Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!bloom-beacon!sunbim.be!db
From: db@sunbim.be (Danny Backx)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: NCD fonts
Message-ID: <9011060911.AA07599@sunbim.be>
Date: 7 Nov 90 06:07:55 GMT
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 55

Subject: Re:  NCD fonts
References: <9011040546.AA01926@Larry.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Reply-To: db@whitney.UUCP (Danny Backx)
Organization: BIM Everberg Belgium

mouse@LARRY.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU writes:
>> Is there a problem with the NCD servers that doesn't allow for
>> loading of user fonts?
>
>I don't know how NCD boxes get their fonts, but I suspect that you
>either aren't passing the string in the correct form (perhaps the NCD
>doesn't use UNIX-style paths for its font path?) or else the NCD has a
>different filesystem viewpoint from yours (perhaps it gets the fonts
>from a different machine from the one your directories are on?).

I do know. We distribute these things.
Basically, you can use three methods : NFS, TFTP, and DAP (=DECnet).

I'll only go into the NFS. An NCD is an NFS client. Therefore, it has a tiny
filesystem inside, which consists of what you mount. In the configuration file,
you can put something like :
	nfs-file-systems =
		mercator:/home/X11r4	/home/X11r4
		mercator:/usr/lib/X11	/usr/lib/X11
		mercator:/tmp		/tmp
which means that you mount 3 directory trees from the NFS server mercator on
'directories' with the same names in the NCD. You can off course use different
names. You can also mount partitions from more than one host.

Important is that /usr/lib/X11 usually is a symbolic link. The NFS protocol
is aware of symbolic links. Therefore, you MUST also mount the partition that
the link points to. In my case,
		/usr/lib/X11 -> /home/X11r4/sun4/usr/lib/X11
Therefore, /home/X11r4 had to be mounted also...

Note that an NCD has a diagnostics window, in which you can see the X server's
error messages. With the recent NCDware version 2.2, you can have the NCD put
this in a file on your favourite NFS server also. (Which is why I mount /tmp.)

So, in conclusion: if you want to use a font directory with your NCD, it MUST
be accessible through NFS, TFTP, or DAP.

	Danny Backx
	BIM Networks System Engineer

E-Mail: db@sunbim.be    (or uunet!mcsun!ub4b!sunbim!db)

Telephone: +32(2)759.59.25	Fax : +32(2)759.47.95

Postal Mail :
	Danny Backx
	BIM
	Kwikstraat 4
	3078 Everberg
	Belgium