or a Bitmap font, then the font does not have enough information that is required to render Indic script text properly. So it is recommended to use only OpenType fonts for Indic scripts. Also, in case you are already using an OpenType font, please update your glibc.

7.6. Why can't I download ISO images of Exodus GNU/Linux, yet?

The good guys at Centurion Linux are looking for sponsors who can take care of their hosting needs. If you are interested in helping Centurion Linux out, please contact me on `<bali@centurionlinux.com>`.

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