LONG Summary of Alternatives to PostScript printing without Transcript
Wayne Little
rwl at umree.ee.umr.edu
Fri Mar 23 08:21:20 AEST 1990
A long time back I posted a question to the net regarding alternatives to
purchasing Sun's Transcript package (for using postscript printers). This
summary gives information on both the public domain alternatives &
commercial alternatives.
My apologies for the delay in posting my summary, which is now ready
thanks to a jump start from on of my trusty student assistants (Jim
Dumser) who did the first draft of this summary, before I jumped in, and
to Loki Jorgenson who sent lots of info & answered many questions. (more
credits at the end)
With the April 1 availability of Adobe Postscript for the HP LaserJet IIPs
& IIIs (according to the trade rags), this should be timely, since the
discounted price of a IIP + memory + PostScript is about what Sun charges
for 1 binary copy of Transcript.
The acknowledgements at the end list the reference number and the sender.
The replies are indexed according to the order they hit my mailbox.
Availability for all public domain software is via anonymous ftp.
Since this "summary" is a bit long, here's an outline with a summary of
the summary first :-). Most of these are expanded in more detail below.
<<* The Summarized Summary :-) *>>
WHAT DOES TRANSCRIPT DO?
Interfaces with the printer (e.g. handles out of paper msgs) & provides
several filters to postscript (e.g. from ascii, raster, tektronix...).
WHAT DOES TRANSCRIPT HAVE THAT OTHER STUFF MIGHT NOT?
1. enscript - fancy pretty printer
2. coherent integration of all filters (e.g. tek2ps, raster2ps, cat2ps, etc.)
PUBLIC DOMAIN ALTERNATIVES
1. LWkit available from uunet: ~/comp.sources.unix/volume15/lwf.Z
includes: lwf (ascii-to-PS converter) lwp (spooler, PS device interface)
2. psf - printcap filter
3. Stuff from the TeX distribution
includes: applef (PS device interface, opt ascii-to-PS conversion [11])
dvi2ps (TeX-to-PS converter)
Availability:
labrea.standford.edu [36.8.0.47] in subdir pub/tex-split
(applef included in dvi2ps package) [11]
Univ of Washington -- $150 for tape with TeX plus fonts [4]
4. A Myriad of filters to go with the above 3
(* Thanks to Loki Jorgenson for the top 1/2 of this list! *)
Anonymous FTP sites; there's bound to be some others or redundancies...
dvi2ps 128.174.252.1 a.cs.uiuc.edu
TPS(TeX) 130.188.52.2 hemuli.atk.vtt.fi
hpgl2ps 128.59.64.40 sol.ctr.columbia
ditroff-ps ns.uu.net
cif2ps 26.2.0.74 wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
giftops "
plot2ps "
tek2ps "
gif2ps 129.97.129.72 surya.waterloo.edu
sun2ps "
cif2ps "
hpgl2ps "
macps.shar 128.42.1.30 titan.rice.edu (in subdirectory sun-source)
psraster.shar "
calcomp2ps.Z "
cif2ps.Z "
hpgl-ps.Z "
ps.draft.Z "
ps.getafm.Z "
psprep.tar.Z "
sun2ps.Z "
sun_to_ps.Z "
thack.shar (cat2ps) 131.151.4.1 umree.ee.umr.edu (in subdir pub)
COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVES
1. Transcript source site license from Adobe for $2950. (800) 344-8335
contact: Karen Walles. Same package that sun sells, but only on a 1/2"
tape. (2 minor tweaks needed for compilation (details in the long summary
below)
2. devps from Pipeline Industries $395 (source), $795 (site), (201) 731-7860
3. stuff from Thalatta Price: ?, Contact:[5] John Bossert: bossert at thalatta.com
4. raster-to-ps (RA2PS) free from sun if you have SunPaint or SunDraw [23]
5. multiple RTU licenses from sun from $9700 ND for 10 RTU, to $139,500 for 250
--------------------------<* End of short Summary *>--------------------------
----------------------<* Begin Rambling Detailed Notes *)---------------------
WHAT DOES TRANSCRIPT DO?
------------------------
Basically, Transcript converts text files to postscript code (if
necessary) and manages the interface to a postscript printer. Postscript
printers, unlike ordinary lineprinters, send back information to the host
concerning such things as job status, number of pages print
specifically.ed, and paper out. some handshaking occurs that is necessary
to avoid losing jobs. The public domain alternatives address at least
some of the interface issues, and I assume that the commercial programs
listed below handle both parts.
PUBLIC DOMAIN ALTERNATIVES
--------------------------
Basically 3 options were mentioned as far as the printer interface: L.
LWKit includes both a program to communicate with the printer & an
ascii-to-ps filter. The package installed very easily & according to the
instructions in the README file.
psf does both the ascii-PS conversion and printer interfacing.
Interfacing appeared to be at a bare minimum. Comments in the code listed
printer responses recognized, with many listed as "not yet implemented."
Postscript Interface Programs:
o LWkit
Includes: [26]
lwf (ascii-to-PS converter)
lwp (spooler, PS device interface)
Availability:
math.ufl.edu [18 ref L Jorgenson (27,28)]
uunet: ~/comp.sources.unix/volume15/lwf.Z [16]
Notes:
derived from UBC AppleWriter package: [27]
implemented for OS 3.5 and Applewriter NT II
adds a library of grep-like routines
contact Loki Jorgenson (loki at physics.mcgill.ca) or
Rick Sample (sample at cs.ubc.cdn) for assistance
lwf hacked to handle serial bugs in SunOS 4.0.1 [26]
mentioned in 16, 18, 26, 27, 28
o psf -- ** printcap filter: if=ps ** [10])
Notes: apparently does bare minimum with printer messages [jmd]
o TeX
Includes: [4]
applef (PS device interface, opt ascii-to-PS conversion [11])
dvi2ps (TeX-to-PS converter)
Availability:
(applef included in dvi2ps distrib) [11]
all of TeX (via anonymous ftp)
labrea.standford.edu [36.8.0.47] in subdir pub/tex-split
the full UNIX TeX distrib is 21 MB compressed, in 42 files
(via U.S. mail)
Univ of Washington -- $150 for tape of TeX with fonts [4]
send $$ or POs to
The Director
Northwest Computer Support Group, DW-10
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195
Notes:
mentioned in 1, 4, 8, 11, 21. Responders are happy with this
and a couple have been using for 2 years + with good results.
Conversion Utilities:
o LWkit -- see above
o TeX -- see above
o thack (cat2ps) -- troff-to-PS converter
Notes: mentioned in 1, 8, 10, 26
I tested the version from sun.sources.misc vol 7 issue 7,
& it core dumps on a 3/60 with 4.0.3, and has a bug on
sparcstation1s with 4.0.3c, that places the output
a half inch too high, losing a 1/2 line.
Paul Eggert sent me a version with fixes to both of the above,
which I've made available on umree.ee.umr.edu in pub/thack.shar
In the USA, be sure to define USPAGELENGTH in the Makefile!
(This was the 1/2 inch bug, due to dif. size paper in Europe.)
o pbmplus -- portable bitmap conversion utilities
Author: Jeff Poskanzer [16]
Availability: uunet: ~/X/contrib/pbmplus.tar.Z
Notes: mentioned in 16, 17
o tpscript -- ditroff-to-PS converter
Author: Rob Kolstad [19]
Availability:
coming to a source group near you [19]
uunet: ~/comp.sources.unix/volume15/tpscript [16]
Notes: mentioned in 19, 16
o RASTER-to-PS converters (sun rasterfile(5) to PostScript)
Notes: I tested 3 of these from and all worked nicely producing
very similar quality, all allow landscape or portrait.
They did differ widely in the size of PS files produced
for a similar screendump - see below. sun2ps & psraster have
extra options allowing inversion & various sizing & scaling.
o psraster -- raster-to-PS converter [8]
Availability: titan.rice.edu in subdir sun-sources
Notes: size of PS file was 74K, will automatically guess
on landscape or portrait (guessed right on screendump)
o sun2ps - converts Sun rasterfile to ps
Availability: uunet.uu.net in subdir postscript
Notes: size of PS file was 102K
o suntops
Availability: uunet.uu.net in subdir postscript
Notes: size of PS file was 259K
COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVES TO TRANSCRIPT:
--------------------------------------
o Source license from Adobe [4],[7],[13] mentioned availability
Price: $2950
Notes: I called (800) 344-8335 & talked with Karen Walles & found
out the price for that is $2950, and that it is the same
package that sun sells, but comes only on a 1/2 inch tape.
Ittai [4] included info from sun-spots-digest vol. 8
issue 87 from Ted Nolan that indicated a mod is needed to
pscomm.c which is only to add the line:
#include <fcntl.h>
and that the Makefile flag needs to be changed from -c to -e.
o devps from Pipeline Industries
Price: $395 (single cpu source), $795 (site source license) [29,9]
Contact: [29]
Pipeline Industries
239 Main Street
West Orange, NJ 07052
(201) 731-7860
Patrick Wood:
pipeline!phw at motown.allied.com or phw at pipeline.uucp
Notes: mentioned in 2, 9, 29
I sent mail to and got some literature. The package they sell
is "devps" and includes a filter from ditroff to postscript &
one from troff to ditroff (cat2div). The package also provides
support for BSD & SYS V spooling systems. The glossy says
devps has been used to produce camera-ready copy for a number
of books.
o postscript driver from Elan
Price: cheaper than Adobe according to [23]
o Multiple RIght to Use (RTU) license from Sun
Price: ranging from $9700 (NonDisc.) for 10 RTU, to $139,500 for 250
o stuff from Thalatta
Price: unknown
Contact: [5] John Bossert: bossert at thalatta.com
o for free fix available from Sun to print from SunPaint or SunDraw
without Transcript (RA2PS) [23]
Many thanks to all who reponded.
Here's the credits
[1] Donald Pace <pace at stat.fsu.edu>
[2] Ken Yap <ken at cs.rochester.edu>
[3] mmsac!david at sacto.West.Sun.com (David Kensiski)
[4] reg at afwl.af.mil (Reg Clemens)
[5] David Fetrow <fetrow at milton.u.washington.edu>
[6] rice%husc8 at harvard.harvard.edu (Ken Rice)
[7] ittai at shemesh.gba.nyu.edu (Ittai Hershman)
[7b] ted at braggvax.arpa (Ted Nolan)
[8] Phill Everson <phill%med-image.compsci.bristol.ac.uk at NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK>
[9] barnett at unclejack.crd.ge.com (Bruce Barnett)
[10] eggert at twinsun.com (Paul Eggert)
[11] mdaeng!rwn at evax (Ralph Noack)
[12] galley%geophysics at harvard.harvard.edu
[13] Frank G. Fiamingo <frank at tardis.ircc.ohio-state.edu>
[14] jas at proteon.com (John A. Shriver)
[15] paul at trzdor1.ico.olivetti.com (Paul Hudson)
[16] sysnmc at magic706.chron.com (Matt Cohen)
[17] dan at rose3.Rosemount.com (Dan Messinger)
[18] emv at math.lsa.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti)
[18b] Loki Jorgenson Rm421 <loki at physics.mcgill.ca>
[19] kolstad at prisma.com (Rob Kolstad)
[20] dyker at boulder.Colorado.edu
[21] glenn at synaptics.com (Glenn Gribble)
[22] emtek!jay at uunet.UU.net (Jay Elston)
[23] mlindsey%X102C at HARRIS-ATD.com (Lindsey MS 04396)
[24] rice%husc8 at harvard.harvard.edu (Ken Rice)
[25] karim at oak.uncwil.edu (Omar A. Karim)
[26] gnu at toad.com
[27] Loki Jorgenson Rm421 <loki at physics.mcgill.ca>
[28] Loki Jorgenson Rm421 <loki at physics.mcgill.ca>
[29] barnett at unclejack.crd.ge.com (Bruce Barnett)
[30] Ittai Hershman <ittai at shemesh.gba.nyu.edu>
Hope this is a help. Thanks very much to all the above responders!
-- Wayne Little Internet: rwl at ee.umr.edu UUCP: uunet!umree!rwl
Phone: (314) 341-4546 USPS: Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, EE Dept., Rolla, MO 65401
& trusty assistant
Jim Dumser
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