Ghostscriptis a suite of software based on aninterpreterforAdobe Systems'PostScriptandPortable Document Format(PDF)page description languages.Its main purposes are therasterizationorrenderingof such page description language[4]files, for the display or printing of document pages, and the conversion between PostScript and PDF files.[5]
 | |
| Original author(s) | L. Peter Deutsch |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Artifex Software[1] |
| Initial release | August 11, 1988[2] |
| Stable release | 10.03.1[3]
/ 2 May 2024 |
| Repository | |
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | PostScriptandPDFinterpreter |
| License | Dual-licensed (GNU Affero General Public License+ commercial permissive exception) |
| Website | www |
Features
editGhostscript can be used as araster image processor(RIP) for rastercomputer printers—for instance, as an input filter ofline printer daemon—or as the RIP engine behind PostScript and PDF viewers. It can also be used as a file format converter, such as PostScript to PDF converter. Theps2pdfconversion program comes with the Ghostscript distribution.[6]
Ghostscript can also serve as the back-end for PDF toraster image(png, tiff, jpeg, etc.) converter; this is often combined with a PostScript printer driver in "virtual printer"PDF creators.[7][citation needed]As it takes the form of a language interpreter, Ghostscript can also be used as a general purpose programming environment.
Ghostscript has beenportedto many operating systems, includingUnix-likesystems,classic Mac OS,OpenVMS,Microsoft Windows,Plan 9,MS-DOS,FreeDOS,OS/2,ArcaOS,Atari TOS,RISC OSandAmigaOS.
History
editGhostscript was originally written byL. Peter Deutschfor theGNU Project,and released under theGNU General Public Licensein 1988.[8]At the time of the initial release there was a similar commercial software product named GoScript from LaserGo.[9]Later, Deutsch formedAladdin Enterprisestodual-licenseGhostscript also under aproprietary licensewith an own developmentfork:Aladdin Ghostscriptunder theAladdin Free Public License[10](which, despite the name, is not a free software license, as it forbids commercial distribution) andGNU Ghostscriptdistributed with theGNU General Public License.[11]With version 8.54 in 2006, both development branches were merged again, and dual-licensed releases were still provided.[12][13]
Ghostscript is currently owned by Artifex Software and maintained by Artifex Software employees and the worldwide user community. According to Artifex, as of version 9.03, the commercial version of Ghostscript can no longer be freely distributed for commercial purposes without purchasing a license, though the (A)GPL variant allows commercial distribution provided all code using it is released under the (A)GPL.[14][15][16][17]
In February 2013, with version 9.07, Ghostscript changed its license from GPLv3 toGNU AGPL.[18][19]which raisedlicense compatibilityquestions,[clarification needed]for example byDebian.[20]
Starting with release 9.55.0 Ghostscript has two built-in PDF interpreters. Until spring 2022, up to Ghostscript version 9.56.1, the default PDF interpreters implementation itself was coded in PostScript. The new default PDF interpreter has been rewritten in C entirely, and is faster and more secure than its predecessor, while its interface and graphics library have not changed.[21]Scripting the new C written PDF interpreter from PostScript is still possible.[22]
Free fonts
editThere are several sets offreefonts supplied for Ghostscript, intended to be metrically compatible with common fonts attached with the PostScript standard.[23][24][25][26]These include:
- A collection of 35 font styles from 10 typeface families contributed by German foundryURW++in 1996 under theGPLandAFPL,which is therefore commonly called theURW Base 35 fontsorURW Core 35 fonts.[27][28][29][30][31][excessive citations]The collection is similar to the 35 fonts defined by Adobe inPostScript Level 2:Bookman L (Bookman), Century Schoolbook L (New Century Schoolbook), Chancery L (Zapf Chancery), Dingbats (Zapf Dingbats), Gothic L (Avant Garde),Nimbus Mono L(Courier),Nimbus Roman No9 L(Times),Nimbus Sans L(Helvetica), Palladio L (Palatino), Standard Symbols L (Symbol), in Type1, TrueType, and OpenType formats.
- The GhostPDL package (including Ghostscript as well as companion implementations ofHP PCLandMicrosoft XPS) includes additional fonts under the AFPL which bars commercial use.[26][32]It includes URW++ versions ofGaramond(Garamond No. 8),Optima(URW Classico),Arial(A030),Antique Olive,andUnivers(U001),Clarendon,Coronet,Letter Gothic,as well as URW Mauritius and a modified form ofAlbertusknown as A028. Combined with the base set, they represent a little more than half of the standard PostScript 3 font complement.
- A miscellaneous set includingCyrillic,kana,and fonts derived from the free Hershey fonts, with improvements by Thomas Wolff (such as adding accented characters).
The Ghostscript fonts were developed in the PostScript Type 1 format but have been converted into the TrueType format.[27][26]As a result, a user can install and use the Ghostscript fonts via most modern software. Furthermore, the Ghostscript fonts are used as parts of various open source applications, e.g., the Linux version ofGIMPdepends onGraphvizwhich in turn depends on the Ghostscript fonts.[33][34]Finally, multiple open source font projects used glyphs from the Ghostscript fonts, e.g., the Latin characters ofGNU FreeFontare based onNimbus Mono L,Nimbus Roman No9 L,andNimbus Sans L.[35]The TeX Gyre fonts are also based on 8 out of the 10 original Ghostscript typeface families.[36]The Garamond font has additionally been improved upon.[37]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^"Documentation".ghostscript.com.July 10, 2002. Archived fromthe originalon February 28, 2018.RetrievedMay 23,2017.
- ^"History of Ghostscript versions 1.n".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-02-08.Retrieved2007-04-10.
- ^"Version 10.03.1 (2024-05-02)".2 May 2024.Retrieved18 May2024.
- ^"Ghostscript and the PostScript language".ghostscript.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-09-30.Retrieved2017-05-23.
- ^Ingo, Henrik (1 August 2006).Open Life: The Philosophy of Open Source.Lulu.com.ISBN9781847286116– via Google Books.
- ^"ps2pdf: PostScript-to-PDF converter".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-20.Retrieved2014-08-03.
- ^"Creating a Free PDF Writer Using Ghostscript".www.stat.tamu.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-10-27.Retrieved2017-06-02.
- ^"Recent changes in Ghostscript".pages.cs.wisc.edu.2002-11-21. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-10-25.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^Kraul, Chris (1989-05-02)."Printing Up a Package for Success: LaserGo Software Offers Cheaper Desktop System".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2022-09-09.
- ^"Aladdin Free Public License".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-09-30.Retrieved2021-03-19.(mirror)
- ^"Background information for new users of Ghostscript".pages.cs.wisc.edu.
- ^"Advogato: Blog for raph".29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^raph (2006-06-07)."Ghostscript leading edge is now GPL!".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-10-03.Retrieved2021-03-19."I have some great news to report. The leading edge of Ghostscript development is now under GPL license, as is the latest release, Ghostscript 8.54."
- ^"Artifex Software Inc".Artifex Software Inc.Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-20.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^Robitaille, Jason (2009-12-04)."Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Palm".webOS Nation.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^"Complaint for Copyright Infringement"(PDF).2009-12-02. p. 4: 15., p. 6: 27.RetrievedMay 3,2013.
- ^"Notice of Voluntary Dismissal With Prejudice"(PDF).2011-02-07.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^Liddell, Chris (2006-02-19)."[gs-devel] Ghostscript 9.07 and GhostPDL 9.07".Archived fromthe originalon 2021-01-20.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^"Licensing Information".Artifex Software Inc.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-05-12.Retrieved2014-05-08.
- ^Jose Luis Rivas (2014-05-06)."Re: Ghostscript licensing changed to AGPL".lists.debian.org.Retrieved2021-03-19.
- ^"Ghostscript: PDFI - The NEW Ghostscript PDF Interpreter is now the default!".www.ghostscript.com.Retrieved2022-08-01.
- ^"Ghostscript and the PostScript Language - Scripting the PDF interpreter".ghostscript.com.Retrieved2022-08-01.
- ^"Debian package - gsfonts".Retrieved2010-04-21.
- ^"Fonts and font facilities supplied with Ghostscript".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-06-12.Retrieved2010-04-21.
- ^"Linux fonts (mostly X11)".2009-08-15.Retrieved2010-04-21.
- ^abc"doc/pcl/urwfonts (URW fonts in TTF format)".ghostscript doc.Archived fromthe originalon 25 March 2018.Retrieved24 March2018.
- ^abArtifexSoftware."urw-base35-fonts".GitHub.Retrieved25 March2018.
- ^Finally! Good-quality free (GPL) basic-35 PostScript Type 1 fonts.,archived fromthe originalon 2002-10-23,retrieved2010-05-06
- ^Finally! Good-quality free (GPL) basic-35 PostScript Type 1 fonts.(TXT),retrieved2010-05-06
- ^"Fonts and TeX".2009-12-19.Retrieved2010-05-06.
- ^Five years after: Report on international TEX font projects(PDF),2007,retrieved2010-05-06
- ^"GhostPDL License".ghostscript doc.Archived fromthe originalon 25 March 2018.Retrieved21 November2017.
- ^"Arch Linux - gimp".Retrieved2022-08-04.
- ^"Arch Linux - graphviz".Retrieved2022-08-04.
- ^"Gnu FreeFont: Design notes".Retrieved2022-07-08.
- ^"The TeX Gyre (TG) Collection of Fonts — GUST Web Presence".Retrieved2022-08-04.
- ^Bisson, Gaetan."URW Garamond ttf conversions".Retrieved18 August2015.
External links
edit- Official website
- Ghostscript version 8.56 and earlier
- Ghostscript/GhostPDL binaries download pageat GitHub (cross-platform, this site is actively maintained)
- GPL Ghostscript binaries download pageat SourceForge (cross-platform, this site is no longer actively maintained)