-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 06/27/08 10:12, Mike Mestnik wrote: > On Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 08:18:08PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote: >> On 06/25/08 17:33, Mike Mestnik wrote: >>> Over the past few mouths I've received more unusable PDFs then I've >>> ever received usable PDFs. Well maybe that's an exaggeration, but it >>> still doesn't excuse the large number of broken documents in this format >>> I've received. >>> >>> I have asked senders to choose a better format, but they keep coming. >>> Many sites that have PDFs as part of there content do not seam to be >>> having this problem it's when I get PDFs send via email that there are >>> issues. I just got an email from NetApp with a PDF I can't read, so >>> the problem is starting to manifest itself in the form of missed >>> important communications. >>> >>> Mostly I'd just like a forum to complain, but if some one has a >>> suggestion I'm willing to hear them out. >>> >>> As this issue does effect Debian the issue is not specific to Debian. >>> There are several Debian packages that will help, but they are not >>> available every where and keeping these packages updated would be hard. >>> >>> Perhaps I could use gs or something on a webserver, then at least I'd >>> only have to worried about keeping a single copy working. That still >>> doesn't solve the problem of PDS that simply can't be read by any >>> usual means. >> You aren't giving us much to work with... >> > Thank you for replying. Please CC me as I'm no-longer on the list. > > I'm CCing Ron as I don't expect my comment will be un-delayed > reaching the rest of the list. Any advice for posting by non-list > members? > > I think the problem lies in education of the makers of PDFs. I'd like > to just plain see them use another format, but if I can get them to > use software that's better supported then that would make every one > happier. > > I'm also not happy with the usage and support of ShockWaveFlash, but > the issue there is much more under control then this PDF problem. > >> (a) What DE & PDF reader are you using? >> > What could be better then any copy of GS made after 2000? > > GPL Ghostscript 8.15 (2004-09-22)
That's kinda old. Debian Sid uses v8.62 (2008-02-29). > I've attempted to recompile a newer copy, but the OS(SunOS 5.8) I'm on > won't support it. "File / Save as -> Office 1997?" I'm sure many of > the users will still remember as I do. Hmmm. That's Not Debian, and a pretty ancient Not Debian... Are you sure that you're on the correct list, or am I misreading you? > I'm sure it doesn't matter or at least it shouldn't. If there are > differences between readers, then that's the problem I'm complaining > about. It's not useful if I need to be using 3 readers to read all > the documents that I come across. > > Perhaps a PDF chooser should be written to look at the features used in > the documents that then forward to the correct reader. It would be > better to have a PDF sanitizer that would correct errors and un-role > features that are less supported, but I feel if such a program existed > it would make a better reader. > > I would not at all mind having to install a PDF wrapper, that depends > on and makes use of a wide variety of readers. Making each reader use > a similar skin would be a worth-while effort. > >> (b) Have you tried acroread? >> > This will not work on many handheld device? As well as most of my > Desktops(PPC64 and FreeBSD). Ohh, but it will work on my Sparc. Is > it text-only for my ssh sessions or will I need to bother with X over > slow links? I'll find out. > > I'm using a reader that works on all the platforms Debian works on. > Perhaps if I'm on another platform it's not nessissary to use the same > reader I use on every other platform, so long as I'm using a reader > that's able to open most documents. Maybe acroread should be made to > work on other platforms using virtual machine technology, like qemu. > > Mostly the issue is the work needed to install it. No-longer part of > Debian. > >> (c) What kind of errors are you receiving? >> > All kinds, usually beginning with "%%". The last error I got reported > that EOF had trailing garbage. Basically every type of I don't > understand this feature, true type font not included, I couldn't parse > input at BLAH. > > I'm sure all of these are related to poor software creating the PDFs. > Perhaps I'd like to see there being a black list, so I could direct > ppl to it and either suggest they upgrade or that they should use one > of these other programs that will work. > - -- Ron Johnson, Jr. Jefferson LA USA "Kittens give Morbo gas. In lighter news, the city of New New York is doomed." -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) iEYEARECAAYFAkhlCooACgkQS9HxQb37XmcgAwCeIUQ+WxRP1ii2HwY0UBdIlwZx qFsAoONTg0oxx99aKEbvd5PlYNJz4zN7 =rUUX -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
