Console Fonts - Revision history

Pigs: add link to fonts

2025-06-01T06:29:54Z

add link to fonts

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:29, 1 June 2025
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	It is possible to change the fonts used by the Linux console. The common fonts used by GUI applications cannot be used in the console. Instead, special console-specific fonts must be used. NixOS includes several such console fonts - links to them can be found in <code>/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts</code>.		It is possible to change the [[fonts]] used by the Linux console. The common fonts used by GUI applications cannot be used in the console. Instead, special console-specific fonts must be used. NixOS includes several such console fonts - links to them can be found in <code>/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts</code>.

	=== Setting console font temporarily ===		=== Setting console font temporarily ===

Klinger: Category:Configuration

2024-12-09T17:37:45Z

Category:Configuration

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:37, 9 December 2024
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	[[Category:CLI]]		[[Category:CLI]]
	[[Category:Fonts]]		[[Category:Fonts]]
			[[Category:Configuration]]

Klinger: Category:CLI Category:Fonts

2024-12-09T17:36:59Z

Category:CLI Category:Fonts

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:36, 9 December 2024
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	</syntaxhighlight>The console fonts included in NixOS are provided by <code>pkgs.kbd</code>, which should be included by default.		</syntaxhighlight>The console fonts included in NixOS are provided by <code>pkgs.kbd</code>, which should be included by default.
	[[Category:Tutorial]]		[[Category:Tutorial]]
			[[Category:CLI]]
			[[Category:Fonts]]

Void Entity: Fixed an incorrect copy-pasted value

2024-12-09T09:20:41Z

Fixed an incorrect copy-pasted value

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:20, 9 December 2024
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	console.font = "/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts/Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz";		console.font = "/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts/Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz";
	</syntaxhighlight>In order to use the direct path of a file found in this directory, the following would be necessary:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">		</syntaxhighlight>In order to use the direct path of a file found in this directory, the following would be necessary:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
	console.font = "${pkgs.kbd}/share/consolefonts/~~gr928~~-~~8x16-thin~~.psfu.gz";		console.font = "${pkgs.kbd}/share/consolefonts/Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz";
	</syntaxhighlight>The console fonts included in NixOS are provided by <code>pkgs.kbd</code>, which should be included by default.		</syntaxhighlight>The console fonts included in NixOS are provided by <code>pkgs.kbd</code>, which should be included by default.
	[[Category:Tutorial]]		[[Category:Tutorial]]

Void Entity: Created page

2024-12-09T09:18:26Z

Created page

New page

It is possible to change the fonts used by the Linux console. The common fonts used by GUI applications cannot be used in the console. Instead, special console-specific fonts must be used. NixOS includes several such console fonts - links to them can be found in <code>/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts</code>.

=== Setting console font temporarily ===
The command <code>setfont <file-path></code> can change the console font temporarily. For example:<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
setfont /etc/static/kbd/consolefonts/Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz
</syntaxhighlight>The command <code>showconsolefont</code> will generate a grid displaying the characters in the current font.

Note that both of these commands will only work in a TTY; they will not function in a terminal emulator.

=== Setting console font via configuration.nix ===
A console font can be set permanently via the option <code>console.font</code> in your <code>configuration.nix</code>:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
console.font = "Lat2-Terminus16";
</syntaxhighlight>In this option, use simply the filename of the font, without the path or file extensions.

==== Setting fonts via full path ====
Note: while it is possible to use the full path of a font for this option (e.g <code>/home/user/my-font.psfu.gz</code>), the font setting process cannot follow symlinks. So, for example, the following option would fail:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
console.font = "/etc/static/kbd/consolefonts/Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz";
</syntaxhighlight>In order to use the direct path of a file found in this directory, the following would be necessary:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
console.font = "${pkgs.kbd}/share/consolefonts/gr928-8x16-thin.psfu.gz";
</syntaxhighlight>The console fonts included in NixOS are provided by <code>pkgs.kbd</code>, which should be included by default.
[[Category:Tutorial]]