I tried using the 'pdf2ps' Obey file from the GhostScript distribution
to convert a PDF file back to PostScript, but I get the error "Unknown
device: pswrite"

The file reads:

wimpslot -min 15124K
gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pswrite -sOutputFile=%1 %*2 -c save pop -f %0
if "%1" <> "" then ifthere %1 then settype %1 ff5


The GhostScript documentation lists 'ps2write' as a 'high-level device'
under its list of valid devices, and the RISC OS distribution evidently
expects it to exist.

--
Harriet Bazley == Loyaulte me lie ==

Anything can happen in the next half-hour....

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In message <[email protected]>
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

I tried using the 'pdf2ps' Obey file from the GhostScript distribution
to convert a PDF file back to PostScript, but I get the error "Unknown device: pswrite"

The file reads:

wimpslot -min 15124K
gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pswrite -sOutputFile=%1 %*2 -c
save pop -f %0
if "%1" <> "" then ifthere %1 then settype %1 ff5

The GhostScript documentation lists 'ps2write' as a 'high-level device'
under its list of valid devices, and the RISC OS distribution evidently expects it to exist.

I tested this command:
Dir <Obey$Dir>
pdf2ps exo1pdf ex02

it works!

--
Jean-Michel

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <[email protected]>,
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

I tried using the 'pdf2ps' Obey file from the GhostScript distribution
to convert a PDF file back to PostScript, but I get the error "Unknown device: pswrite"

The file reads:

wimpslot -min 15124K
gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pswrite -sOutputFile=%1 %*2 -c save pop -f %0
if "%1" <> "" then ifthere %1 then settype %1 ff5

The GhostScript documentation lists 'ps2write' as a 'high-level device'
under its list of valid devices, and the RISC OS distribution evidently expects it to exist.

Hi Harriet,

Have you tried PDFutils? Kevin Wells has a front end for PDF utils which
I have just tried converting PDF to Postscript and it worked without
causing and error. You can get it here:
http://kevsoft.co.uk/
Look for KPDFutil

Richard Darby.

--

Richard Darby.
website: http://www.rjdarby.co.uk
Do not reply to this address all mail is deleted.
Reply to: <my first name> at <my domain>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27 Jan 2025 as I do recall,
Jean-Michel wrote:

In message <[email protected]>
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

I tried using the 'pdf2ps' Obey file from the GhostScript distribution
to convert a PDF file back to PostScript, but I get the error "Unknown device: pswrite"

[snip]

I tested this command:
Dir <Obey$Dir>
pdf2ps exo1pdf ex02

it works!

I tried changing the currently selected directory to point directly into !GhostScr.bin

I still get the 'unknown device' error; apparently something isn't
defined that GhostScript expects to have been defined.

--
Harriet Bazley == Loyaulte me lie ==

Those who can't write, write manuals.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27 Jan 2025 as I do recall,
Harriet Bazley wrote:


[snip]

I tried changing the currently selected directory to point directly into !GhostScr.bin

I still get the 'unknown device' error; apparently something isn't
defined that GhostScript expects to have been defined.

*gs -v
reports the version number as GPL Ghostscript 9.26 (2018-11-20)
which is slightly confusing, as PackMan only seems to know about
GhostScript 8.71-2....

--
Harriet Bazley == Loyaulte me lie ==

Own nothing you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27 Jan 2025 as I do recall,
Richard Darby (news) wrote:

In article <[email protected]>,
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

I tried using the 'pdf2ps' Obey file from the GhostScript distribution
to convert a PDF file back to PostScript, but I get the error "Unknown device: pswrite"

[snip]

Have you tried PDFutils? Kevin Wells has a front end for PDF utils which
I have just tried converting PDF to Postscript and it worked without
causing and error. You can get it here:
http://kevsoft.co.uk/
Look for KPDFutil

It doesn't like this particular PDF (an auto-generated address label I
was sent)

Fontconfig warning: line 5: unknown element "its:rules"
Fontconfig warning: line 6: unknown element "its:translateRule"
Fontconfig error: line 6: invalid attribute 'translate'
Fontconfig error: line 6: invalid attribute 'selector'
Fontconfig error: line 7: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its'
Fontconfig error: line 7: invalid attribute 'version'
Fontconfig warning: line 9: unknown element "description"
Fontconfig warning: "/<UnixFC$Dir>/fonts/conf.d/20-unhint-small-vera.conf", line 4: unknown element "its:rules"
Fontconfig warning: "/<UnixFC$Dir>/fonts/conf.d/20-unhint-small-vera.conf", line 5: unknown element "its:translateRule"
F
[snip
Fontconfig error: "/<UnixFC$Dir>/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version'
Fontconfig error: Cannot load default config file
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica-Bold'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find a font for 'Helvetica'



Testing the GhostScript pdf2ps on a PDF file generated by PrintPDF gives
the same 'Unknown device' error as before, but using the KPDFutil
version correctly extracts a PostScript file from the RISC OS-generated
PDF.

--
Harriet Bazley == Loyaulte me lie ==

Egotist: A person of low taste, more interested in himself than me.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In message <[email protected]>
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

On 27 Jan 2025 as I do recall,
Harriet Bazley wrote:

[snip]

I tried changing the currently selected directory to point directly into
!GhostScr.bin

I still get the 'unknown device' error; apparently something isn't
defined that GhostScript expects to have been defined.

*gs -v
reports the version number as GPL Ghostscript 9.26 (2018-11-20)
which is slightly confusing, as PackMan only seems to know about
GhostScript 8.71-2....

Packman offers both the 8.71 version and 9.27 here, although 9.27 is VFP enabled.

Be warned I think in 9.26 and/or 9.27 it does not like a space in the
filename when being converted to a PDF

--
Chris Hughes

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In message <[email protected]>
Harriet Bazley <[email protected]> wrote:

On 27 Jan 2025 as I do recall,
Harriet Bazley wrote:

[snip]

I tried changing the currently selected directory to point directly into
!GhostScr.bin

I still get the 'unknown device' error; apparently something isn't
defined that GhostScript expects to have been defined.

*gs -v
reports the version number as GPL Ghostscript 9.26 (2018-11-20)
which is slightly confusing, as PackMan only seems to know about
GhostScript 8.71-2....

tried version 9. but quickly went back to 8.71 which still works fine!
(just an advice)


--
Jean-Michel

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <1dd2e8e55b.chris@mytardis>,
Chris Hughes <[email protected]> wrote:

Be warned I think in 9.26 and/or 9.27 it does not like a space in the filename when being converted to a PDF

Does anyone?

John

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In message <6797f6ca$0$5217$[email protected]>
"John Williams (News)" <[email protected]> wrote:

In article <1dd2e8e55b.chris@mytardis>,
Chris Hughes <[email protected]> wrote:

Be warned I think in 9.26 and/or 9.27 it does not like a space in the
filename when being converted to a PDF

Does anyone?

John

I can just confirm that version 8.4 does not like the slash in name/pdf... name_pdf is ok

--
Jean-Michel

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)