How do I get Mathematica to display correctly?

Using Mathematica via the Exceed X server requires installation of fonts on the PC running Exceed. In the spirit of Windows, it's impossible to write a simple script that achieves this and the only (documented) procedure involves manually navigating numerous obscure dialog boxes. The following instructions describe the full installation procedure.

This works. Don't get creative and think up new names for directories, you'll just make a mistake, and end up spending more time on it than you really need to. Trust me, I speak from experience!

The options mentioned here are the ones you may need to change. You will navigate through several dialogs, each with many options, many of which are not obvious, nor are they explained well in the Exceed documentation. Use the default values, unless otherwise specified.

• First check whether the fonts are already installed, by running Mathematica (on llama, type "mathematica" - all lower case). It will issue a warning if the fonts are missing. Quit Mathematica.
• Download http://support.wolfram.com/mathematica/systems/unix/interface/PCF.zip and extract it to C:\TEMP\MATH (e.g., using WinZip).
• Create the directory c:\program files\hummingbird\connectivity\7.00\exceed\font\Mathematica\
• Run Exceed's Xconfig from "Start | Programs | Hummingbird Connectivity 7.00 | Exceed | Xconfig". You will be asked for a password. I believe this is one you specified when you installed Exceed.
• Double click the "Fonts" icon.

Installing the fonts consists of three steps: first, we compile the *.pcf files into Exceed's format; second, we add the fonts to the database; third, we check that everything went according to plan.

1. Choose Compile Fonts...
2. In "Directories", choose C:\TEMP\MATH\PCF
3. In "List Files of Type", choose "PCF Files"
4. Click "Select All"
5. [Others recommend doing this: In "Output Font Directory", choose c:\program files\hummingbird\connectivity\7.00\exceed\font\Mathematica\ ] From my experience, you might just want to go with the default setting. I used C:\documents and settings\all users\application data\hummingbird\connectivity\7.00\exceed\font\mathematica. This allows other users on the same Windows machine to benefit from your work. If this folder doesn't exist, xconfig may complain. Create the folder, and try again.
6. Click Compile
7. Click Done

You're finished compiling the fonts. Take a look in the output directory, you should have one new file for each of the original *.pcf files you started with. Now, we need to add the directory to the font database.

1. When asked whether to add the directory to the font database, choose Yes. If xconfig doesn't ask you, just choose "Font Database...", then 'Add...'
2. For Font Directory, give the name of the output directory used to compile the fonts.
3. In the "File Name (*.fdb)" edit box, enter "Mathematica".
4. Set Status to "keep".
5. Click OK to close the "Add Font Directory " dialog box
6. Click Close to close the "Compile Fonts" dialog box
7. Choose "Font Database"
8. Disable "Automatic Font Substitution " (if it is enabled)
9. Click "Rebuild Database", click "Yes" on the dialog that asks if you're sure, then "Done".
10. Click "OK"
11. Close Xconfig

Finally, we check that it went according to plan

1. In the "Font Database" window, scroll down to the bottom of the font list, you should see one called "mathematica" (names are always converted to lower case in this list).
2. Double-clicking on it should bring up a "Font List" window, showing all the fonts in that directory.
3. Double-click on one of the fonts, you should get a new window, listing all the characters. You should see recognizable mathematical symbols there. (Greek and Hebrew letters, set theory symbols, etc.)
4. Click OK to close the "Font List" dialog.
5. For better performance, you want to move mathematica closer to the top, below "100dpi" and "75dpi" (don't worry if you're missing one of these), but above "misc". These fonts are searched in order from the top down, so having "mathematica" close to the top improves the response of the Mathematica notebook interface.
6. Click OK to close the"Font Database" dialog.
• Delete C:\TEMP\MATH
• Restart Exceed. [Others speak of this as if it were optional. In my experience, this seems to be a crucial step.]

Additions/modifications for Roth Lab's Llama cluster by Frank Gibbons, 2002.