I am using Ghostscript (v8.70) in RH Linux v6.4 to convert a PDF file to PCL format. Even though I am ending up with a good PCL file, a cryptic error message is being displayed:

Error: /undefined in {my input file}:
Operand stack:
(a blank line appears here)
Execution stack:
blah, blah, blah, ..., blah (I'm sparing you the details)
Dictionary stack:
blah, etc.
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 12
GPL Ghostscript 8.70: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1

I am guessing that the error has something to do with interim PDF to PostScript and then PostScript to PCL conversions.

But I have no idea how to debug this. For example, is the referenced "current file position" in my input file? in an interim PostScript file? in some temp file that Ghostscript created along the way? How do I identify the problem file.

Then, how do I find position 12 in it? Is it byte 12? Line 12? Something else?

I suppose I can live with the error message and adjust my Ghostscript command to prevent it from being seen, but I would rather figure out what's wrong.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Never mind. I discovered that an earlier step had failed, causing Ghostscript's PDF input file (finagr.pdf) to contain only 1 line "finagr.pdf: PDF document, version 1.6". PDF files are supposed to start with "%PDF" and this one sure didn't.

Good job finding that Steve, I would have suggeted looking at the input file for it's size, but you found it.

Sorry I was not able to help earlier but we just got back to Boston, where we are visting our daughter. We were down in Jamaica since Monday.

Post any other gs problems you might run into.

Everybody have a good weekend, going to tour the Sam Adams Brewery tomorrow on Saturday. So if there is a shortage of Sam Adams on the East Coast you will know why.

Going to look at the videos from the trip, you all have fun.

Ken & LuWayne @ NDFargo.com