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[Fixed] Inkscape Portable can't fully use Ghostscript Portable

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rutmang
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[Fixed] Inkscape Portable can't fully use Ghostscript Portable

Hello,

I've been using the PAF Scribus with Ghostscript without issue for some time. Today I hit a wall in Inkscape trying to import an EPS file. Inkscape was not able to find the paths to the GS files.

With some trial and error, I hit upon this as a way to fix it:

I edited the \InkscapePortable\App\AppInfo\Launcher\InkscapePortable.ini by adding the following line at the end of the [Environment] section:

PATH=%PAL:PortableAppsDir%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\bin;%PAL:PortableAppsDir%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\lib;%PATH%

This appeared to work; no more error in the extension-errors log about EPS and ps2pdf and the file will open (though the ones I did try seemed to be memory monsters and popped a C++ runtime error after sucking up all available ram).

My main concern is I'm curious if this change will stick should an update to Inkscape become available via the normal update process, or will I have to reinstate this path code? Is this even the proper way to fix it, or have I done something wrong to begin with (sequence of install GS after Inkscape or vice-versa)?

Thanks for any pointers!

unconventional
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I am also curious about this

I am also curious about this and would like a more permanent solution; perhaps GhostScript support could be built into future versions of Inkscape?

John T. Haller
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Noted

I've made a note about this for the next release. We should probably let Chris Morgan know as well.

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Chris Morgan
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The appropriate solution is in PAL

The appropriate solution to this is actually having Ghostscript support in the PortableApps.com Launcher. The development version does have this and does it more completely (setting the GS_PROG environment variable as well). Including the lib directory in the PATH should not be necessary or desirable—was it for some strange reason necessary? Anyway, with the development version of PAL, it’s just a case of setting [Activate]:Ghostscript=find.

I shall soon be forging onwards with PAL 3.0 and announcing what’s coming next.

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unconventional
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Great to hear, I am looking

Great to hear, I am looking forward to that

John T. Haller
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Fixed in 0.48.5-1

This is fixed in Inkscape Portable 0.48.5-1

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Tixue
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Can't get it working with current versions

On a Windows 7 64 Bit system I have installed the latest versions of Ghostscript 9.15 and Inkscape 0.48.5-1. Like suggested i added following lines to the InkscapePortable.ini.


#InkscapePortable.ini
[Launch]
...

[Activate]
Ghostscript=find

[Environment]
...

Also i can't use the solution updating the path because the PATH variable in the Environment section is overwritten every time i start Inkscape Portable.

Can someone help here?

Thanks in advance for any efforts made!

John T. Haller
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Ghostscript Portable

It will only work with Ghostscript Portable obtained from here.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Tixue
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Sorry if i didn't mention it,

Sorry if i didn't mention it, but i use Ghostscript Portable. It seems not to be listed under Help > About > Apps, but if i try to load new applications via Apps > Get More Apps... it gets not listed any more. I see this as an indication that it has been installed properly and besides there exists the path CommonFiles > Ghostscript Wink

slicendyce
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Also seek resolution of Inkscape/Ghostscript Issue

I would also like to see this issue truly resolved. The ability to change the environment may have been undesirable, but it was effective and was equivalent to Inkscape's own documentation.

dalescott
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What is solution to Inkscape/Ghostscript issue?

I too am trying to open/edit an eps graphic file. I thought I was going crazy when the edit to InkscapePortable\App\AppInfo\Launcher\InkscapePortable.ini reverted back when I started Inkscape. Can this behavior be suppressed?

Fwiw, I can open the eps file in ScribusPortable (with GhostscriptPortable installed) and it appears to display correctly, but Scribus is not my graphic editor of choice (first time I've run Scribus, I'm not even sure it includes graphic editing capability).

I also tried GIMPPortable, but get an error notice that the "GNU Image Manipulation Program Plug-In has stopped working" (appears to be related to generating a Preview image after selecting the file in file list, but quickly clicking Open as soon as the file dialog appears produces the same error).

Any suggestions?

John T. Haller
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Proper Path

Are you sure that Ghostscript Portable is installed and exists at %PORTABLEAPPS%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\ ? The launcher will check for existence of %PORTABLEAPPS%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\bin\*.* and if it exists, set the path to: %PORTABLEAPPS%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\bin;%PORTABLEAPPS%\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\lib;%PATH%

If it doesn't exist, it will clear anything you add to the PATH variable. That is the only supported location. Anywhere else and it will fail.

Note that %PORTABLEAPPS% is normally the X:\PortableApps directory when you install to root. It's relative to the installed path of Inkscape Portable.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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