clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) (05/16/91)
Psroff 3.0 is in queue at comp.sources.unix, and should be out shortly
after Rich gets back from his honeymoon. I'm posting the information
blurb now, plus anon-UUCP access. Anon-FTP sites are welcome.
PSROFF 3.0 - What is it?
Chris Lewis (clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca)
Updated: 91/05/15
Psroff is a software package that allows you to use CAT troff
(the version of troff that comes bundled with most versions of
UNIX) or ditroff (aka DWB) with a variety of different printers.
Namely, psroff can generate HP PCL format (suitable for use with HP
Laserjet compatible printers), Postscript (suitable for use with any
Postscript printer, and Display Postscript tools for on-screen
preview), and ditroff-format (suitable for any of a variety of different
ditroff->printer converters, eg: xtroff (X Windows), xditview,
jetroff, psdit, xproof, tpscript etc). It runs on any version of UNIX.
What does it do: Provided that you have the prerequisites, psroff
is capable of generating "perfect" typeset output, and comes with
a number of utilities to help you set things up properly. Plus
gazillions of extra features to allow you to do all sorts of nifty
stuff. Psroff also attempts to simulate features in ditroff that
are not in C/A/T troff.
Psroff is a remote descendant of the lroff/lcat program I wrote
around 1984. Lroff/lcat is not very good and should be discarded.
What you need:
- Any version of troff, ie: C/A/T (aka "old") troff, ditroff
(aka DWB), Berkeley ditroff and groff (Gnu troff).
- Printers:
- If you have postscript printers, you need nothing else.
(You can even use a laserjet with a postscript cartridge, such
as the Pacific Page, Adobe or HP cartridges.)
- If you have a HP Laserjet III printer, psroff uses the
built-in scalable fonts, and you need nothing else.
- If you have a HP Laserjet compatible, you will need a source
of TeX PK, HP SFP, or Jetroff PK fonts at various sizes.
Psroff comes with software to automatically build and integrate
PK or SFP fonts for use on laserjets, and includes a complete
S font at all troff sizes. Further documentation on
precisely what you need is in the psroff README.
You will also need Perl 2 (or better) to use the "smart"
PK font builder, but it can be done manually if you don't
have it.
Compatibility: Laserjet+ (or clones) will work.
HPLJ II's (or clones) are better.
- If you want to drive devices other than HP Laserjet or
Postscript compatible printers, chances are you can find
a ditroff driver for it on the net. Eg: xtroff. You will
need the ditroff driver plus anything else it needs.
Differences between PSROFF 1.0 and 2.0:
- Full support of HP Laserjet incremental downloading of SFP
or PK format fonts, which can be adapted to imperfect
Laserjet clones if necessary.
- Font (SFP and PK) manipulation facilities.
- The S font in sizes 6 thru 36 for HP Laserjet compatible printers.
- Better documentation.
- Per-driver/printer configuration files.
- A printer optimizer, which given good enough fonts can reduce
output size and printer overhead by a factor of 3 or more.
- A configuration checker.
- A TROUBLE file with hints on how to resolve any problems you
may encounter.
- A LASERFONTS file with a description on how to build fonts for
HP Laserjets.
- More fully automated install and reconfiguration.
- Macro adapter libraries.
- Lots of nifty extra features. (eg: translation table
overrides, special functions, X & Y page shift options)
- People with slow or non-existent FPU's will notice dramatic
performance improvements. Factor of 10 or more sometimes.
(switched over to mostly integer arithmetic)
Differences between PSROFF 2.0 and 3.0:
- Full support of HP Laserjet III built-in scalable fonts.
- Full support of ditroff input (including Berkeley and
Groff extensions (such as polygons and filled objects)
- ditroff drawing commands, and emulation with C/A/T troff.
- Fully automated installation w.r.t. ditroff.
- Extensible character set in both ditroff and C/A/T troff
- More extensive installation and operation documentation
- A simple postscript spooler program, capable of arbitrary
page reordering and N-up processing.
- Compatibility with psfig (postscript file inclusion)
How to get it:
- Psroff 1.0 was posted in comp.sources.unix in October 1989.
(Volume 20. Sorry, I don't have the archive index)
- Psroff 2.0 was sent out over alt.sources in November 1990.
- Psroff 3.0 is due out in comp.sources.unix mid-May 1991.
At present, only psroff 2.0 is available for anon-FTP. If you
can't wait, send me mail for the FTP access points. Psroff 3.0
is available for anon-UUCP now. This information is included at the
end of this file.
Please note that I cannot honour direct requests for individual copies
of psroff because of limited bandwidth on our network connections.
Because of the S fonts, psroff is rather big...
Anon-ACCESS:
Site latour has set up anonymous UUCP access for psroff 3.0. Issue
the following commands to retrieve the files:
for i in 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
do
uucp latour!~nuucp/archive/psroff/Part$i.Z !/usr/spool/uucppublic/
done
uucp latour!~nuucp/archive/psroff/Patch.01.Z !/usr/spool/uucppublic/
Files ~nuucp/archive/psroff/Partnn.Z (nn is 01..19), and Patch.01.Z
onwards. This is psroff 3.0, plus any subsequent patches. Do NOT attempt
any wildcarding. The login is 'anonuucp'. There is no password. The phone
number is (613) 237-0792. There is a Telebit T2500 on that line that answers
in the following order: PEP, V.32, 2400 (Bell), 1200, 300.
Call at as high a speed as you can handle.
Courtesy Michael Richardson (mcr@sandelman.ocunix.on.ca)
Execution of rmail is permitted, please drop him a note
(as in "mail latour!mcr") letting him know who you are.
If you retrieve this archive and have facilities for setting it up
for anon-FTP, please let me know the particulars.