Viewing PS and PDF files

In order to read files in PS (PostScript) or PDF (Portable Document Format) using Netscape, we need to configure Netscape so that it knows what programs to run in order to read the file.

For PostScript:
A program called Ghostview is used to view PostScript files. (Note that some platforms already have a PS viewer, such as showps on DEC platform, which you can use if available)
For PDF:
PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Acroread.

Viewing documents in PDF or PS is good because we can read and decide if of interest to print out, or enlarge them then print.

Configure Netscape to use ghostview

Select Edit from the menu bar at the top of the Netscape window.
Select Preferences from the pop-up menu.
Select Applications under Navigator Category
Scroll down (if necessary) to the entry for PostScript Document
If the value for this entry is ghostview "%s", select the Cancel button.
If the value for this entry is Unknown:PromptUser,
1. Select the Edit... button.
2. If the current value of Suffix is a list including ps (e. g. ai,eps,ps), don't change it.
  If the current value of Suffix is blank, change it to
  ai,eps,ps
3. Select Application in the HandleBy part of the window.
4. Enter
  ghostview "%s" in the box
5. Select the OK button. The current pop-up window will disappear.
6. Select the OK button on the previous window.

Configuration for PDF files is similar. Instead of finding the entry for "Postscipt Document", find "Portable Document Format" and enter the application which can read PDF files, e.g. "/pathway/acroread %s".

Getting PS and PDF softwares

You can get PS software (Ghostview) from the Home Page for Ghostview
You can get PDF software (Adobe Acroread) from Adobe Systems Incorporated

Back to Computer Information