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[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

www.iamjlamb.com/~keesan/bmv.tar.gz

Another fine package from the Czech Republic, 1995, for computers that 
can't do X because of video or memory or speed limitations.


61K packages with bmv executable and readme and list of video modes.
Text-mode ghostscript only uses vgalib, up to 640x480x16 color.
This lets you use SVGAlib to display at higher resolution and more colors, 
and also provides an easy way to magnify and scroll in all directions 
while viewing.  Unlike xpdf does not rotate. There may be some way to 
print by adding ghostscript options.  You don't need to specify the device 
- it is a default (plain VGA) unless you use -v<videomode> switch.

I tested on a computer with 8M RAM video chip that won't work in SVGAlib 
at more than VGA quality but it did let me use mode 4 and 9 - 16 and 2 
colors.

I compiled with glibc-2.2.5 from SW81 rather than risk problems on a 
computer with upgraded runtime but SW71 compiler libraries.  If it does 
not work for someone with the older libraries I will attempt to recompile.  
I had help and a patch from Doug Kaufmann (who sent me a recent version of 
pdftotext and I think pdf2ps that he compiled for us).

First run pd2ps or pdftops (from xpdf) to make a .ps file.

At 640, bmv and xpdf are about the same speed.  bmv displays in the entire 
screen rather than a smaller window.  It does not use a mouse.  It views 
.ps and xpdf views .pdf files.  Use ps2pdf or pdf2ps if needed.

I was able to view a 34 page washing machine manual.

Maybe we should put in an older video card in order to use SVGAlib on this 
computer.  X works at 1280 here.