Subject: Ghostscript 2.4 release announcement
Message-ID: <9203252355.0.UUL1.3#5127@aladdin.com>
Date: 26 Mar 92 06:55:24 GMT
Followup-To: gnu.ghostscript.bug
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Ghostscript 2.4 is now released.  Major features of this release
include:

        - Drivers for many new printers, and for SuperVGA displays.
        - The ability to select printer resolution dynamically.
        - Fonts whose character spacing matches that of the Adobe fonts.
        - Correct implementation of clipping and of transfer functions.
        - Ghostview support.
        - The ability to send printer output to a pipe or a designated
        file or files.
        - The ability to link fonts into the executable, so they don't
        have to be loaded dynamically.
        - Many PostScript Level 2 features.
        - A 32-bit PC executable (386/486 only) that runs much faster
        than the 16-bit executable, and will use all available
        (extended) memory.

... plus the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements.  See
readme.doc in the fileset for a somewhat more detailed list; see
history.doc for a very detailed list.

Ghostscript 2.4 may be obtained, as usual, from
prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/ghostscript*.

      [ Soon to be at these ftp sites as well.  Please try them
        before prep.ai.mit.edu!  thanx -len

        archive.eu.net, ftp.funet.fi, isy.liu.se, ftp.diku.dk,
        ugle.unit.no, ftp.cs.titech.ac.jp, wuarchive.wustl.edu,
        gatekeeper.dec.com, uxc.cso.uiuc.edu, and
        ftp.uu.net (under /packages/gnu).
      ]

Device drivers from Ghostscript 2.2 and 2.3 are *not* compatible with
Ghostscript 2.4.  This was unavoidable because of new functionality
in 2.4; unfortunately, it may have to happen again in the future.
Also, building Ghostscript 2.4 on a MS-DOS machine now requires
MS-DOS version 3.3 or higher, since fixing some problems with the
command script files required using some features not present in
earlier DOS versions.  (Ghostscript will still *run* on any DOS
version 3.1 or higher.)

Diffs from Ghostscript 2.3 to 2.4 have been provided, but they are
not likely to be very useful, since there were massive and pervasive
code changes between the two releases.

The next release of Ghostscript, tentatively numbered 2.5, is
scheduled for release in May or June.  Its main planned features are
better (hinted) Type 1 font rendering, and correct handling of
rotated halftone screens.  The next release after that will probably
be numbered 2.6, will probably appear in August, and will probably
include Type 0 (composite) font support and a version that runs under
Microsoft Windows 3.n.  Release 3.0, which will include garbage
collection, is now planned for sometime in the Fall.  Of course, all
these plans are subject to change, depending on what you, the users
of Ghostscript, ask for and/or can contribute.  Note that there are
several projects described in the README file that will probably only
get done if someone volunteers to do them.

I would like especially to thank the many users who have contributed
testing time, algorithm improvements, and drivers to this release.

L. Peter Deutsch :: Aladdin Enterprises :: P.O. box 60264, Palo Alto, CA 94306
ghost@aladdin.com ; ...decwrl!aladdin!ghost ; 415-322-0103     8-9 AM M-F
            "Implementation is the sincerest form of flattery."