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On Fri, 28 Mar 2008, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> On Thu, 27 Mar 2008, Sindi wrote:
>
> > > gs --help will list all the devices available which I think includes x11
> > > for SW4.0 (it does for SW7.1 gs).
> > >
> > > Probably just:
> > > gs -sDEVICE=x11 file.pdf  (I don't know how resolutions work under X, you
> > > may need to specify that as well, so read Use.html).
>
> I regret to report that the results of using this command, after having
> installed Slack4's gs, are roughly the same as the results I get when
> trying to view pdf files using xpdf. It opens a viewing window but, unlike
> xpdf, instead of random characters appearing on the page, the page is
> simply blank. If I run this command on a file with English text on it, the
> file displays pretty normally--much like the results I get with
> English-language pdf's when I view them with xpdf. Maybe I'll find the
> resolution later.

You did not mention you were trying to view non-Latin characters.

You need to install the ghostscript fonts for whatever language/script you 
are trying to view.  Abiword for BL comes with only Latin fonts.

The latest gs's come with built-in Latin font but earlier ones require 
external fonts to display anything at all.

My 8.54 was compiled not to display with x11 or even svgalib, since svp 
displays using svgalib.  It made it smaller, I hope.

It is not terribly complicated to add svgalib and svp as gs frontends. 
They work with kernel 2.2 (just edit libvga.config from Helper to 
Nohelper).  My package for svgalib comes with lots of stuff you don't even 
need (header files for static compilation which I probably did not need to 
include).  I think you do need libpng12.so.0.16.0 for links2 but probably 
not to use svp.  You don't need the svgalib_helper module for kernel 2.2.

You might need the newer libvga.config but you could try just fetching
libvga.so.1.9.25-neo, put in /usr/lib, ldconfig (change the name by 
removing -neo or symlink it to libvga.so.1.9.25).  Then svp ought to work 
with any gs.

svp-glib225 is my executable.  I don't seem to have packaged it with any 
documentation.  --help.  26K.
libvga.so.1.9.25-neo is 165K

GS is said to support Hebrew but the link I found was broken.

GS  fonts.htm
All about fonts... and how to add new ones.
Most gs fonts are .pfb which is PostScript Type 1.  Fontmap file, 
aliases...

See the Hebrew HOWTO.

You may have to add your own Hebrew fonts for gs by converting them from 
some other format, or editing Fontmap.....  Good luck.

There is a gs 8.57.  I am happy with 8.54.  Too large a download.

Sindi

> Thanks,
> James