[Info-vax] GS convert PDF to PS.

[Mark Berryman]

On 3/13/22 9:13 AM, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> I'm new to Ghostscript.
> I try to convert a PDF file to a PS file.
> 
> And yes, this a step in the "print a PDF file" project.
> I had some issues with getting the Xerox printer to print
> a plain PDF file so I thought about converting i to to PS...
> 
> Have tried with:
> 
> $ gs "-dNOPAUSE" "-sDEVICE=ps2write" "-sOutputFile=out.ps" "-fOUT.PDF"
> 
> The input file OUT.PDF only contains one page with 6-7 text lines
> and one Code128 barcode. File created from the Python tool Reportlab.
> And "out" refers to the Python step, it is the "input" file to GS.
> 
> The PDf file opens fine on any other environment, also when put in
> a VMS directory served by WASD.
> 
> I have checked that the file org is as required by GS:
> 
>   Record format:      Stream_LF, maximum 0 bytes, longest 16384 bytes
>   Record attributes:  Carriage return carriage control
> 
> 
> GS just hangs and consumes 100% cpu until I end it with ctrl-C.
> Does it wait for some SYS$INPUT input? Any switch I'm missing?
> 
> $ gs "-dNOPAUSE" "-sDEVICE=ps2write" "-sOutputFile=out.ps" "-fOUT.PDF"
> GPL Ghostscript 9.55.0 (2021-09-27)
> Copyright (C) 2021 Artifex Software, Inc.  All rights reserved.
> This software is supplied under the GNU AGPLv3 and comes with NO WARRANTY:
> see the file COPYING for details.
> HV04JES_01 16:01:48 GS        CPU=00:04:01.95 PF=48109 IO=152495 MEM=1369
> HV04JES_01 16:01:51 GS        CPU=00:04:04.56 PF=48109 IO=152496 MEM=1369
> HV04JES_01 16:01:53 GS        CPU=00:04:06.37 PF=48109 IO=152497 MEM=1369
>   Interrupt
> 
> $
> 
> One empty OUT.PS file is created and some empty TMPDIR files.
> 
> _TEMP_T45404.;1       1/52        13-MAR-2022 16:01:45.84
> _TEMP_U45404.;1       0/0         13-MAR-2022 16:01:45.85
> _TEMP_V45404.;1       0/0         13-MAR-2022 16:01:45.85
> _TEMP_W45404.;1       0/0         13-MAR-2022 16:01:45.85
> 
> Any ideas? Some simple example for a GS command line to convert
> a PDF file to a PS file?

You have found a bug.  There is an infinite loop in the code caused by a 
member of a linked list pointing to itself.  Debugging now.

In the meantime, you might consider downloading XPDF from the VSI 
products site (https://vmssoftware.com/products/list/).  It includes a 
pdftops executable that may do what you want.

Alternatively, I have found there are a number of printers that cannot 
print PDF files if simply sent to the raw port, or even via LPR, but 
which can print them if the file is sent via IPP.  If you have Multinet, 
try setting up an IPP queue to your printer.  If not, you can try my IPP 
command-line utility.

Mark Berryman