Not an available fixed-width font (version 23.0.0.1, mac os x)

[dan]

Hi All,

This is about emacs version 23.0.0.1 as it exists in the disk image
Emacs_NS-9.0pre3i.dmg downloaded from http://emacs-app.sourceforge.net/,
running on an intel mac (os 10.4.9).

I'm trying to change fonts (actually, just make the font a little
larger.)

When i try to use the font panel (brought up with command-t) to change
the font, i always get the same message: "ns-respond-to-change-font:
Not an available fixed-width font."  This is completely independent of
the font actually chosen, even Courier.

Trying to evaluate a form like (set-frame-font "-*-courier-medium-r-*-
*-16-*-100-100-*-*-*-*") throws me into the debugger.  (I used to use
that form in some earlier version of emacs on some other platform.)

My vague recollection is that on X you can hold down some modifier
keys (like shift or control) and press one of the mouse buttons (maybe
button 2) and set the font, or at least change its size, but i can't
seem to find the equivalent here . . .

There's a faq for emacs-21 on the mac, which gives a couple of example
forms to set the font of a frame; these are:

  (modify-frame-parameters (selected-frame)
    '((font . "-*-Monaco-*-100-*")))

and

  (modify-frame-parameters (selected-frame)
    '((font . "-ETL-Fixed-*-140-*-ISO8859-1")))

Both of these throw me into the debugger, with a "Not an available
fixed-width font" message.  For reference that emacs-21 faq is
http://members.shaw.ca/akochoi-emacs/stories/faq.html, and of course i
wouldn't expect font stuff to be the same across versions and ports,
but i just mention it for the record.

Thanks in advance for any pointers to FAQs or advice/recommendations
or criticism or any other kind of help or advice, etc.

dan