diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/linux b/sys/unix/hints/linux
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3f424e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/linux
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#      
+#      SCCS Id: @(#)linux 3.5     2007/12/15
+# Copyright (c) Kenneth Lorber, Kensington, Maryland, 2007.
+# NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. 
+#
+# Linux hints file
+# This hints file provides a single-user tty build for Linux, specifically
+# for Ubuntu dapper.
+
+
+HACKDIR=$(PREFIX)/games/lib/$(GAME)dir
+#PREFIX=/usr
+PREFIX=$(wildcard ~)/nh/install
+
+CFLAGS=-O -I../include -DNOTPARMDECL $(CFLAGS1)
+CFLAGS1=-DCOMPRESS=\"/bin/gzip\" -DCOMPRESS_EXTENSION=\".gz\"
+
+
+WINSRC = $(WINTTYSRC)
+WINOBJ = $(WINTTYOBJ)
+WINLIB = $(WINTTYLIB)
+
+WINTTYLIB=-lcurses
+
+CHOWN=true
+CHGRP=true
diff --git a/sys/unix/nethack.sh b/sys/unix/nethack.sh
index f06d29e50..f35302586 100644
--- a/sys/unix/nethack.sh
+++ b/sys/unix/nethack.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ esac
 export XUSERFILESEARCHPATH
 
 # Get font dir added, but only once (and only if there's an xset to be found).
-xset p >/dev/null 2>&1 && (
+test -e $HACKDIR/fonts.dir && xset p >/dev/null 2>&1 && (
 	xset fp- $HACKDIR >/dev/null 2>&1;
 	xset fp+ $HACKDIR
 )