Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!cam-cl!news
From: dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: GhostScript 2.2
Summary: Replies to Alan Murta, Graham Toal and Jochen Dornauf
Message-ID: <1991Jun21.102833.22459@cl.cam.ac.uk>
Date: 21 Jun 91 10:28:33 GMT
References: <1991Jun12.152500.7325@cl.cam.ac.uk> <1991Jun19.120816.15098@hotb.radig.de> <9106200622.AA14562@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <2733@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>
Reply-To: dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy)
Organization: U of Cambridge Comp Lab, UK
Lines: 87

In article <2733@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> adm@cs.man.ac.uk (Alan Murta) writes:
>In article <9106200622.AA14562@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> gtoal@tardis.computer-science.edinburgh.ac.uk writes:
>>My wish list for ghostscript...
>
>[Graham's wish list deleted]
>
>I agree with Graham's comments, but would like to add a (simple) one of my
>own:
>
>A makefile which will allow recompilation using "standard" C resources, ie.
>Acorn C release 3.00 and CLib 3.50. Re-building the old GS release took some
>effort (eg. for the purpose of including specific printer support).
>
>Alan Murta.

I will try to do this. GS 2.1.1 was compiled using various non-standard
versions of C; I have these as a consequence of once working for Acorn. I'm
trying to set up GS 2.2 so that the makefile is compatible with the standard
AMU. However, I won't be able to compile it for any version of CLib earlier
than 3.66 - I simply don't have an earlier version. I'm not sure quite when I
will be releasing it - I'm very pushed for time at present, and will also have
far less ready net access over the summer.

-----

Graham's wish list went like this:

> 1) don't have two windows - one for stdin & one for stdout - merge
> them into one ordinary text window (like tiggr & I did for TeX)

May I have a copy of the code you used for TeX? I'm quite happy to do it this
way, but I don't want to waste time re-inventing the wheel.

> 2) Instead of the special QUIT icon, just use the normal top-left
> 'go away' mechanism

I've never liked using "Close" to mean "Quit" - it seems like a semantic
confusion. I know that its standard for many Acorn proggies, but that doesn't
mean I have to like it.

> 3) Dropping a file on the ghostscript window to do a (filename) run
> automatically.
> 4) have an iconbar icon - drop a file on it, and do a (filename) run
> likewise.
> 5) If doing (4), make it by default *not* put up the text
> window.  Just process & produce output. (See 6)

These are all good points. As I said above, lack of time is a problem at the
moment. If I can I will implement these.

> 6) Don't bother the viewing window - just pop up a 'save as' window
> with a sprite icon in it, so we can drop the sprite icon straight
> into paint or our favourite display prog.

I don't like this, for several reasons. Firstly, it means that you have to
have !paint (or something else that displays sprites) running. GS takes a lot
of memory, so this may be a problem on smaller machines. Secondly, it means
that displaying a page becomes a multi-step activity: on the showpage, you
have to drag the sprite around, rather than just getting the output. Finally,
if you are using GS interactively, to gradually build up an image (e.g. for
testing some P*stScr*pt), then this would be a real nuisance.

> Just another wish list (I know how much time you don't have - you
> should see my TeX wish-list some time...)
>
> Graham

*Sigh*

-----

Jochen Dornauf also said:

> Could you make a version one can change (include 
> printer support for HP DeskJet is my demand..)
> and compile oneself?? (with cc 3.0 !!)?

See above for making it easier to compile. The release does include sources
for HP DeskJet, but you may need to do some minor massaging to them and to the
makefile. If I have the time, I'll try to include some notes on this, since
the way the Aladdin supplied makefile specifies which devices are included in
the build isn't totally convenient for the Archimedes.



-- david elworthy