                          Overview of Ghostscript

If this is your first contact with Ghostscript, before continuing here you
should read the documentation for new users, where you'll find

   * what Ghostscript does (PostScript and PDF previewing, conversion, and
     printing);
   * its licensing terms (free for ordinary use);
   * what platforms it runs on (every platform you're likely to be
     interested in);
   * where to find some useful programs that enhance Ghostscript (like
     user-friendly previewers for Unix, VMS, MS Windows, DOS, and
     Macintosh); and
   * what to do if you need help.

The rest of this document is a roadmap to the Ghostscript documentation.
After looking through it, if you want to install Ghostscript and not only
use it, we recommend you read how to install Ghostscript, and how to compile
Ghostscript from source code (which is necessary before installing it on
Unix and VMS systems).
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Table of contents

        * Document roadmap by theme
             o What should I read if I'm a new user?
                  + Aladdin Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript
                  + Before building Ghostscript
             o What should I read if I'm not a new user?
             o What if I'm a developer?
             o What if I'm writing documentation?
        * Presence on the World Wide Web
             o Ghostscript's home page
             o Aladdin's home page
             o Adobe PostScript and PDF reference documentation
             o Other material on the WWW
        * Which document contains what?

               Bug-form.htm    Hershey.htm    Ps2pdf.htm
               C-style.htm     History*.htm   Psfiles.htm
               Commprod.htm    Htmstyle.htm   Public.htm
               Copying.htm     Humor.htm      Readme.htm
               Current.htm     Install.htm    Release.htm
               DLL.htm         Language.htm   Source.htm
               Devices.htm     Lib.htm        Tester.htm
               Drivers.htm     Make.htm       Unix-lpr.htm
               Fonts.htm       New-user.htm   Use.htm
               Helpers.htm     News.htm       Xfonts.htm

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Document roadmap by theme

What should I read if I'm a new user?

A new user of Ghostscript should begin by reading the material specifically
for new users, then as many of these documents as seem useful:

   * how to install Ghostscript
   * how to use Ghostscript; some of this information information also found
     in gs.1, the Unix "man" page for Ghostscript.
   * the catalogs at the beginning of devs.mak and contrib.mak, which list
     all the devices for which Ghostscript is able to produce output
     (although if you got Ghostscript in binary form, it will only include
     some of these devices)
   * detailed information about some specific devices that Ghostscript knows
     about
   * more detailed information about how to use Ghostscript under Unix with
     lpr as a filter for non-PostScript printers
   * a problem-reporting form -- but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO
     WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT

Aladdin Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript

Aladdin Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript are different releases. If you have
Aladdin Ghostscript, not the GNU Ghostscript releases distributed by the
Free Software Foundation, you should read (or at least skim through):

   * additional information about Aladdin Ghostscript releases that is not
     relevant to GNU Ghostscript releases.

If you run into any questions, or if you are going to be using Ghostscript
extensively, you should at least skim, and probably eventually read:

   * about the fonts distributed with Ghostscript, including how to add or
     replace fonts
   * a description of the Ghostscript language, and its differences from the
     documented PostScript language
   * about the .ps files distributed with Ghostscript (other than fonts)

Before building Ghostscript

If you are going to compile Ghostscript, rather than just use an executable
you got from somewhere, you should read:

   * how to build Ghostscript and install it

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What should I read if I'm not a new user?

If you have already used Ghostscript, when you receive a new release you
should begin by reading this file, then

   * News.htm, for changes and new features in the current release;
   * Current.htm, for known problems in the current release;
   * if you wish, History#.htm (currently History6.htm), for changes in
     other releases.

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What if I'm a developer?

If you are going to write a new driver for Ghostscript, you should read

   * the guide to the Ghostscript source code
   * the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers
   * about the external font interface between Ghostscript and
     platform-supplied fonts (but read about drivers in general first)

If you are considering distributing Ghostscript (either Aladdin or GNU
versions) in conjunction with a commercial product, you should read the
license carefully, and you should also read

   * additional clarification of the circumstances under which Ghostscript
     can be distributed with a commercial product

If you intend to use Ghostscript in the form of a dynamic link library (DLL)
under OS/2 or Microsoft Windows, read

   * documentation on Ghostscript as a DLL

If you want to use Ghostscript as part of another program -- as a callable
PostScript language interpreter -- and not as a DLL or as a self-contained
executable application, you should begin by reading

   * the source file imain.h, the documented API for Ghostscript not as a
     DLL

or if you are going to use only the Ghostscript graphics library,

   * about the structure of the Ghostscript library and its interfaces

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What if I'm writing documentation?

If you are editing or adding to Ghostscript's existing documentation in HTML
format, or writing a new document, you should read

   * the coding and style guidelines for Ghostscript's HTML-based
     documentation.

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Presence on the World Wide Web

Ghostscript's home page

Ghostscript has a home page on the World Wide Web with helpful information
such as the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and a list of known problems
and workarounds for the current Aladdin Ghostscript release (in the
"Obtaining" file for that release):

     http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/

Aladdin's home page

More material about Ghostscript can be found on Aladdin Enterprises' World
Wide Web site at

     http://www.ghostscript.com/

Adobe PostScript and PDF reference documentation

Adobe makes a wealth of relevant technical documentation available on its
Web site, including the PostScript Language Reference Manual (Third
Edition), the PDF 1.3 specification, and the pdfmark and distiller
parameters documentation.

Other material on the WWW

Much other material about Ghostscript is available on the World Wide Web,
both as web pages and as archived Usenet and mailing list discussions. Use
the well-known search engines to find such material.

There is a good manual for Ghostscript available in PDF form, in English and
German (and soon in Japanese), at:

     http://www.pdflib.com/gsmanual

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Which document contains what?

Here is the list in alphabetic order of Ghostscript documentation, with
explanations of the contents.

Bug-form.htm
     A form to fill out and send to Aladdin to report a bug in Aladdin
     Ghostscript -- but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO WARRANTY and
     NO SUPPORT. Please read the guidelines before reporting a bug.

C-style.htm
     Aladdin's guidelines and style for C coding, which you should follow
     if, for example, you write a new driver or add or change something in
     Ghostscript. For developers.

Commprod.htm
     The conditions under which Ghostscript may be distributed in a
     commercial context. See also the Aladdin Free Public License.

Copying.htm
     A reminder that Aladdin Ghostscript is governed NOT by the Free
     Software Foundation's GNU General Public License but by the Aladdin
     Free Public License.

Current.htm
     Information specifically about the current release of Ghostscript. See
     also the latest news of changes.

DLL.htm
     On OS/2, MS Windows-16 and MS Windows-32 platforms, Ghostscript is
     compiled as a dynamic link library (DLL). This describes how to use it.
     For developers.

Devices.htm
     Detailed information about some specific devices for which Ghostscript
     can produce output. Run "gs -h" to see which devices a particular
     version of Ghostscript is built to use.

Drivers.htm
     Describes the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers. If you
     do this, you should also read and use the C style and coding
     guidelines. Necessary to develop a new driver. For developers.

Fonts.htm
     All about fonts freely available for Ghostscript, and how to add and
     use new fonts. Also describes how to use Ghostscript fonts as X Windows
     fonts. For both users and developers.

Helpers.htm
     A note of thanks to people who have helped in the development of
     Ghostscript.

Hershey.htm
     Part 1 of the five-part original Usenet distribution of the free
     Hershey fonts, giving the terms of use and describing their encoding.

History*.htm
     The history of changes in all Ghostscript releases:

          History6.htm for Ghostscript versions 6.n
          History5.htm for Ghostscript versions 5.n
          History4.htm for Ghostscript versions 4.n
          History3.htm for Ghostscript versions 3.n
          History2.htm for Ghostscript versions 2.n
          History1.htm for Ghostscript versions 1.n

Htmstyle.htm
     The guidelines and style for HTML coding of Ghostscript's
     documentation, which you should follow if, for example, you change
     existing HTML documentation or write new documents. For writers and
     editors.

Humor.htm
     Another Ghostscript interpreter.

Install.htm
     How to install Ghostscript. See also how to build it.

Language.htm
     The relationship between the Ghostscript interpreter and the PostScript
     language as defined by Adobe.

Lib.htm
     A description of the Ghostscript library, a set of procedures to
     implement the graphics and filtering capabilities that are primitive
     operations in the PostScript language and in Adobe Portable Document
     Format (PDF). For developers.

Make.htm
     How to build Ghostscript executables from the source code. See also how
     to install it. It's not necessary to be a highly experienced developer
     to build or install Ghostscript, but some experience is needed.

New-user.htm
     Essential information for new users of Ghostscript.

News.htm
     Changes in the latest releases of Ghostscript. Changes in older
     releases are described in the history files "History*.htm", which are
     usually installed in the documentation directory. Run "gs -h" to see
     where that is.

Ps2pdf.htm
     Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2pdf to
     convert PostScript to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Psfiles.htm
     A description of the PostScript files (other than font files)
     distributed with Ghostscript, including initialization routines,
     utility programs, and sample printable files.

Public.htm
     The Aladdin Free Public License, which states the conditions for using
     and redistributing Aladdin Ghostscript.

Readme.htm
     This document.

Release.htm
     A description of how to prepare and test a Ghostscript release. Of
     interest only to developers who want to create new Ghostscript versions
     for distribution.

Source.htm
     A guide to the Ghostscript source code, for development and debugging.

Tester.htm
     A short questionnaire to fill out if you would like to be notified of
     new tester / beta releases.

Unix-lpr.htm
     How to set up Ghostscript as a Unix lpr filter.

Use.htm
     Detailed instructions on how to use Ghostscript, including such matters
     as designating an output device; choosing a default paper size; how
     Ghostscript finds files, including font files; how it uses environment
     variables; notes on specific platforms, including the X Window System;
     and command-line options.

Xfonts.htm
     Ghostscript's external font interface to a host platform's
     font-rendering mechanism, for developers.

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Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 Aladdin Enterprises. All rights reserved.

This file is part of Aladdin Ghostscript. See the Aladdin Free Public
License (the "License") for full details of the terms of using, copying,
modifying, and redistributing Aladdin Ghostscript.

Ghostscript version 6.0, 3 February 2000
