# How to make Graphviz use ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf by default?

**URL:** <https://forum.graphviz.org/t/how-to-make-graphviz-use-config-fontconfig-fonts-conf-by-default/3227>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [October 26, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/how-to-make-graphviz-use-config-fontconfig-fonts-conf-by-default/3227 "2025-10-26T16:05:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 27

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**Author:** ![decision-making-mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@decision-making-mike](https://forum.graphviz.org/u/decision-making-mike)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/how-to-make-graphviz-use-config-fontconfig-fonts-conf-by-default/3227/27 "2025-10-30T01:54:14Z")

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> [@steveroush](#):
>
> **fontconfig** is effectively a rule-based Expert system (older AI technology that preceeded neural nets). _fires_ is an old term from my days as a developer of Expert Systems.

OK, thanks, I wasn’t clear. By “what ‘fires’ mean” I meant “how you check that it fires”. “Fires” is clear for me here. But it might be just because I’m not used to see this word in any other context, and this in turn becase I’m not a native English speaker.

> [@steveroush](#):
>
> It was a mistake to use Symbol for both rules. It would be more useful to have used different font families.

But what is this behavior to show?

* * *

I thought that this thread could benefit from having a clearer picture of it all, so I made, naturally, a graph.

[dot]  
digraph {  
graphviz:se  
→ pango:ne  
[label = “?”]

```auto
pango:se
    -> fontconfig:ne
    [label = "?"]

fontconfig:nw
    -> pango:sw
    [label = "?"]

pango:nw
    -> graphviz:sw
    [label = "?"]

```

}  
[/dot]

PS. Why doesn’t the `[dot]` tag work?

PS2. Interesting. I visited [Render Graphviz graphs directly in your posts](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/render-graphviz-graphs-directly-in-your-posts/125) a few minutes ago, and the graphs there seemed to be being rendered properly. Now they are not.

PS3. I’ve made a note about it in that thread, [Render Graphviz graphs directly in your posts - #26 by decision-making-mike](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/render-graphviz-graphs-directly-in-your-posts/125/26)

**Update.** Having `[dot]` not working sometimes, let’s have at least a standalone PNG version of the diagram.

 ![problem-overview](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/graphviz/original/2X/5/5c35fce4d8b7c1d7b101e5c931f4035f016f9413.png)

**Update 2.** I’ve labeled it (and changed the font (to Gentium)).

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