How to configure a fallback font for Konsole

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To solve the issue without manually merging font files, you should use Fontconfig, the standard font management system on Linux. Konsole itself doesn’t have a “Fallback” button in its settings because it relies on the OS to handle characters it can’t find in your primary font.

Here is the specific recommendation to set this up:

1. Identify Your Font Names

Open your terminal and run this command to find the exact “Family” names of the fonts you want to use:

fc-list : family | grep -i "your font name"

  • Primary (English): e.g., Hack, Fira Code, or JetBrains Mono.

  • Fallback (Arabic): e.g., Noto Sans Arabic or IBM Plex Sans Arabic.

2. Create a Custom Font Configuration

You don’t need to change system files. Create a local configuration file for your user:

  1. Open (or create) the file: ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf

  2. Paste the following code into it:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
    <alias>
        <family>YOUR_ENGLISH_FONT_NAME</family>
        <prefer>
            <family>YOUR_ENGLISH_FONT_NAME</family>
            <family>YOUR_ARABIC_FONT_NAME</family>
        </prefer>
    </alias>

    <alias>
        <family>monospace</family>
        <prefer>
            <family>YOUR_ENGLISH_FONT_NAME</family>
            <family>YOUR_ARABIC_FONT_NAME</family>
        </prefer>
    </alias>
</fontconfig>

Replace YOUR_ENGLISH_FONT_NAME and YOUR_ARABIC_FONT_NAME with the names you found in Step 1.

3. Apply the Changes

Run this command to refresh the system’s font cache:

fc-cache -fv

Then, fully restart Konsole.

Why this is the “correct” way:

  • No File Merging: You keep your font files clean and original. If the fonts are updated by your Linux distribution, your fallback settings will still work.

  • System-Wide: This doesn’t just fix Konsole; it teaches your entire desktop that whenever you use your favorite English font, the Arabic one is its “partner” for missing characters.

  • Monospace Safety: By defining this in Fontconfig, the system handles the alignment issues better than a “Frankenstein” merged font file would.

If you are using a specific Konsole Profile, ensure that under Settings > Edit Current Profile > Appearance, the “Font” matches the YOUR_ENGLISH_FONT_NAME you put in the config file.