The current INF+PPD files allow installing a "Ghostscript PDF" printer only for Windows 2000, XP and (I expect) 2003. The proposed additions extend the installer to also work with Windows NT4, 95, 98, and Millennium. To install a "Ghostscript PDF" printer on any of these Windows versions, one will need GhostPDF.inf (attached to this bug report), GSPDFW9X.PPD (attached) and GHOSTPDF.PPD (approx. the existing one). The only way I found to support WinNT4 and Win2K/XP with a single INF file was to create a separate printer model for use with WinNT4 (if somebody finds has a better idea, feel free to improve). Using 2 separate INF files is not necessarily a solution, because in the installer you cannot choose a FILE, but a DIRECTORY; since both INF files will presumably be in the same directory - maybe Ghostscript's LIB\ -, all models in all INFs will be shown; it will be even worse if the included printer models have the same name... ------- Installation method: - Use the "Add Printer" wizard (as for almost any other printer); - When prompted for a manufacturer/ model, click "Have Disk"; - Browse to a directory containing the 3 files mentioned above; Ghostscript's LIB\ subdirectory is OK; - 2 printer models are shown; choose "Ghostscript PDF (nt4)" if using WinNT4, and "Ghostscript PDF" (selected by default) for all other supported Windows versions; - Finish the installation normally. Tested with all Windows versions mentioned above (but not with ALL possible Service Packs, since there are so many!), in most cases on fresh installs. Not tested with Win2K3. "Tested" means verifying that it installs without error messages, can print the test page, and the specific capabilities (PDF settings, resolutions, etc.) appear in the printer's configuration dialog boxes. "Additional drivers" (mips/ etc.) and "Point and Print" installs not tested, but I don't see any specific reason for these not to work. ------- Details about the 3 files: GhostPDF.inf --- Replacement for the existing GHOSTPDF.INF. Defines the 2 printer models, one exclusively for WinNT4, the other for Win9X/ME/2K/XP (but NOT for WinNT4). The selection of Win95/98/ME versus Win2K/XP is automatic, using "decorated section names". There are separate sections for WinNT4, used only by the "... (nt4)" model. Note: the 2 models install printers with identical capabilities. GHOSTPDF.PPD --- The current (at the time of this writing) HEAD version MIGHT work. However, for my tests I used it after applying the patch http://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-code-review/2005-February/004740.html and the extra fixes suggested in http://www.ghostscript.com/pipermail/gs-code-review/2005-March/004751.html The Win95 driver is particularly picky on the INF/PPD. GSPDFW9X.PPD --- This is a "local customization PPD file" used to work around limitations and special requirements of the Win95/98/ME driver. All printer capabilities are imported from GHOSTPDF.PPD, so only the latter changes if there's need to add or modify something. - The main problem it solves is to declare Ghostscript as a Level 2 interpreter while keeping the bulk of the settings in the main PPD (GHOSTPDF.PPD). The Win95 driver does not accept Level 3 at all, and would use only Level 1 constructs. (The other 2 don't handle Level 3 either, but at least would use Level 2, the highest one they support.) - Its other purpose is to fulfill the Win95/98/ME driver's special requirements and oddities regarding *Manufacturer, *Model, and *ShortNickName versus INF Manufacturer/ Model. (These could be satisfied by modifying the main PPD, but that wouldn't help too much because of the preceding point.)
Created attachment 1245 [details] Replacement lib\GhostPDF.inf
Created attachment 1246 [details] New file lib\GSPDFW9X.PPD
Please report this in the correct place. While we provide part of that product, the bug you are talking about is not in our software, but in the GhostPDF product.
This was incorrectly closed. The closer did not understand that this was a newer part of Ghostscript for Windows.
Good work SaGS. I will look at the changes and test them over the next week.
Committed partial fix, including most of the PPD changes. I am reluctant to add support for Windows 95, 98, ME or NT4 at this late stage. Bug 688753 covers INF problems for Win64. Similar problems are expected for Windows Vista.
Created attachment 2668 [details] lib\ghostpdf.inf that should work on win64 too. I modified the INF and added support for 64-bit Windows and Windows 2003 with Service Pack 1 and later versions, as specified in the applicable MS documentation. (With this occasion, I also changed the INF to hide the "... (nt4)" model on WinXP and later, since it is not needed there; unfortunately, it cannot be hidden on Win2K, because there's no way to distinguish Win2K <-> WinNT4-SP6.) Tested on the following versions/ service releases/ service packs: Win95: gold, SR1, OSR21; WinNT4/i386: gold, SP3, SP6a; Win98: gold, SP1, SE; Win2K/i386: gold, SP4; WinME; WinXP/i386: gold, SP1, SP2; Win2K3/i386: gold, SP1. ("gold" refers to the initial version, without any service packs) Unfortunately, I cannot test on ia64, amd64, and WinVISTA for lack of such systems. If somebody can test these, thank in advance for sharing the results. ----- My opinion about supporting Win95/98/ME/NT4: - GS is supposed to compile and run on such older systems. I don't see why to exclude support for installing a proper printer; - The parts that support installing on these older systems don't hinder installation on newer systems; - Those same parts don't need any maintenance. And here is the main reason I opened this report: From time to time, questions appear on comp.lang.postscript about what Windows driver to use to produce output suitable for GS. There is a PPD, but how to use it? The predominat response is to get and install Adobe's driver. The problem is this driver's licence does not allow to use it to print from AnyApp to a non-Adobe PS interpreter, a thing that many don't notice ('cause they don't read the licence carefully, plus the licence shown on Adobe's site is completely different), others deny this even when told. Of course GS distributors and maintainers have nothing to do with such bad advice/ use by third parties, but providing proper support for installing the PPD eliminates the root cause for all of this.
I have committed a minimal change to allow ghostpdf.ppd/inf to be installed on 64-bit Windows. Tested on Windows 2k (not sure which SP), Windows XP SP2, and Windows XP x64 edition (I think this is SP2 by default). This fixes Bug 688753. Thanks to SaGS for the necessary information. I'm still reluctant to add Windows 98 support at this late stage.
BTW. I just checked and since ver 8.71 the 64bit versions of the ghostscript (eg ver 9.xx and above), the install does not generate PDF files (0 byte size). I tried versions 9.0[0,1,2,3,4,5] I have been trying to no avail to get PDF prints to work with the x65 bit ver 9.xx versions. I have been on windows 7 x64 pro, and have been using powerbuilder ver 9.x and 12.5 to try to print using the specified way to make a printer using the "Sybase Datawindow PS" named FILE driver using the "ghostscript PDF" model. ghostscript 9.xx autocreate this printer for you under XP after you do a silent install, but not under windows 7 The 8.71 ghostscript package will generate a PDF file correctly for both XP and win7, but you have to manually generate the printer and do a non-silent install.
Current Ghostscript and "Ghostscript PDF" printer install on Windows 7 and 10 just fine. Earlier versions of Windows are no longer in active use. Unfortunately this contribution was not accepted on time, but it is not needed now.