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https://github.com/johnsonjh/font-bigletter-multics

font-bigletter-multics: A font derived from the Multics I/O daemon bigletter_ procedure
https://github.com/johnsonjh/font-bigletter-multics

bigletter dps8 dps8m font multics

Last synced: 16 days ago
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font-bigletter-multics: A font derived from the Multics I/O daemon bigletter_ procedure

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README 

          



# Bigletter (and Littleletter) Multics Fonts









## Overview



* This repository contains software that builds **TrueType** and **FIGlet** versions of the [Multics](https://swenson.org/multics_wiki/) [`bigletter_`](https://multicians.org/bigletter_.html) fonts.

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* The [Multics](https://swenson.org/multics_wiki/) I/O daemon (*see:* [Multics printing software](https://multicians.org/printer.html)) includes the [`bigletter_`](https://dps8m.gitlab.io/sb/MR12.8/library_dir_dir/system_library_standard/source/bound_printing_cmds_.s.archive/bigletter_.pl1.html) procedure.

* This procedure creates the large text used on Multics print job head and tail (banner) pages.

* The fonts used on these pages are defined in [`letseg_.alm`](https://dps8m.gitlab.io/sb/MR12.8/library_dir_dir/system_library_standard/source/bound_printing_cmds_.s.archive/letseg_.alm.html) in the Multics source code.

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* There are actually *two* fonts defined in these tables:

  * The "*big*" font which is **9×8** (a large font used in the body of the banner pages), and,

  * The "*little*" font which is **5×5** (a small font used for printing on the edges of the banner pages).

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* You can read some interesting anecdotes about this code at [multicians.org](https://multicians.org/bigletter_.html).



## Fonts



* This repository contains:

  * a [C program (`makefont`)](makefont.c) which converts these tables to JSON files,

  * a [C program (`makefiglet`)](makefiglet.c) which converts the JSON files to [**FIGlet fonts**](http://www.figlet.org/),

  * and [Python program](makefont.py) which converts the JSON files to [Spline Font Databases](https://github.com/fontforge/fontforge/blob/master/fontforge/sfd.c).

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* [Fontforge](https://fontforge.org/) is used to convert the SFD files to monospaced dot-matrix style **TrueType fonts**.



### Variants



* We build *three* different TrueType variants of each font:

  * the "Normal" font optimized for the screen and smaller sizes, and,

  * "Star" and "Asterisk" variants optimized for larger print (like banner pages).



### Preview



* A [**PDF preview document**](https://gitlab.com/dps8m/font-bigletter-multics/-/raw/master/.preview/Bigletter_Littleletter.pdf?ref_type=heads&inline=true) is available.



## Build



* Building the fonts from source requires [GNU Make](https://www.gnu.org/software/make/), a [C99 compiler](https://gcc.gnu.org/), [Python 3](https://www.python.org/), and [Fontforge](https://fontforge.org/) with [Python support](https://fontforge.org/docs/scripting/python.html).

* The build has been tested on IBM AIX, Apple macOS, and GNU/Linux.  Other systems are expected to work with minimal fuss.

* For debugging and development, the C programs are compatible with the [SoftIntegration Ch](https://www.softintegration.com/) C/C++ interpreter.



## Download



* You may download [pre-built TrueType fonts](TrueType) and [pre-built FIGlet fonts](FIGlet) if you are unable to build from source.



## Availability



* The canonical repository is located at [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/dps8m/font-bigletter-multics).

* A mirror at [GitHub](https://github.com/johnsonjh/font-bigletter-multics) is also available.



## License



* These fonts come directly from Multics, and are distributed under the terms of the **Multics License**:

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  []()

  ```

  Multics License



  Copyright © 1972 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Copyright © 1972-1982 Honeywell Information Systems, Inc.

  Copyright © 2006 Bull HN Information Systems, Inc.

  Copyright © 2006 Bull SAS

  Copyright © 2025 Jeffrey H. Johnson

  Copyright © 2025 The DPS8M Development Team



  All rights reserved.



   * This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is

     provided and donated to The Massachusetts Institute of Technology by

     Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems, Inc. as a contribution

     to computer science knowledge.



   * This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions

     of The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bell Laboratories, General

     Electric, Honeywell Information Systems, Inc., Honeywell BULL, Inc.,

     Groupe BULL and BULL HN Information Systems, Inc. to the development of

     this operating system.



   * Multics development was initiated by The Massachusetts Institute of

     Technology Project MAC (1963-1970), renamed the MIT Laboratory for

     Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under

     the leadership of Professor Fernando José Corbató. Users consider that

     Multics provided the best software architecture for managing computer

     hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating

     systems incorporated Multics principles.



   * Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe, and in

     the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems, Inc., as successor in interest

     by change in name only to Honeywell Bull, Inc. and Honeywell Information

     Systems, Inc.



  Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their

  documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided

  that this copyright notice and the above historical background appear in all

  copies and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this

  permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of

  MIT, HIS, BULL, or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining

  to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.

  ```