Re: Ghostscript

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 5:14 PM, Michael Barr <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have a relatively new Win 7 computer that is running Miktex 2.8, via a
> full installation from tex-live.  In the directory miktex 2.8 directory,
> there is directory called ghostscript that contains nothing executable,
> nor does there appear anything in the bin directory.

It is called mgs.exe and should be present.

> After searchin the
> web, I got what purported to be a ps2pdf file conversion program, but it
> fails completely, giving me message about unable to view pdf file.  From
> various things, I inferred that it was looking for the Adobe reader, but I
> got rid of the Adobe reader and started using sumatrapdf since the Adobe
> reader caused my computer to hang up.  Then I got ghostview, which I had
> used before and didn't much care for, but I would not use it very often.

Adobe Reader should not cause a computer to "hang" running pdf files
created using TeX.  There are pdf files on the internet that attempt to install
malware and could give the appearance of a "hang" if the malware is
blocked by AV defenses, but the most common reason for problems
in AR is buggy video drivers.  Many more people use Adobe Reader than
use sumatrapdf or gsview, so bugs in bog-standard PDF's have been
fixed long ago.

psview <http://psview.sourceforge.net/> is a "lightweight" alternative
to gsview

> Only now someone sent me a ps file that I would like to see.  When I ran
> gsview, it said I needed ghostscript.  Is there no simple file that will
> just let me look at a ps file or else convert it to pdf?

If you have miktex-2.8 properly installed you already have ps2pdf (command-
line) converter.  If you want a gui, conisder <http://tex.aanhet.net/epspdf/>

Now we are at texlive-2011, which offers a native windows version with
a package manager.

MiKTeX provides "mgs" ghostscript, which is used by miktex's ps2pdf
converter and by yap to display eps images and PS fonts.

> I have just killed two very frustrating hours on this.

All too common experience.   All this "package manager" stuff sounds
nice, but what we really need is some carefully assembled "reference"
configurations that have been well tested and can be copied by other
users.


-- 
George N. White III <[email protected]>
Head of St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Got Input?   Slashdot Needs You.
Take our quick survey online.  Come on, we don't ask for help often.
Plus, you'll get a chance to win $100 to spend on ThinkGeek.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/slashdot-survey