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<title>Overview of Ghostscript</title>
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<h1>Overview of Ghostscript</h1>

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<p>
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 <a href="Install.htm">how to install
Ghostscript</a>, and <a href="Make.htm">how to compile Ghostscript</a> from
source code (which is necessary before installing it on Unix and VMS
systems).

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<h2>Table of contents</h2>

<blockquote><ul>
<li><a href="#Theme_roadmap">Document roadmap by theme</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#New_users">What should I read if I'm a new user?</a>
<li><a href="#Two_Ghostscripts">AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript</a>
<li><a href="#Before_building">Before building Ghostscript</a>
<li><a href="#Not_a_new_user">What should I read if I'm not a new user?</a>
<li><a href="#Developer">What if I'm a developer?</a>
<li><a href="#Writer">What if I'm writing documentation?</a>
</ul>
<li><a href="#Web_presence">Presence on the World Wide Web</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#Web_home_page">Ghostscript's home pages</a>
<li><a href="#Adobe_documentation">Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated
PostScript, and PDF reference documentation</a>
<li><a href="#Web_other">Other material on the WWW</a>
</ul>
<li><a href="#Ordered_roadmap">Which document contains what?</a>
<ul>
<li>Primarily for users:
<blockquote><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
<tr><td valign=top>
<a href="#Bug-form">Bug-form.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Bug-info">Bug-info.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Deprecated">Deprecated.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Devices">Devices.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#Helpers">Helpers.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Humor">Humor.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Ps2epsi">Ps2epsi.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#Ps2pdf">Ps2pdf.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Ps2ps2">Ps2ps2.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Readme">Readme.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Unix-lpr">Unix-lpr.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Use">Use.htm</a><br>
<tr><td valign=top>
</table></blockquote>
<li>For both users and developers:
<blockquote><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
<tr><td valign=top>
<a href="#Changes">Changes.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Commprod">Commprod.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Copying">Copying.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Fonts">Fonts.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Hershey">Hershey.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#History">History*.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Install">Install.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Language">Language.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Make">Make.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#News">News.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Psfiles">Psfiles.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Public">Public.htm</a><br>
</table></blockquote>
<li>Primarily for developers:
<blockquote><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
<tr><td valign=top>
<a href="#API">API.htm</a><br>
<a href="#C-style">C-style.htm</a><br>
<a href="#DLL">DLL.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Develop">Develop.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Drivers">Drivers.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#Htmstyle">Htmstyle.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Issues">Issues.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Lib">Lib.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Maintain">Maintain.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Projects">Projects.htm</a><br>
<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<td valign=top>
<a href="#Ps-style">Ps-style.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Release">Release.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Source">Source.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Testing">Testing.htm</a><br>
<a href="#Xfonts">Xfonts.htm</a><br>
</table></blockquote>
</ul>
</ul></blockquote>

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<h2><a name="Theme_roadmap"></a>Document roadmap by theme</h2>

<h3><a name="New_users"></a>What should I read if I'm a new user?</h3>

<ul>

<li>how to <a href="Use.htm">use Ghostscript</a>. This includes both
a quickstart introduction to the commandline version and more extensive
reference material.

<li>detailed information about <a href="Devices.htm">specific
devices</a> that Ghostscript can use for output

<li>information about <a href="Bug-info.htm">reporting problems</a>--but
remember that Ghostscript comes with <strong>NO WARRANTY</strong> and <strong>NO
SUPPORT</strong>

<li>more detailed information about how to use Ghostscript under
Unix with <tt>lpr</tt> <a href="Unix-lpr.htm">as a filter</a>
for printing

</ul>

<h3><a name="Two_Ghostscripts"></a>AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript</h3>
<p>
AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript are <a href="Commprod.htm">different releases</a>.
If you have AFPL Ghostscript, not the GPL Ghostscript releases, you should
read (or at least skim through):

<ul>
<li>additional information about <a href="Public.htm">AFPL Ghostscript
releases</a> that is not relevant to GPL Ghostscript releases.
</ul>

<p>
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:

<ul>
<li> about the <a href="Fonts.htm">fonts distributed with
Ghostscript</a>, including how to add or replace fonts

<li> a description of <a href="Language.htm">the Ghostscript language</a>,
and its differences from the documented PostScript language

<li> about the <a href="Psfiles.htm">postscript files distributed with
Ghostscript</a> (other than fonts)
</ul>

<h3><a name="Before_building"></a>Before building Ghostscript</h3>

<p>
If you are going to compile Ghostscript from source, rather than just use an executable
you got from somewhere, you may want to read:

<ul>
<li> <a href="Make.htm">how to build Ghostscript</a> and
<a href="Install.htm">install it</a>
</ul>

<hr>

<h2><a name="Not_a_new_user"></a>What should I read if I'm not a new user?</h2>

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

<ul>
<li> <a href="News.htm">News.htm</a>, for incompatible changes and new
features in the current release;

<li> if you wish, <a href="Changes.htm">Changes.htm</a>, for a detailed list
of changes in the current release;

<li> if you wish, History#.htm (currently <a
href="History8.htm">History8.htm</a>), for changes in other releases.
</ul>

<hr>

<h2><a name="Developer"></a>What if I'm a developer?</h2>

<p>
If you are going to do any development on or with Ghostscript at all, you
should at least look at

<ul>
<li>the <a href="Develop.htm">roadmap documentation</a> for Ghostscript's
source files and architecture
</ul>

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

<ul>
<li> the <a href="Source.htm">guide to the Ghostscript source code</a>

<li> the interface between Ghostscript and <a href="Drivers.htm">device
drivers</a>

<li> about the <a href="Xfonts.htm">external font interface</a> between
Ghostscript and platform-supplied fonts
</ul>

<p>
If you are considering distributing Ghostscript (either AFPL or GPL
versions) in conjunction with a commercial product, you should read the
<a href="Public.htm">license</a> carefully, and you should also read

<ul>
<li> additional clarification of the circumstances under which Ghostscript
can be distributed <a href="Commprod.htm">with a commercial product</a>
</ul>

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

<ul>
<li> documentation on <a href="API.htm">Ghostscript Interpreter API</a>
</ul>

<p>
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

<ul>
<li> the source file <b><tt>imain.h</tt></b>, the documented
API for Ghostscript <em>not</em> as a DLL
</ul>

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

<ul>
<li> about the structure of the <a href="Lib.htm">Ghostscript library</a>
and its interfaces
</ul>

<hr>

<h2><a name="Writer"></a>What if I'm writing documentation?</h2>

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

<ul>
<li> the <a href="Htmstyle.htm">coding and style guidelines</a> for
Ghostscript's HTML-based documentation.
</ul>

<hr>

<h2><a name="Web_presence"></a>Presence on the World Wide Web</h2>

<h3><a name="Web_home_page"></a>Ghostscript's home page</h3>

<p>
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 AFPL Ghostscript release (in the
"Obtaining" file for that release):

<blockquote>
<a href="http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/"
class="offsite">http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/</a>
</blockquote>

<p>
More material about Ghostscript can be found at

<blockquote>
<a href="http://www.ghostscript.com/" class="offsite">http://www.ghostscript.com/</a>
</blockquote>

<h3><a name="Adobe_documentation"></a>Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated
PostScript, and PDF reference documentation</h3>

<p>
Adobe makes a wealth of technical documentation available over the Web,
 including the
<a href="http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/PLRM.pdf"
class="offsite">
PostScript Language Reference Manual (Third Edition)</a>; the
<a href="http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/5002.EPSF_Spec.pdf"
class="offsite">
Encapsulated PostScript</a> (EPS) Format Specification version 3, including
<a href="#Ps2epsi">Encapsulated PostScript Interchange (EPSI)</a>
 format; the
<a href="http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/pdf/index_reference.html"
class="offsite">PDF Reference manuals</a>.
The <a href="http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/acrobat/sdk/index.html"
class="offsite">Acrobat SDK</a> contains
<a href="http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/acrobat/sdk/index_doc.html" class="offset">
pdfmark and Acrobat Distiller parameters</a> documentation.
Some of these documents
are also available at <a href="ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/"
class="offsite">Adobe's ftp
site</a>, but not necessarily under the same filenames.

<h3><a name="Web_other"></a>Other material on the WWW</h3>

<p>
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.

<p>
There is a translation of the Ghostscript 'man' pages into Czech at:

<blockquote>
<a href="http://www.volny.cz/rebus/ghostscript/"
class="offsite">http://www.volny.cz/rebus/ghostscript/</a>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<h2><a name="Ordered_roadmap"></a>Which document contains what?</h2>

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

<dl>
<dt><a name="API"></a><a href="API.htm"><b>API.htm</b></a>
<dd> On MS-Windows and OS/2, Ghostscript is compiled as a dynamic
link library (DLL).  On Linux, Ghostscript can be compiled as
a shared object.  This describes how to use it.
For developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Bug-form"></a><a href="Bug-form.htm"><b>Bug-form.htm</b></a>
<dd> A form to fill out and email to report a problem with AFPL
Ghostscript--but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO WARRANTY
and NO SUPPORT. Please read the <a
href="Bug-info.htm">instructions</a> before reporting a bug.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Bug-info"></a><a href="Bug-info.htm"><b>Bug-info.htm</b></a>
<dd> Information about how to report problems with AFPL Ghostscript--but
remember that Ghostscript comes with <b>NO WARRANTY</b> and <b>NO
SUPPORT</b>.  Please read this before reporting a problem.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="C-style"></a><a href="C-style.htm"><b>C-style.htm</b></a>
<dd> Guidelines and style for C coding, which you should follow
if, for example, you <a href="#Drivers">write a new driver</a> or add or
change something in Ghostscript. For developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Changes"></a><a href="Changes.htm"><b>Changes.htm</b></a>
<dd> A detailed list of all code changes in the current release or
pre-release, generated mechanically from the CVS logs. For developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Commprod"></a><a href="Commprod.htm"><b>Commprod.htm</b></a>
<dd> The conditions under which Ghostscript may be distributed in a
commercial context.  See also the <a href="#Public">Aladdin Free Public
License</a>.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Copying"></a><a href="Copying.htm"><b>Copying.htm</b></a>
<dd> A reminder that AFPL Ghostscript is governed <b>NOT</b> by
the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/">Free Software Foundation's</a> GNU
<a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">General Public License</a>
but by the <a href="#Public">Aladdin Free Public License</a>.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="DLL"></a><a href="DLL.htm"><b>DLL.htm</b></a>
<dd> 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. <b>This DLL interface is obsolete.</b>
Use <a href="#API"><b>API.htm</b></a> instead.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Develop"></a><a href="Develop.htm"><b>Develop.htm</b></a>
<dd> Code orientation for developers. Contains a detailed breakdown of
the source files by functional group, and overviews of the major
architectural features and services.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Deprecated"></a><a href="Deprecated.htm"><b>Deprecated.htm</b></a></dt>
<dd> Documention for deprecated devices and features. Features described here
will be removed in future versions of Ghostscript.</dd>
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Devices"></a><a href="Devices.htm"><b>Devices.htm</b></a>
<dd> Detailed information about some specific devices for which Ghostscript
can produce output. Run "<b><tt>gs&nbsp;-h</tt></b>" to see which
devices a particular version of Ghostscript is built to use.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Drivers"></a><a href="Drivers.htm"><b>Drivers.htm</b></a>
<dd> Describes the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers.  If
you do this, you should also read and use the <a href="#C-style">C style
and coding guidelines</a>. Necessary to develop a new driver. For
developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Fonts"></a><a href="Fonts.htm"><b>Fonts.htm</b></a> <dd> 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.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Helpers"></a><a href="Helpers.htm"><b>Helpers.htm</b></a>
<dd> A note of thanks to people who have helped in the development of
Ghostscript.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Hershey"></a><a href="Hershey.htm"><b>Hershey.htm</b></a>
<dd> Part 1 of the five-part original Usenet distribution of the free
Hershey fonts, giving the terms of use and describing their encoding.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="History"></a><b>History*.htm</b>
<dd> The history of changes in all Ghostscript releases:
<blockquote>
<a href="History8.htm">History8.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 8.n<br>
<a href="History7.htm">History7.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 7.n<br>
<a href="History6.htm">History6.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 6.n<br>
<a href="History5.htm">History5.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 5.n<br>
<a href="History4.htm">History4.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 4.n<br>
<a href="History3.htm">History3.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 3.n<br>
<a href="History2.htm">History2.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 2.n<br>
<a href="History1.htm">History1.htm</a> for Ghostscript versions 1.n
</blockquote>
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Htmstyle"></a><a href="Htmstyle.htm"><b>Htmstyle.htm</b></a>
<dd> 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.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Humor"></a><a href="Humor.htm"><b>Humor.htm</b></a>
<dd> Another Ghostscript interpreter.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Install"></a><a href="Install.htm"><b>Install.htm</b></a>
<dd> How to install Ghostscript.  See also <a href="#Make">how to build
it</a>.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Issues"></a><a href="Issues.htm"><b>Issues.htm</b></a>
<dd> A list of outstanding open issues in Ghostscript. These include
known limitations, minor bugs, performance issues, differences from
Adobe implementations, and others.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Language"></a><a href="Language.htm"><b>Language.htm</b></a>
<dd> The relationship between the Ghostscript interpreter and the
PostScript language as defined by Adobe.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Lib"></a><a href="Lib.htm"><b>Lib.htm</b></a>
<dd> 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.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Maintain"></a><a href="Maintain.htm"><b>Maintain.htm</b></a>
<dd> Assorted Ghostscript maintenance procedures. For developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Make"></a><a href="Make.htm"><b>Make.htm</b></a>
<dd> How to build Ghostscript executables from the source code.  See also
<a href="#Install">how to install it</a>. It's not necessary to be a highly
experienced developer to build or install Ghostscript, but some experience
is needed.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="News"></a><a href="News.htm"><b>News.htm</b></a>
<dd> A brief description of the latest release or pre-release of
Ghostscript, and a list of any incompatible changes in it.  Changes in older
releases are described in the history files "<b><tt>History*.htm</tt></b>",
which are usually installed in the documentation directory. Run
"<b><tt>gs&nbsp;-h</tt></b>" to see where that is.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Projects"></a><a href="Projects.htm"><b>Projects.htm</b></a>
<dd> A list of Ghostscript development projects with which we would like
help.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Ps-style"></a><a
href="Ps-style.htm"><b>Ps-style.htm</b></a>
<dd> The guidelines and style for postscript coding in Ghostscript. Some
of Ghostscript is implemented in the postscript language itself, and
various utilities and examples are distributed with it. You should
follow these guidelines if you're extending or modifying those files.
For developers.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Ps2epsi"></a><a href="Ps2epsi.htm"><b>Ps2epsi.htm</b></a>
<dd> Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through
<tt><b>ps2epsi</b></tt> to convert PostScript to Adobe
Encapsulated PostScript Interchange (EPSI) format.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Ps2pdf"></a><a href="Ps2pdf.htm"><b>Ps2pdf.htm</b></a>
<dd> Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through
<tt><b>ps2pdf</b></tt> to convert PostScript to Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF).
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Ps2ps2"></a><a href="Ps2ps2.htm"><b>Ps2ps2.htm</b></a>
<dd> Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through
<tt><b>ps2ps2</b></tt> to convert Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) or Adobe Postscript Level 3
into Adobe Postscript Level 2.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Psfiles"></a><a href="Psfiles.htm"><b>Psfiles.htm</b></a>
<dd> A description of the PostScript files (other than font files)
distributed with Ghostscript, including initialization routines, utility
programs, and sample printable files.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Public"></a><a href="Public.htm"><b>Public.htm</b></a>
<dd> The Aladdin Free Public License, which states the conditions for using
and redistributing AFPL Ghostscript.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Readme"></a><b>Readme.htm</b>
<dd> This document.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Release"></a><a href="Release.htm"><b>Release.htm</b></a>
<dd> 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.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Source"></a><a href="Source.htm"><b>Source.htm</b></a>
<dd> A guide to the Ghostscript source code, for development and debugging.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Testing"></a><a href="Testing.htm"><b>Testing.htm</b></a>
<dd> Documentation for using the test scripts located in the <a
href="../toolbin/tests">toolbin/tests</a> directory, and conventions for
writing new testing scripts.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Unix-lpr"></a><a href="Unix-lpr.htm"><b>Unix-lpr.htm</b></a>
<dd> How to set up Ghostscript as a Unix <tt><b>lpr</b></tt>
filter.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Use"></a><a href="Use.htm"><b>Use.htm</b></a>
<dd> 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.
</dl>

<dl>
<dt><a name="Xfonts"></a><a href="Xfonts.htm"><b>Xfonts.htm</b></a>
<dd> Ghostscript's external font interface to a host platform's
font-rendering mechanism, for developers.
</dl>

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<p>
<small>Copyright &copy; 1996-2002 artofcode LLC. All rights reserved.</small>

<p>
This software is provided AS-IS with no warranty, either express or
implied.

This software is distributed under license and may not be copied,
modified or distributed except as expressly authorized under the terms
of the license contained in the file LICENSE in this distribution.

For more information about licensing, please refer to
http://www.ghostscript.com/licensing/. For information on
commercial licensing, go to http://www.artifex.com/licensing/ or
contact Artifex Software, Inc., 101 Lucas Valley Road #110,
San Rafael, CA  94903, U.S.A., +1(415)492-9861.

<p>
<small>Ghostscript version 8.53, 20 October 2005

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