.fd file names from fontinst

[Hilmar Schlegel]

Alan Jeffrey wrote:
> 
> The naming of .fd files is a subject of much debate...

It is indeed stupid to squeeze in addition to the encoding also a family
name like
\newpsfamily[.9]{LetterGothic}{...}
into a cryptic string...

> The .fd files on CTAN use the ISO 9660 file format, so they can be put
> on CD-ROMs which run on pretty much anything.  ISO 9660 mandates
> lower-case-only 8+3 filenames.

So there is a plausible reason for short filenames - only a more
intelligent mapping via a hash-table should be in place.
 
> Fontinst itself generates mixed-case names.

and overwrites duplicated "abbreviations" with the result that .fd files
are lost/unusable. This is no fault of fontinst in the first line,
however. There are historical/efficiency reasons for short Tex fontnames
- already reason for much debate - but as it regards .fd files I cannot
see the advantage of reproducing Latex family names in the filesystems.

Hilmar Schlegel