3.4 Configure the way web2c generates fonts

Web2C uses mktex programs to build missing fonts. The most important one is mktexpk that is called by the dvi drivers like windvi or dvips to generate pk files for missing fonts (see the mktexpk manpage for further informations about mktexpk).

Let us first discuss where generated pk files are stored. By default, mktexpk stores the font in

 c:\TeX\texmf\fonts\pk\mfmode\supplier\typeface\fontname.xxxpk

where xxx is the resolution of the font and the values for supplier and typeface are taken from the path of the mf file that was used to generate the pk file.

Examples:

C:\TeX\texmf\fonts\source\public\cm\cmr10.mf
Supplier = public; typeface = cm

C:\TeX\texmf\fonts\source\jknappen\ec\ecrm1000.mf
Supplier = jknappen; typeface = ec

You can configure where the mktex programs will place the produced files by setting the MT_FEATURES variable in the file mktex.cnf. The following settings are allowed:

dosnames
The pk files are stored as dpixxx\fontname.pk instead of fontname.xxxpk. This setting is valuable on systems that have problems with long filenames or if you are using a DVI previewer that expects filenames in DOS like 8+3 syntax (e.g. dviwin) stripsupplier
striptypeface
Suppress the storage of the fonts in a subdirectory with the name of the supplier or the typeface, respectively.
varfonts
The pk files will be stored in the directory tree defined by the VARTEXFONTS setting in the file texmf.cnf instead of the texmf tree. This is the default if the font directory in the texmf tree is write protected.

Important note: Be sure to set the VARTEXFONTS variable to a proper setting if you use this feature. For this edit the file texmf.cnf (you can use kpsewhichtexmf.cnf to find out where it is located, normaly in ...\texmf\web2c), find the line where VARTEXFONTS is defined (VARTEXFONTS=...) and set it to the proper directory. One interesting directory to set VARTEXFONTS to is $TEXMFLOCAL/fonts. This way, all users at your site will share generated fonts files.

To change the MT_FEATURES setting proceed as follows.

  1. Edit the file mktex.cnf (normally located in texmf-var/texmf/web2c, otherwise use
    kpsewhich mktex.cnf). The syntax for the MT_FEATURES setting is
            : ${MT_FEATURES=setting1:setting2:setting3}
    
    The line must begin with :.
  2. Create a dummy file named mktexnam.opt. Open a command prompt window, change the current directory to c:\TeX\texmf\web2c and type
          c:\TeX\texmf\web2c> copy con mktexnam.opt
          ^Z
    
    Here the term ^Z means typing <Control>+Z.
  3. Don't forget to rerun mktexlsr to update the file database.