pstotext @1.9 Doesn't work anymore

[tmfuchs]

pstotext stops with GPL Ghostscript 9.27: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1 at converting any PDF to TXT, see attached example.

[tmfuchs]

A test-PDF.

[kurthindenburg (Kurt Hindenburg)]

The last version was over 10 years. I can't find any newer releases or website that holds any releases.

[kencu (Ken)]

Try it using sudo.

[tmfuchs]

The last version was over 10 years. I can't find any newer releases or website that holds any releases.

Ghostscript 9.27 is invoked and breaks with a GPL Ghostscript 9.27: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1. So it seems to be a problem with Ghostscript.

Try it using sudo.

I did that the first time and tried it again now (after sudo port -fp uninstall installed). It doesn't work.

[Kurt Hindenburg <kurt.hindenburg@…>]

In 50ec531f081a4c80e1e3e48e24f33cd330ed4e7f/macports-ports (master):

pstotext: update homepage, master site; add patch for CVE

The current sites are down so use archive website. Use Debian file and
patch for CVE. Use correct compiler.

This doesn't fix the gs exit code 1. It does work somewhat on some
pdf files.

See #58449

[kurthindenburg (Kurt Hindenburg)]

If you add -debug for your test.pdf, you get

QI 100 0 0 -100 0 79200
Error: /syntaxerror in /----nostringval----
GPL Ghostscript Operand stack:
9.26:
Unrecoverable error, exit code 1
Execution stack:
   %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   2044   1   3   %oparray_pop   2043   1   3   %oparray_pop   2024   1   3   %oparray_pop   1884   1   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--   %errorexec_pop   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push
Dictionary stack:
   --dict:956/1684(ro)(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:80/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local

For other pdfs I get:

Error: /undefined in --showpage--

[kencu (Ken)]

I recall now -- I'm sorry. I use ps2ascii to do this function, which is in the ghostscript package. Not sure if it's 100% identical to what pstotext does, but works for what I need it to do. It seems to read pdf files too. It had no trouble with your test pdf.

I had trouble with it once in a script, fixed by running it as sudo.

$ port -v installed ghostscript
The following ports are currently installed:
  ghostscript @9.26_0+x11 (active) platform='darwin 8' archs='ppc' date='2018-12-10T00:04:15-0800'
$ port contents ghostscript | grep ps2ascii
  /opt/local/bin/ps2ascii
  /opt/local/share/man/de/man1/ps2ascii.1
  /opt/local/share/man/man1/ps2ascii.1.gz
$ /opt/local/bin/ps2ascii test.pdf
     This is a test.

[kurthindenburg (Kurt Hindenburg)]

OK, ps2ascii doesn't work here - I'd be happy to obsolete pstotext if there's a replacement.

ghostscript @9.26_0+x11 (active) platform='darwin 17' archs='x86_64' date='2019-04-30T08:23:14-0400'

ps2ascii test.pdf

Error: /syntaxerror in /----nostringval----

[kencu (Ken)]

So -- ps2ascii does work for me, as you can see, on the systems I have. Configuration thing?

  ghostscript @9.26_0+universal+x11 (active) platform='darwin 10' archs='i386 x86_64' date='2018-11-26T23:13:09-0800'

$ ps2ascii test.pdf
     This is a test.

let me try Mojave.

[kencu (Ken)]

$ port -v installed ghostscript
The following ports are currently installed:
  ghostscript @9.26_0+x11 (active) platform='darwin 18' archs='x86_64' date='2018-11-25T08:32:13-0800'
$ ps2ascii test.pdf
     This is a test.

[kurthindenburg (Kurt Hindenburg)]

Ah sorry my fault - my test.pdf was bad; ps2ascii works here.

pdftotext prints out the text but still has the error

[kencu (Ken)]

I'll leave you to decide if pstotext should be obsoleted.

[Kurt Hindenburg <kurt.hindenburg@…>]

In e391289debf2db18ab2b5d222cb3d279bf85e2d2/macports-ports (master):

pstotext: remove port; use ps2ascii instead

Last release was over 10 years and no offical site still exist. It
does not appear to work for any pdf without an error:
Unrecoverable error, exit code 1

Use ps2ascii from the ghostscript port

closes #58449