psfs2mda(1)

💖 psfs2mda 💖

okay bestie, welcome to psfs2mda from the PSF Tools girlies ✨ this one's whole job? extract the font from a dump of the IBM PC MDA ROM 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

psfs2mda [--compaq] [--comment=text] INPUT14 INPUT8 [INPUT8_ALT]
OUTPUTFILE

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so basically, psfs2mda takes two or three PSF-format screen fonts and ✨generates✨ an MDA character ROM image out of them. the file that pops out the other side is literally ready to become a brand new character ROM for an original IBM CGA or MDA — or, if you pass the --compaq option, for a Compaq CGA. iconic, honestly. 💅

you must hand it either two or three input files, no cap. here's the lineup, in order:

1. the first file is the one used for the 14-pixel font 🌈
2. the second file is the one used for the 8-pixel font 🦋
3. the third file, if it's there, is the one used for the alternative (thin) 8-pixel font

aaaaand if that third file is not present? no worries bestie, psfs2mda will just try to use characters 256-511 of the second file instead 🫶 and if that second file only has 256 characters total, then the alternative 8-pixel font just ends up being the same as the main 8-pixel font. crisis averted 💖

🚨 real talk moment 🚨 — the physical ROM chip used in an IBM MDA or CGA is a 9264, and its pinout differs from the normal 27xx range. do not forget this, i'm begging 😭

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👑 OPTIONS 👑

• --compaq — output a ROM image suitable for the Compaq Portable/Deskpro CGA, rather than the IBM MDA/CGA. that's it, that's the vibe 🎀
• --comment=message — when you're outputting in Compaq format, it's possible to embed a message (usually a copyright message) in the unused bytes of the ROM ✨ this option sets the message to include. sneak it in there 💌

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• psf2raw(1)
• mda2psf(1)

go read your sisters, they're slaying too 🧚

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🦋 AUTHOR 🦋

John Elliott <seasip.webmaster@gmail.com>. 💖

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! this was Version 1.1.3, dated 28 April, 2026 — periodt, go make some ROMs 🌟💅