I replaced the two files, I found two copies of font-ini.tex and replaced them all.

Then:

texexec --make --all 

texexec --make --all --xetex

(I guess the first is useless if I execute the second, isn't it?)

YES!

Alleluja, alleluja,  it works, no complaining, with the test file:

%\enableregime[utf]

\setuppapersize[S6][S6]

%\setupbodyfont[ss, 12pt]

\definetypeface[Optima][rm][Xserif][Optima]

\setupbodyfont[Optima]

\starttext

\startitemize

\item nome dell'insegnamento (es. $\to$ Storia del cinema)

\item settore scientifico-disciplinare (SSD, es. $\to$ l-art/06)

\item numero di crediti (cfu, es. $\to$ 10)

\stopitemize

La votazione č irrilevante. Queste informazioni vanno inserite in un file di testo in una forma simile:

\stoptext

 

And works also with my photobook which now compiles exactly like this:

\setuppapersize[S6][S6]

\setuppagenumber[state=stop]

\define[1]\Capt{{\darkred \switchtobodyfont[8pt] #1}}

\definetypeface[Optima][rm][Xserif][Optima]

\definetypeface[Skia][rm][Xserif][Skia]

\setupbodyfont[Optima]

\setuplayout[

topspace=0.75cm,

bootmspace=0cm,

headerheight=0cm,

footerheight=0cm,

]

%\setupbodyfont[roman, 70pt]

\setupheads[sectionnumber=no]

%\enableregime[mac]

\mainlanguage[it]

\setupcolors[state=start]

\starttext

\definelayer [mybg]

[x=0mm, y=0mm,

width=\paperwidth, height=\paperheight

]

\definelayer [mybg2]

[x=0mm, y=0mm,

width=\paperwidth, height=\paperheight

]

\definelayer [mybg3]

[x=0mm, y=0mm,

width=\paperwidth, height=\paperheight

]

\definelayer [mybg4]

[x=0mm, y=0mm,

width=\paperwidth, height=\paperheight

]

\setlayer [mybg]

[x=0\paperwidth, y=0\paperheight]

{\color[lightgray]\externalfigure[alternando]

[height=1\paperheight,width=1\paperwidth]}

\setlayer [mybg2]

[x=0\paperwidth, y=.45\paperheight]

{\color[darkred]\externalfigure[hbar]

[height=.1\paperheight,width=\paperwidth]}

\setlayer [mybg3]

[x=.9\paperwidth, y=0\paperheight]

{\color[lightgray]\externalfigure[vbar]

[height=\paperheight,width=.05\paperwidth]}

\setupbackgrounds[page][background=mybg]

\startstandardmakeup

\strut

\vfill

{\color[darkred]

{\tfc Alternating from 1 to X $\to$ homage to A e B}

\crlf

{\tfb A photo documentation}

\vfill

\setupbodyfont[Skia]

il guardaroba della mente \hfill Oratorio di San Filippo \hfill 20/06/03

}

\stopstandardmakeup

\setupbodyfont[Optima]

\setupbackgrounds[page][background=mybg2]

\section{Design/Test}

\page

\setupbackgrounds[page][background=mybg3]

\startcombination[2*2]

{\externalfigure[test/cubes2][height=.5\textheight

]}{\Capt {Make it simple: use wooden cubes on a plane}}

{\externalfigure[test/testing1][height=.5\textheight

]}{\Capt{If the plane is transparent, a webcam can be used}}

{\externalfigure[test/testing2][height=.5\textheight

]}{\Capt{In the lab: analog cubes and digital signals}}

{\externalfigure[test/testing3][height=.5\textheight

]}{\Capt{What's going on up there? extracting the parameters}}

\stopcombination

\page

[snip] 

\stoptext

More, it works fast:

runtime: 14.904212

Wow

Best

-a-