(kpathsea.info)Unable to generate fonts

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2.6.5.3 Unable to generate fonts
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Metafont outputs fonts in bitmap format, tuned for a particular device
at a particular resolution, in order to allow for the highest-possible
quality of output.  Some DVI-to-whatever programs, such as Dvips, try
to generate these on the fly when they are needed, but this generation
may fail in several cases.

   If `mktexpk' runs, but fails with this error:
     mktexpk: Can't guess mode for NNN dpi devices.
     mktexpk: Use a config file to specify the mode, or update me.
   you need to ensure the resolution and mode match; just specifying
the resolution, as in `-D 360', is not enough.

   You can specify the mode name with the `-mode' option on the Dvips
command line, or in a Dvips configuration file (*note Config files:
(dvips)Config files.), such as `config.ps' in your document directory,
`~/.dvipsrc' in your home directory, or in a system directory (again
named `config.ps').  (Other drivers use other files, naturally.)

   For example, if you need 360dpi fonts, you could include this in a
configuration file:
     D 360
     M lqmed

   If Metafont runs, but generates fonts at the wrong resolution or for
the wrong device, most likely `mktexpk''s built-in guess for the mode
is wrong, and you should override it as above.

   See `ftp://ftp.tug.org/tex/modes.mf' for a list of resolutions and
mode names for most devices (additional submissions are welcome).

   If Metafont runs but generates fonts at a resolution of 2602dpi (and
prints out the name of each character as well as just a character
number, and maybe tries to display the characters), then your Metafont
base file probably hasn't been made properly.  (It's using the default
`proof' mode, instead of an actual device mode.)  To make a proper
`plain.base', assuming the local mode definitions are contained in a
file `modes.mf', run the following command (assuming Unix):

     inimf "plain; input modes; dump"

Then copy the `plain.base' file from the current directory to where the
base files are stored on your system (`/usr/local/share/texmf/web2c' by
default), and make a link (either hard or soft) from `plain.base' to
`mf.base' in that directory.  Note: inimf invocation.


   If `mf' is a command not found at all by `mktexpk', then you need to
install Metafont (*note unixtex.ftp::).