ghost@aladdin.com (L. Peter Deutsch) (01/13/91)
Archive-name: postscript/interpreter/ghostscript/1991-01-08
Archive: prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/ghostscript-2.1* [18.71.0.38]
Original-posting-by: ghost@aladdin.com (L. Peter Deutsch)
Original-subject: Ghostscript 2.1 is available
Reposted-by: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti)
Ghostscript version 2.1 is now available for use. Files available on
prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu (and soon at the other usual GNU software
distribution points):
ghostscript-2.1.tar.Z
ghostscript-2.1fonts.tar.Z
ghostscript-2.1paintjet.tar.Z
ghostscript-2.1msdos.exe
Note that the fonts tar file now includes both the BDF-derived and
the Hershey fonts.
In release 2.1, most of the reported bugs in 2.0 have been fixed.
Major new features include:
- Much faster X Windows driver.
- Support for the P*stScr*pt color extensions (CMYK color, and
colorimage).
- Better support for Adobe Type 1 fonts.
There are also a fair number of minor new features, many of them moving in
the direction of Display P*stScr*pt and/or Level 2 P*stScr*pt. The fonts
have been remade, and improved slightly. As usual, we strongly recommend
that users of previous versions read the history.doc file, and that all
users read README and readme.doc.
As usual, bug reports may be posted to gnu.ghostscript.bug, or sent
directly to Aladdin Enterprises (the developer of the Ghostscript "core"
and most of the drivers) at ghost@aladdin.com or
...uunet!parcplace!aladdin!ghost. When reporting problems, it will be a
big help if you identify the machine, operating system, and C compiler, and
(especially if reporting by private mail) include as much of the P*stScr*pt
input file as feasible.
We wish to give special thanks to approximately 50 beta testers who helped
improve the quality of this release.
This release also includes an updated version of the user-contributed
PaintJet driver. We have not tested this driver; if you have
problems with it, please contact the author directly.
Starting now, patches to Ghostscript will be distributed in the form of
diffs that are compatible with the 'patch' program. We will do this both
between releases and for actual new releases.
The next release of Ghostscript (2.2) is scheduled for early May.
Our tentative plan is for it to include garbage collection,
save/restore, and many of the Display P*stScr*pt extensions that are
also in Level 2 P*stScr*pt. Suggestions from users as to what
additions would be most useful will have a lot of influence on what
will be implemented. We are especially interested in hearing from
users who are developing, or will be using, applications that
generate Level 2 P*stScr*pt or Display P*stScr*pt output, as to which
of the added features the applications (will) use.
We recognize that a previewer with page turning and zoom capability would
be extremely valuable. However, at the moment this is in the hands of a
group of Ghostscript users. We (Aladdin) are happy to assist this project
by providing appropriate hooks in the core, but we probably don't have the
resources to provide it ourselves any time soon.
L. Peter Deutsch :: Aladdin Enterprises :: P.O. box 60264, Palo Alto, CA 94306
ghost@aladdin.com ; {uunet,sun,decwrl}!parcplace!aladdin!ghost ; (415)329-0264
"Implementation is the sincerest form of flattery."