[comp.sys.acorn] GhostScript 2.2

dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy) (06/12/91)

I have just received the sources for the new release of GhostScript (version
2.2). I intend to start going over them in the next few days, and I will
probably do the new Archimedes release in a few weeks. There seems to be a lot
that has changed - in particular, I've been told that the font files, which
make up a large part of the release, are different.

What is the opinion about how I should do the release? I could send it out via
comp.binaries.acorn, but this will involve a lot of net traffic which may not
be of value to some net users. The alternative is that I just send it to
Newcastle, and let people pick it up if they specifically want it. Let me know
your opinions.

-- david elworthy

P.S. Here is an extract from the history file, as a taster of the changes.


   Copyright (C) 1989, 1990, 1991 Aladdin Enterprises.  All rights reserved.
   Distributed by Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This file is part of Ghostscript.

Ghostscript is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.  No author or distributor accepts responsibility
to anyone for the consequences of using it or for whether it serves any
particular purpose or works at all, unless he says so in writing.  Refer
to the Ghostscript General Public License for full details.

Everyone is granted permission to copy, modify and redistribute
Ghostscript, but only under the conditions described in the Ghostscript
General Public License.  A copy of this license is supposed to have been
given to you along with Ghostscript so you can know your rights and
responsibilities.  It should be in a file named COPYING.  Among other
things, the copyright notice and this notice must be preserved on all
copies.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This file, history.doc, describes the changes in the various releases of
Ghostscript.

For an overview of Ghostscript and a list of the documentation files, see
README.

Version 2.2 (6/1/91)
===========

The purpose of this release is to add save/restore, and a few
miscellaneous Level 2 P*stScr*pt features such as undef.  It also includes
major improvements in graphics quality and in handling of high-resolution
printers.

(...)

jochen@hotb.radig.de (Jochen Dornauf) (06/19/91)

dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy) writes:


>I have just received the sources for the new release of GhostScript (version
>2.2). I intend to start going over them in the next few days, and I will
>probably do the new Archimedes release in a few weeks. There seems to be a lot

I am very happy to hear about porting the new version too,
but
i remember the comments some weeks ago concerning the traffic here.
So i prefer installing of this BIG packet in Newcastle, wich
is no problem to access.

Could you make a version one can change (include 
printer support for HP DeskJet is my demand..)
and compile oneself?? (with cc 3.0 !!)?

Jochen Dornauf
jochen@jogi.radig.de
Germany
 

gtoal@tardis.computer-science.edinburgh.ac.uk (06/20/91)

My wish list for ghostscript...

1) don't have two windows - one for stdin & one for stdout - merge
them into one ordinary text window (like tiggr & I did for TeX)

2) Instead of the special QUIT icon, just use the normal top-left
'go away' mechanism

3) Dropping a file on the ghostscript window to do a (filename) run
automatically.

4) have an iconbar icon - drop a file on it, and do a (filename) run
likewise.

5) If doing (4), make it by default *not* put up the text
window.  Just process & produce output. (See 6)

6) Don't bother the viewing window - just pop up a 'save as' window
with a sprite icon in it, so we can drop the sprite icon straight
into paint or our favourite display prog.

----
So Summary:
  double click on gs. Puts up icon-bar icon.
  drop ps file on icon.  Puts up save-as with sprite
   drop sprite on !paint.
   Done.

Just another wish list (I know how much time you don't have - you
should see my TeX wish-list some time...)

Graham

adm@cs.man.ac.uk (Alan Murta) (06/20/91)

In article <9106200622.AA14562@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> gtoal@tardis.computer-science.edinburgh.ac.uk writes:
>My wish list for ghostscript...

[Graham's wish list deleted]

I agree with Graham's comments, but would like to add a (simple) one of my
own:

A makefile which will allow recompilation using "standard" C resources, ie.
Acorn C release 3.00 and CLib 3.50. Re-building the old GS release took some
effort (eg. for the purpose of including specific printer support).

Alan Murta.

dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy) (06/21/91)

In article <2733@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> adm@cs.man.ac.uk (Alan Murta) writes:
>In article <9106200622.AA14562@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> gtoal@tardis.computer-science.edinburgh.ac.uk writes:
>>My wish list for ghostscript...
>
>[Graham's wish list deleted]
>
>I agree with Graham's comments, but would like to add a (simple) one of my
>own:
>
>A makefile which will allow recompilation using "standard" C resources, ie.
>Acorn C release 3.00 and CLib 3.50. Re-building the old GS release took some
>effort (eg. for the purpose of including specific printer support).
>
>Alan Murta.

I will try to do this. GS 2.1.1 was compiled using various non-standard
versions of C; I have these as a consequence of once working for Acorn. I'm
trying to set up GS 2.2 so that the makefile is compatible with the standard
AMU. However, I won't be able to compile it for any version of CLib earlier
than 3.66 - I simply don't have an earlier version. I'm not sure quite when I
will be releasing it - I'm very pushed for time at present, and will also have
far less ready net access over the summer.

-----

Graham's wish list went like this:

> 1) don't have two windows - one for stdin & one for stdout - merge
> them into one ordinary text window (like tiggr & I did for TeX)

May I have a copy of the code you used for TeX? I'm quite happy to do it this
way, but I don't want to waste time re-inventing the wheel.

> 2) Instead of the special QUIT icon, just use the normal top-left
> 'go away' mechanism

I've never liked using "Close" to mean "Quit" - it seems like a semantic
confusion. I know that its standard for many Acorn proggies, but that doesn't
mean I have to like it.

> 3) Dropping a file on the ghostscript window to do a (filename) run
> automatically.
> 4) have an iconbar icon - drop a file on it, and do a (filename) run
> likewise.
> 5) If doing (4), make it by default *not* put up the text
> window.  Just process & produce output. (See 6)

These are all good points. As I said above, lack of time is a problem at the
moment. If I can I will implement these.

> 6) Don't bother the viewing window - just pop up a 'save as' window
> with a sprite icon in it, so we can drop the sprite icon straight
> into paint or our favourite display prog.

I don't like this, for several reasons. Firstly, it means that you have to
have !paint (or something else that displays sprites) running. GS takes a lot
of memory, so this may be a problem on smaller machines. Secondly, it means
that displaying a page becomes a multi-step activity: on the showpage, you
have to drag the sprite around, rather than just getting the output. Finally,
if you are using GS interactively, to gradually build up an image (e.g. for
testing some P*stScr*pt), then this would be a real nuisance.

> Just another wish list (I know how much time you don't have - you
> should see my TeX wish-list some time...)
>
> Graham

*Sigh*

-----

Jochen Dornauf also said:

> Could you make a version one can change (include 
> printer support for HP DeskJet is my demand..)
> and compile oneself?? (with cc 3.0 !!)?

See above for making it easier to compile. The release does include sources
for HP DeskJet, but you may need to do some minor massaging to them and to the
makefile. If I have the time, I'll try to include some notes on this, since
the way the Aladdin supplied makefile specifies which devices are included in
the build isn't totally convenient for the Archimedes.



-- david elworthy
 

gtoal@castle.ed.ac.uk (G Toal) (06/22/91)

In article <1991Jun21.102833.22459@cl.cam.ac.uk> dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy) writes:
:> 1) don't have two windows - one for stdin & one for stdout - merge
:> them into one ordinary text window (like tiggr & I did for TeX)
:
:May I have a copy of the code you used for TeX? I'm quite happy to do it this
:way, but I don't want to waste time re-inventing the wheel.
Of course.  If you don't have TeX already, I'll look out a copy & put
it on a disk for you.  It isn't perfect but it has survived use in a couple
of progs so far.  I liked your idea of layering a stdio interface on
top. Wish I'd done that!  [Shame they didn't do a vsscanf though :-( ]

:> 2) Instead of the special QUIT icon, just use the normal top-left
:> 'go away' mechanism
:
:I've never liked using "Close" to mean "Quit" - it seems like a semantic
:confusion. I know that its standard for many Acorn proggies, but that doesn't
:mean I have to like it.
I partly sympathise, but the point of Wimp interfaces is that they
should all be consistent.  Pressing 'go away' should iconise the
program, and pressing on the GS on the icon bar should get it back.
You actually quit by menuing on the icon bar and choosingb "Quit".

Thanks for considering the other suggestions.

Graham