Pre-installation question - GhostScript and or Gimp-Print

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Level 1

86 points

Pre-installation question - GhostScript and or Gimp-Print

Hi:

I have just installed an open source page layout app called Scribus. There is a message that comes up that GhostScript needs to be installed for print preview and other functions.

Before I install, I wanted to know if there will be any conflict with my current printing configuration, as it is working fine and don't want to rock the boat.

Secondly, if any of you have had any experience installing GhostScript on OSX, any feedback on best practices would be very much appreciated.

TIA for any advice.

Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz, TiBook G4 667, AlBook 1.25, Mac OS X (10.5.5), Also running OS X 10.2, 10.3.9

Posted on Mar 16, 2009 9:56 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 16, 2009 12:31 PM in response to Murman

Murman wrote:
Before I install, I wanted to know if there will be any conflict with my current printing configuration, as it is working fine and don't want to rock the boat.

There should be no conflict.

Secondly, if any of you have had any experience installing GhostScript on OSX, any feedback on best practices would be very much appreciated.

The choice for how to install Ghostscript depends on what Scribus needs. If it does not need support for X11, then the easiest way would be to use the Mac OS X installer from OpenPrinting. See the page _ http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/foomatic_. You do not need to install the Foomatic-RIP package, just the appropriate Ghostscript package. You could try that first. There is an uninstaller if it doesn't work for you.

If Scribus is running under X11, you may need Ghostscript built with X support. The easiest way to do this would be to use macports. Just install macports and use the Terminal command 'sudo port install ghostscript'.

Matt

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Answer 2

Murman Author

Level 1

86 points

Mar 21, 2009 7:03 AM in response to Matt Broughton

Hi Matt:

Thanks for your reply and my apologies for the delay in responding. And sorry too for all the following questions, but I am a basic Mac user (although I've been using them for almost 25 years!), and am very unclear on the non-compiled install methodology.

You said:

If Scribus is running under X11, you may need Ghostscript built with X support. The easiest way to do this would be to use macports. Just install macports and use the Terminal command 'sudo port install ghostscript'.

Part of the install instructions for Scribus say:

* Install the Xcode developer tools from http://developer.apple.com/technology/xcode.html

* Install Apple's X11 (two packages, X11User.pkg from the system disk and X11SDK.pkg from the developer tools disk, the names may be slightly different). Note: The Xcode developer tools may install the X11 packages. In this case you can skip this step.

I installed the Xcode Developers Tools, and I don't know if it put it there, but X11 is in my Utilities folder, and I have Scribus installed and up and running (except for this little glitch) so I assume Scribus does run under X11.

I have found instructions for installing MacPorts here:
http://www.macports.org/install.php
and it says :

Please note that in order to install and run MacPorts on Mac OS X, your system must have installations of the following
components:

1. Apple's Xcode Developer Tools (version 3.1 or later for
Leopard, or 2.4.1 or later for Tiger), found at the Apple Developer Connection
site or on your Mac OS X installation CDs/DVD.

2. The X11 windowing environment (A.K.A. “X11 User”) and its related SDK package (“X11SDK”)
for ports that depend on the functionality they provide to compile and run.

* the “X11 User” package is an optional installation on your system CDs/DVD for Panther and
Tiger, enabled through the “Customize” button of the installer, whereas it is included by default
on Leopard.

* the “X11 SDK” package from the Xcode installer will be automatically selected if “X11
User” is already installed, so be sure to install that first.

Matt: How do I know if I have Xcode already installed? If I don't then I install from the OSX install disks, right.

Then I can install GhostScript for X11, right.

Thanks for any help in advance - Murray

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Answer 3

Mar 21, 2009 8:26 AM in response to Murman

The reason I gave a qualified answer (two ways to install Ghostscript) was that I did not know what sort of Mac OS X package Scribus used.

I have since downloaded and installed Scribus. I used the 1.3.5SVN installer from http://downloads.sourceforge.net/scribus/Scribus1.3.5SVN110309.dmg?download

This is a prebuilt application that runs natively in the OS X environment. No need for X11. It worked fine with the precompiled Ghostscript form OpenPrinting http://www.openprinting.org/download/printdriver/macosx/gplgs-8.64so-ub.dmg

There is no need for you to do any compiling for any aspect of this.

Matt

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Answer 4

Murman Author

Level 1

86 points

Mar 22, 2009 7:53 AM in response to Matt Broughton

Matt:

Thank you - let me follow your advice and I'll report back. You're help is very much appreciated!

Murray

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Answer 5

Murman Author

Level 1

86 points

Mar 22, 2009 8:18 AM in response to Matt Broughton

Bingo!

After installing the GhostPrint from your suggested location, it opens and works without a hitch. I guess I got screwed up when trying to follow the directions for the "stable" version from this page:

http://www.scribus.net/?q=macosx

And then trying the Fink directions from this page:

http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/InstallingScribus_on_Mac_OSX

But due to my lack of understanding of the processes necessary to compile the stable version, I'll use this one and see how it goes.

Thank you very much Matt!

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Answer 6

Mar 22, 2009 6:09 PM in response to Murman

Glad to hear that you have a working copy now. I always try the easy approach first -- even if that means using a "non-stable" version software. In most cases, "non-stable" versions run just fine.

Matt

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