Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 6.3

Chapter 39. Printing

ESP Ghostscript-8.15.4

Introduction to ESP Ghostscript

ESP Ghostscript is a versatile processor for PostScript data with the ability to render PostScript to different targets. ESP Ghostscript is a customized version of GNU Ghostscript that includes an enhanced configuration script, the CUPS raster driver to support CUPS raster printer drivers, and additional patches and drivers from various Linux distributors.

Package Information

Additional Downloads

Required Patch

Standard Fonts

Other Fonts

ESP Ghostscript Dependencies

Optional

CUPS-1.2.12, libjpeg-6b, libpng-1.2.29, X Window System, and GTK+-2.10.13 or GTK+-1.2.10

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/espgs

Installation of ESP Ghostscript

Install ESP Ghostscript by running the following commands: 

patch -Np1 -i ../espgs-8.15.4-bov_fix-1.patch &&
sed -i "s/bbox.dev$/x11.dev/" Makefile.in &&
./configure --prefix=/usr \
            --enable-threads \
            --without-omni &&
make

To build the shared libgs.so library you must have GTK+ installed and issue the following command: 

make so

This package does not come with a test suite. However, you may test the operation of the newly built gs program by issuing the following command (issue from an X Windows terminal): 

bin/gs -Ilib -dBATCH examples/tiger.eps

Now, as the root user: 

make install &&
install -d /usr/share/doc/espgs-8.15.4
ln -v -s ../../ghostscript/8.15/doc /usr/share/doc/espgs-8.15.4 &&
for INSTFILE in `ls doc`
do
  if [ ! -f /usr/share/doc/espgs-8.15.4/$INSTFILE ]; then
    install -v -m644 doc/$INSTFILE /usr/share/doc/espgs-8.15.4/
  fi
done

If you built the shared library, install it and the associated programs by issuing the following commands as the root user: 

make soinstall &&
install -v -d -m755 /usr/include/ps &&
install -v -m644 src/*.h /usr/include/ps &&
ln -v -s ps /usr/include/ghostscript

To finish the installation, unpack all fonts you've downloaded to /usr/share/ghostscript and ensure the ownerships of the files are root:root. Substitute <font-tarball> appropriately in the command below for the fonts you wish to install: 

tar -xvf ../<font-tarball> -C /usr/share/ghostscript &&
chown -v root:root /usr/share/ghostscript/fonts/*

Command Explanations

sed -i "s/bbox.dev$/x11.dev/" Makefile.in: This command changes the default gs output device from the bbox driver to the x11 (screen) driver.

--enable-threads: This parameter enables threaded output.

--without-omni: This switch disables the omni driver support.

--without-ijs: This switch disables the IJS driver support.

install -v -m644 src/*.h /usr/include/ps: Some packages (ImageMagick is one) need the Ghostscript interface headers in place to link to the shared library. These commands install the headers.

ln -v -s ps /usr/include/ghostscript: Some packages expect to find the interface headers in an alternate location.

for INSTFILE in `ls doc` ...: This “for” loop installs some documentation files that were not installed during the installation process.

Contents

Installed Programs: bdftops, dvipdf, eps2eps, fixmswrd.pl, font2c, gs, gsbj, gsc, gsdj, gsdj500, gslj, gslp, gsnd, gsx, lprsetup.sh, pdf2dsc, pdf2ps, pdfopt, pf2afm, pfbtopfa, printafm, ps2ascii, ps2epsi, ps2pdf,ps2pdf12, ps2pdf13, ps2pdf14, ps2pdfwr, ps2ps, pv.sh, unix-lpr.sh, and wftopfa
Installed Library: libgs.so
Installed Directories: /usr/include/ps and /usr/share/ghostscript

Short Descriptions

gs

invokes Ghostscript, an interpreter of Adobe Systems' PostScript(tm) and Portable Document Format (PDF) languages.

pstoraster

is a filter used by CUPS to convert PostScript to a generic raster image format that is acceptable as an input to drivers for non-PostScript printers (e.g., from Gutenprint-5.0.1). It is built and installed only if CUPS-1.2.12 is found.

ESP Ghostscript provides many different scripts used to render PostScript/PDF files back and forth. Please refer to the HTML documentation or try man gs for information about the capabilities provided by the package.

Last updated on 2008-08-11 11:25:52 -0500