Bug 688506

Summary: Install and run ghostscript off of USB drive
Product: Ghostscript Reporter: Craig <reswob10>
Component: Config/InstallAssignee: Stefan Kemper <stefan.kemper>
Status: NOTIFIED WORKSFORME    
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: P4    
Version: 8.51   
Hardware: PC   
OS: Windows XP   
Customer: Word Size: ---
Attachments: text file showing errors when entering commands

Description Craig 2006-01-24 10:32:08 UTC 
I hope this is the right place to ask this.  If not, I apologize.

Are there plans to create a version of Ghostscript that can install to a USB
drive and run from a USB drive?  In other words, a portable version where I can
plug my USB drive into any computer and start converting ps files to pdfs
without having to install anything or only needing to make minimal,
non-permanent changes?

Or is this programmically (not sure THAT'S a word) impossible?
Have I just missed a link with instructions on how to do that?


Craig "Dammit Jim, I'm an engineer, not a programmer"
Comment 1 Ray Johnston 2006-01-24 20:44:26 UTC 
Please read the documentation in doc/Use.htm.

Ghostscript can be run from a USB drive or even a CD-ROM (non writable)
drive. The key point is to make sure that Ghostscript can find the
'lib' files, the 'Resource/' directory and the fonts.

The lib directory can be specified when invoking Ghostscript by using the
-I command line option. The -I also specifies the path to search for fonts
so they needn't be in the 'lib' directory. The Resource/ directory is specified
with the -sGenericResourceDir= option. If Ghostscript is on the U: drive at
the top level with a lib/ directory, a fonts/ directory and a Resource/
directory, you can use:

U:\bin\gswin32 -IU:/lib -IU:/fonts -sGenericResourceDir=U:/Resource/

Note that the trailing '/' on the GenericResourceDir string is required.

Also note that you can run bin/gswin32.exe or bin/gswin32c.exe this way
depending on how you want the text window to work.
Comment 2 Craig 2006-02-13 09:33:17 UTC 
Created attachment 2033 [details]
text file showing errors when entering commands