Complete guide for installing Greek fonts in vintage systems

Installation and Browser Configuration for Multiple Platforms

Part I: Obtaining and Installing Greek Fonts
Part II: Greek Fonts under the X11 Window System
Part III: Configuring WWW Browsers for Greek
Appendix: Country Codes and Character Sets

Part I: Obtaining and Installing Greek Fonts

Introduction to Greek Character Sets

To correctly display Greek web pages on your screen, your system must support the Greek character set according to the ISO 8859-7 standard (also known as ELOT 928). If your system does not have this support, you will need to install a suitable Greek font. You will also need to configure your web browser (such as Netscape or Mosaic) appropriately.

The following sections provide the necessary software and instructions for accomplishing this on various platforms. Please note that these solutions enable you to view and print Greek text, though they may not allow you to type in Greek on all systems.

Understanding Greek Character Encodings

Several character encodings exist for Greek text:

ISO 8859-7 (ELOT 928): The international standard for Greek, used on Unix systems and the Internet.
ELOT 823: The native Macintosh Greek encoding.
IBM 737: Also known as "Greek II," commonly used in DOS systems.
IBM 869: Another DOS Greek codepage.
Windows CP1253: The Windows Greek codepage, similar to ISO 8859-7 but with minor differences.

Microsoft Windows 3.1

To add Greek fonts to your Windows 3.1x system, follow these steps:

Download the file arial.exe (165 KB) and execute it in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. This is a self-extracting LHA archive containing Greek TrueType fonts.
Add the "Arial Greek" font to Windows:
- Open Main, then Control Panel
- In the Control Panel, double-click the Fonts icon
- Click Add New Font
- Select all four "Arial Greek" fonts to add them
Configure Netscape to use the new font:
- From the Options menu, select Preferences
- Under Set Preferences On, choose Fonts and Colors
- Use the Choose Font buttons to select "Arial Greek" as your viewing font

Macintosh (System 7.1 or Later)

There are two options available for Macintosh users:

Option 1: Netscape Patcher

Download the file patcher.sit and unpack it using StuffIt. Apply the patch to Netscape 1.1N. This allows you to use your own high-quality Greek (non-standard) Mac fonts, which currently yield the best results. (Contributed by tsaoutos@hyper.gr)

Option 2: ELOT-928 Compliant Font

For an ELOT-928 compliant Mac font, download hellastimes.sit.hqx (70 KB). After decompressing its contents, drop the font files into your System Folder. Then select "HellasTimes" as your font in Netscape and choose "MacRoman" encoding (via Options > Preferences). (Contributed by topalis@euclid.iacm.forth.gr)

Option 3: Complete ELOT 928 Package

A comprehensive package (218 KB) is available containing:

Three converted ELOT 928 fonts based on those distributed by Pouliadis Associates Corp.
One ELOT 928 font based on the ELOT 823 GrHelvetica named HellasHelvetica
A keyboard driver (layout) supporting ELOT 928 encoding
Instructions for configuring Netscape to read and write Greek ELOT 928 text

The same fonts can be used to read and send email written in Greek.

DOS

For LYNX, WWW, and Unix Shell Accounts with Terminal Software

Note: These solutions require a VGA graphics adapter. Hercules and similar adapters are not supported.

Option 1: ABC GRL Utility

Download the file abcgrl.com (16 KB) and run it from DOS. This utility provides support for ISO 8859-7 (ELOT 928) as well as older, obsolete character sets. Use the following keyboard shortcuts to switch between character sets:

Alt+3: ELOT 928 (ISO 8859-7)
Alt+2: IBM 851
Alt+1: IBM 437 (US ASCII)

(Contributed by lialiamb@hyper.gr)

Option 2: DOS Codepage Method

A more conventional approach uses the standard DOS programs for handling different codepages. Download dosgreek.zip (12 KB), a ZIP archive containing GAUSS.CPI and GRKEYB.COM. (Contributed by mchris@hyper.gr)

To install the Greek font GAUSS.CPI under DOS 6.xx or DOS 7.0/Windows 95:

Step 1: Edit CONFIG.SYS

Add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:

For DOS 7.0 / Windows 95:

DEVICE=C:\WIN95\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
COUNTRY=030,737,C:\WIN95\COMMAND\COUNTRY.SYS

For DOS 6.22 or earlier:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
COUNTRY=030,737,C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS

The country code 004 is for Canada. For other countries, see the Appendix.

Step 2: Edit AUTOEXEC.BAT

Add the following lines to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

For DOS 7.0 / Windows 95:

C:\WIN95\COMMAND\MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((737) C:\path\GAUSS.CPI)
C:\WIN95\COMMAND\MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=737

For DOS 6.22 or earlier:

C:\DOS\MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((737) C:\path\GAUSS.CPI)
C:\DOS\MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=737

Replace path with the directory where you placed the GAUSS.CPI file.

Step 3: Restart Your Computer

Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

Optional: Install Greek Keyboard Driver

To add the Greek DOS keyboard driver, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file:

INSTALL=C:\path\GRKEYB.COM

Replace path with the directory where you placed the GRKEYB.COM file.

To switch between the Greek and US keyboard layouts, press Ctrl+Alt+Space.

Part II: Greek Fonts under the X11 Window System

Where to Find Greek Fonts for X11

Several institutions provide Greek fonts for the X Window System:

A complete set of Greek fonts with accurate installation instructions is distributed from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).
Five Greek fonts (for X Windows Version 11 Release 4 or later) were developed at the Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (ICS-FORTH). Installation instructions are also provided.
Download the file X11_greek_fonts.tar.z (58 KB) and decompress it using GNU gzip.

Installing X11 Greek Fonts

In order to use Greek fonts, you must configure the Xsession file (either the system's /usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession or your personal .xsession file). First, the Greek fonts must be loaded into the server, and then the server must be notified about the XTerm Greek resources.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Font Directory

Fonts in X11 are typically located in /usr/lib/X11/fonts/ or /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/. You can install Greek fonts anywhere, but a common location is /usr/lib/X11/fonts/greek/.

Fonts come in different formats:

.bdf: Bitmap Distribution Format (the form most fonts arrive in if the final destination is unknown)
.snf: Server Natural Format (used by most MIT servers R2-R5)
.pcf: Portable Compiled Font (designed by DEC for use with DECWindows)
.spd: Speedo-Bitstream (commercial quality outline fonts included in MIT R5)

Use the appropriate converter to convert BDF fonts to the format required by your system.

Step 2: Create fonts.dir

When a client requests a specified font, the server searches in each directory in its font path for a file called fonts.dir. After placing your font files in the directory, run:

mkfontdir /usr/lib/X11/fonts/greek

Step 3: Configure the Xsession File

For SGI machines, add the following lines to /usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession (or /usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession.dt if your version is 5.2 or newer and you have not disabled the desktop), just before the final line:

# Load the Greek fonts to the server
xset +fp "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/greek"
xset fp rehash

# Load the Greek translation table to the server
xrdb -merge /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/gterm_keymap

exec /usr/bin/X11/reaper

Step 4: Verify Installation

Restart the window manager, run xterm, and check if the fonts are correctly installed with:

xlsfonts | grep gr

xlsfonts | grep gb

You should see the names of the fonts you have just installed in the output.

Using Greek Fonts with vi

To use Greek fonts with vi, run xterm with a Greek font:

xterm -fn <greek-font-name>

Then run vi. Press the appropriate key (typically defined in the keyboard mapping) to switch between Greek and English input.

Note: The version of vi in Irix 5.2 has some problems with Greek fonts that do not appear in Irix 4.x versions. An excellent vi for Greek fonts called "vigr" is available from ftp.csi.forth.gr, though it is distributed only as an executable for Sun systems.

Useful Programs

Many useful programs for working with Greek fonts may be found at the dolphin.doc.ic.ac.uk FTP site (Maintainer: A. Haritsis, ah@doc.ic.ac.uk):

a2ps: An excellent ASCII to PostScript filter with Greek support
ispell: A spell checker with a Greek dictionary (which still has some issues but is quite useful)

Part III: Configuring WWW Browsers for Greek

Based on documentation from the Democritus University of Thrace and other sources

NCSA Mosaic Configuration

To configure Mosaic for Greek fonts, you need to modify the X resources file. Edit /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Mosaic (or create a .Mosaic file in your home directory) and add the following lines:

Mosaic*TitleFont: -greek-gallant-bold-r-normal--19-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Font: -greek-screen-bold-r-normal--14-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*ItalicFont: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*BoldFont: -greekb-screen-bold-r-normal--14-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*FixedFont: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header1Font: -greek-gallant-bold-r-normal--19-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header2Font: -greek-screen-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header3Font: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header4Font: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header5Font: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*Header6Font: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*AddressFont: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*PlainFont: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7
Mosaic*ListingFont: -greek-courier-bold-r-normal--16-100-75-75-p-57-iso8859-7

Note: These font specifications work because of the fonts.alias file configuration. You may substitute any Greek fonts you prefer in the above definitions.

Netscape Navigator Configuration

Unix/X11 Systems

A Netscape.ad.gz file is provided for configuring Greek fonts in Netscape. This file requires the fonts from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

Alternatively, you can start Netscape with an explicit character set mapping:

netscape -xrm "*documentFonts.charset*iso8859-7: iso-8859-1"

Windows Systems

From the Options menu, select Preferences
Under Set Preferences On, choose Fonts and Colors
Use the Choose Font buttons to select a Greek font (such as "Arial Greek") as your viewing font

Macintosh Systems

After installing the Greek fonts:

Open Netscape Preferences
Select the Greek font (such as "HellasTimes") as your display font
Set the encoding to "MacRoman" or "Greek (ISO 8859-7)" depending on your font type

General Browser Settings

For optimal Greek text display in any browser:

Select the language preference: Add Greek to your preferred languages list, ideally placing it at the top if Greek content is your priority.
Set the default encoding: Choose "Greek (ISO 8859-7)" or "Greek (Windows)" depending on your system.
Select appropriate fonts: Choose fonts that support the Greek character set for both proportional and fixed-width display.

Understanding Font Encoding

The Greek characters in ELOT 928 fonts are mapped to the upper 128 ASCII positions (characters 128-255). The lower 128 characters remain standard Latin characters. This means you can use these fonts on an English system without noticing any difference until Greek text appears.

Note: Other European languages that use special accent characters (such as German umlauts) will not display correctly with Greek fonts, as these accents occupy the same positions as Greek characters.

Appendix: Country Codes and Character Sets

DOS Country Codes

The following country codes are used in the CONFIG.SYS COUNTRY command:

Country	Code	Supported Codepages
United States	001	437, 850, 858
Canada (French)	002	863, 850, 858
Canada (English)	004	850, 863
Greece	030	869, 737, 850, 858
Netherlands	031	858, 850, 437
Belgium	032	858, 850, 437
France	033	858, 850, 437
United Kingdom	044	858, 850, 437
Germany	049	858, 850, 437
Australia	061	437, 850, 858

Greek Codepages

Codepage	Name	Description
737	Greek II	DOS Greek codepage, commonly used in DOS applications
869	Greek	Alternative DOS Greek codepage
ISO 8859-7	ELOT 928	International standard for Greek, used on Unix and the Internet
CP1253	Windows Greek	Windows Greek codepage, similar to ISO 8859-7
ELOT 823	Macintosh Greek	Native Macintosh Greek encoding

CPI Files for DOS

MS-DOS 6.22 includes three codepage information (.CPI) files:

EGA.CPI contains:

437 - United States
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic/Eastern European (Latin II)
860 - Portuguese
863 - Canadian-French
865 - Nordic

EGA2.CPI contains:

737 - Greek II
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic/Eastern European (Latin II)
857 - Turkish
861 - Icelandic
869 - Greek

EGA3.CPI contains:

437 - United States
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic/Eastern European (Latin II)
855 - Cyrillic I
866 - Russian (Cyrillic II)

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