# Install font-util with Homebrew, apk, Nix, zypper, dnf, pacman
X.Org: Font package creation/installation utilities. Version 1.4.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-04. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#font-util.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:font-util
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install font-util
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add font-util
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: font-util from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#font-util
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fo/font-util/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install font-util
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: font-util from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install xorg-x11-font-utils
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: xorg-x11-font-utils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S xorg-font-util
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: xorg-font-util from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:font-util
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.4.2
- **Source summary:** X.Org: Font package creation/installation utilities
- **Homepage:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-04T13:13:40+09:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- bdftruncate (alias)
- ucs2any (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.4.2
## Project history and usage
font-util is the X.Org utility package for font package creation and installation support.
### Project history
The official README describes font-util as X.Org font package creation and installation utilities. It records the primary development repository at freedesktop.org GitLab and directs questions to the Xorg mailing list.
The package sits in the modular X.Org font stack. Its README documents the `--with-fontrootdir` configure option and the fontutil pkg-config file, which allows font modules built with fontutil macros to learn a default parent directory.
### Adoption history
font-util followed X.Org's modular packaging era: the freedesktop tag list includes X.Org release tags and later font-util-specific releases. Its audience is mostly downstream packagers and maintainers of X.Org font modules rather than end-user font designers.
### How it is used
The package supplies command-line helpers such as `bdftruncate` and `ucs2any`, plus build-time metadata/macros used when producing and installing X.Org font packages.
### Why package nerds care
font-util is a classic infrastructure package: small, rarely visible to users, but useful for keeping the old X11 bitmap/font-module world reproducible across source builds and operating-system packages.
### Timeline
- 2004: freedesktop tag history shows X.Org-era font repository tags before modular font-util releases.
- 2007: The tag list includes early font-util 1.0 and 1.1 releases.
- 2020s: The tag list continues through font-util 1.4.x releases.
### Related projects
- font-util belongs to the X.Org font module family and is related to the broader X.Org and freedesktop.org build and release infrastructure.
### Sources
-
-
-
## Security Notes
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Nix - font-util: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fo/font-util/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- apk - font-util - 1.4.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: font-util from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | X.org font utilities | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/font/util
- apk - font-util-dev - 1.4.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: font-util-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | X.org font utilities (development files) | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/font/util
- apk - font-util-doc - 1.4.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: font-util-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | X.org font utilities (documentation) | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/font/util
- dnf - xorg-x11-font-utils - 7.5-64.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: xorg-x11-font-utils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | X.Org X11 font utilities | http://www.x.org
- pacman - xorg-font-util - 1.4.2-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: xorg-font-util from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | X.Org font utilities | https://xorg.freedesktop.org/
- zypper - font-util - 1.4.2-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: font-util from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | X.Org font package creation/installation utilities | https://xorg.freedesktop.org/
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/font-util.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/font-util.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph