[comp.sys.mac] Why use the PostScript command 'exitserver'?

lej@me.chalmers.se (Lars-Erik Johansson) (02/28/90)

Can anyone explain to me why the MAC uses the PostScript command exitserver
when printing?

I can't se any (real) reason to use that command especially when ADOBE
tell everybody NOT to use the command (page 177 PostScript Language 
Program Design).

I have found the command exitserver in the device-driver
for the apple-talk Laser-writer. I'm using system 6.02 on a MAC+.

The reason why I'm asking is that i want to use my laserwriter also
with othet computers than the mac and when I do so I want my laserwriter
to be in mint state or at least behave as I wish.
To accomplish this, I have changed the password on my laserwriter.
Therefore I can't print documents to my laserwriter using the standard
Macintosh devicedriver. I still can print out pure PostScript files
using SendPS.

If there actually IS a very good reason, can anyone tell me how to
print out documents without using the standard Macintosh device driver.

/Lars-Erik Johansson

I have found that the PC also is infested with 'exitserver'. Blech!

erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) (02/28/90)

In article <4552@me.chalmers.se> lej@me.chalmers.se (Lars-Erik Johansson) writes:
>Can anyone explain to me why the MAC uses the PostScript command exitserver
>when printing?
>
>I can't se any (real) reason to use that command especially when ADOBE
>tell everybody NOT to use the command (page 177 PostScript Language 
>Program Design).

	Let me get this straight. Adobe have put a command in their
PostScript engines and documented it with a 'do not use this command'
comment. It seems to me to be the equivalent of the 'do not push this
button' notice that is GUARANTEED to have everyone pushing the button as
hard as they can (Certainly if they think like me). 	What does
exitserver do anyway?
		Tony
-- 
Tony Cunningham, Edinburgh University Computing Service. erci18@castle.ed.ac.uk

	"If the thunder don't get ya then the lightnin' will."

isr@rodan.acs.syr.edu ( ISR group account) (03/02/90)

It's been a couple of years since I've looked at the Adobe Postscript
Manual, (in Inside LW), but I'm pretty sure Adobe warns you not to
use exitserver unless you know what your doing, NOT just not to use it.
There are some very good uses for it. This instruction causes the current
job to end, but keeps the interpreter running, so whatever changes you
now make are to the permament state of the machine. (like changing
EEROM values). I don't know specifically why  your MAC had sent it, but
I woudn't be alarmed. 


-- 
Mike Schechter, Computer Engineer,Institute Sensory Research, Syracuse Univ.
InterNet: isr@rodan.acs.syr.edu   Bitnet: SENSORY@SUNRISE 

tecot@Apple.COM (Ed Tecot) (03/23/90)

In article <2324@rodan.acs.syr.edu> isr@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Michael S. Schechter - ISR group account) writes:
>It's been a couple of years since I've looked at the Adobe Postscript
>Manual, (in Inside LW), but I'm pretty sure Adobe warns you not to
>use exitserver unless you know what your doing, NOT just not to use it.
>There are some very good uses for it. This instruction causes the current
>job to end, but keeps the interpreter running, so whatever changes you
>now make are to the permament state of the machine. (like changing
>EEROM values). I don't know specifically why  your MAC had sent it, but
>I woudn't be alarmed. 

From this description, it sounds like something that the Mac would want to
do.  The Laser Prep file loads the interpreter full of aliases that reduce
the size of the PostScript that needs to be transmitted.  I assume that
if 'exitserver' was not called, then all this work would be lost.

						_emt