pbmtosunicon

Convert a PBM image into a Sun icon

$ pbmtosunicon [path/to/input.pbm] > [path/to/output.ico]

pbmtosunicon [pbmfile]

pbmfile
    Optional path to the input Portable Bitmap (PBM) file. If omitted, pbmtosunicon reads the PBM data from standard input.

pbmtosunicon is a command-line utility designed to convert image files from the Portable Bitmap (PBM) format into the Sun icon format. It reads a PBM image either from a specified file or from standard input. The crucial requirement for the input PBM image is that it must be exactly 64x64 pixels in dimension and monochrome (black and white). Sun icons are a specific image format traditionally used on SunOS and Solaris desktop environments for representing small graphical elements like application icons or file type indicators. This tool is part of the broader Netpbm toolkit, which provides a comprehensive suite of utilities for converting and manipulating various image formats.

The input PBM image must be exactly 64x64 pixels. Any other dimension will result in an error.
The input PBM image must be monochrome (black and white). Color or grayscale PGM/PPM images are not supported.
The output Sun icon format is specific to SunOS/Solaris environments and may not be directly usable or recognized by modern desktop operating systems without additional conversion or viewers.

The command produces a Sun icon file. These files typically have a .ico or .icon extension in SunOS/Solaris systems and are structured specifically for display on those platforms.

This command is primarily useful in environments or workflows that require interaction with legacy SunOS/Solaris systems, or for developers working with Sun icon formats for historical or compatibility reasons. For general modern icon conversion, other tools might be more suitable.

pbmtosunicon is a component of the Netpbm project, an open-source graphics toolkit. The initial concept for the Netpbm tools, then known as PBMPLUS, was developed by Jef Poskanzer in 1989. This specific utility, pbmtosunicon, was created by Warren Sterling from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1993, reflecting the need for interoperability with Sun workstations popular at the time. Its development is rooted in the era when Sun Microsystems' workstations were prevalent, and specific icon formats were common for their graphical user interfaces.

pbm(5), sunicon(5), pbmtoicon(1), ppmtosunraster(1)