Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #235591

Re: Question re postscript and pdf

From	"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: Question re postscript and pdf
Date	2026-09-12 13:20 +0200
Organization	Tebibyte_Retro_Gaming
Message-ID	<j5pfnmxmk.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> (permalink)
References	<dl7bnmxdr4.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <1180rto$2smu7$1@dont-email.me> <1182cum$3d9ma$1@dont-email.me> <slrn11a9vvv.3j0.${send-direct-email-to-news1021-at-jusme-dot-com-i@vm46.home.jusme.com> <118388h$3jqcq$5@dont-email.me>

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On 2026-09-12 12:07, Nuno Silva wrote:
> On 2026-09-12, Ian wrote:
> 
>> On 2026-09-12, Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
>>> On Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:24:23 +0300, magardner2010 wrote:
>>>
>>>> To convert arbitrary postscript into a PDF, you need to rewrite the
>>>> postscript to only use the non Turing-complete subset allowed in
>>>> pdf, which I could see running into the halting problem and other
>>>> fun stuff.
>>>
>>> Adobe had a product called “Distiller” which did this. You ran a
>>> custom wrapper program on a PostScript interpreter, which I think
>>> intercepted all the actual rendering calls and output corresponding
>>> PDF objects instead.
>>>
>>>> The big one I know is that PDF is not Turing complete, while PS is.
>>>> You don't want your printer running infinite loops or memory bombs
>>>> or similar. A malicious postscript document doesn't need a buggy
>>>> postscript interpreter to do it's dirty work, a malicious pdf needs
>>>> to cause the interpreter to misbehave to do any damage.
>>>
>>> Basically, no variables, and no loops or other control constructs. So
>>> there is a one-to-one correspondence between objects in the page
>>> definition and objects on the page rendition.
>>
>> ...then some idiot decided to allow javascript in PDF
> 
> This being Adobe, I guess we're lucky they didn't push for e.g. wide use
> of Shockwave Flash as part of PDF or something... or that you don't need
> a Pantone™®© license to see colors...
> 
> I can imagine it: "oh sorry your document made the printer run out of
> toner because your Pantone White background requires a Pantone license
> so it printed as a black page"...
> 
> (Cf. <https://merveilles.town/@prahou/117216842053638207> for Adobe
> Photoshop)

I had a printing system failure the other day, and after some minutes a 
page printed fully in black. I think the root of the problem was that 
/etc/hosts file was empty.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

Thread

Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-10 19:57 +0200
  Re: Question re postscript and pdf usenet@spuddy.org (Stephen Harris) - 2026-09-11 08:09 -0400
    Re: Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-11 14:44 +0200
  Re: Question re postscript and pdf magardner2010 <magardner2010@gmail.com> - 2026-09-11 15:24 +0300
    Re: Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-11 14:42 +0200
    Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-12 02:21 +0000
      Re: Question re postscript and pdf Ian <${send-direct-email-to-news1021-at-jusme-dot-com-if-you-must}@jusme.com> - 2026-09-12 07:32 +0000
        Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-12 11:07 +0100
          Re: Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-12 13:20 +0200
            Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-12 12:52 +0100
        Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-13 08:16 +0000
          Re: Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-13 13:42 +0200
            Re: Question re postscript and pdf James Dow Allen <user4353@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-09-13 13:03 +0000
              Re: Question re postscript and pdf Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-09-13 07:33 -0700
              Re: Question re postscript and pdf John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2026-09-13 14:50 +0000
              Re: Question re postscript and pdf "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-13 19:09 +0200
              Re: Question re postscript and pdf antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2026-09-14 16:22 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-15 10:41 +0100
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-09-15 07:41 -0700
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-16 00:23 +0100
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-15 23:25 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Dave Yeo <dave.r.yeo@gmail.com> - 2026-09-15 20:07 -0700
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-16 04:17 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-16 11:41 +0100
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-09-16 08:02 -0700
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Dave Yeo <dave.r.yeo@gmail.com> - 2026-09-16 14:41 -0700
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-17 01:56 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-17 10:27 +0100
                About OO vs LO "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-16 09:19 +0200
                Re: About OO vs LO Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-16 07:48 +0000
                Re: About OO vs LO "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-09-16 11:57 +0200
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-09-16 07:55 -0700
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-09-16 16:22 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-09-17 01:57 +0000
                Re: Question re postscript and pdf Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-09-18 17:35 -0400
      Re: Question re postscript and pdf Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-09-12 10:59 +0100
      Re: Question re postscript and pdf antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2026-09-14 16:08 +0000

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