Convert old Postscript files to pdf

[NickJohn]

I have some old files I need to convert to pdfs.  I think they're postscript files, but they have no extension.  They were created on a Mac in 1991. 

%!PS-Adobe-2.0

%%Title: ChtoCh 1-38  (WP)

%%Creator:  Works

%%CreationDate: Saturday, November 9, 1991

%%Pages: (atend)

%%BoundingBox: ? ? ? ?

%%PageBoundingBox: 18 8 594 784

%%For: WTD

%%IncludeProcSet: "(AppleDict md)" 68 0

%%EndComments

%%EndProlog

%%BeginDocumentSetup

md begin

I'm currently running OSX 10.8.5  I tried to open them with Distiller and Acrobat Pro.  I also tried adding the .ps extension to them.  Got this error:

Acrobat Distiller 10.1.9

Started: Friday, February 21, 2014 at 2:39 AM

Adobe PostScript software version: 3018.101

CID support library initialization completed.

Error in /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings/PDFX4 2008.joboptions:

/CheckCompliance out of range

Distilling: PostScript II POP 23-41

Start Time: Friday, February 21, 2014 at 2:41 AM

Source: /Downloads/Old Mac DD floppies - transfers completed/2014071 Johnson/Originals/II POP POSTSCRIPT/PostScript II POP 23-41

Destination: /Downloads/Old Mac DD floppies - transfers completed/2014071 Johnson/Originals/II POP POSTSCRIPT/PostScript II POP 23-41.PDF

Adobe PDF Settings: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings/Standard.joboptions

%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: md ]%%

%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%

%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

Distill Time: 0 seconds (00:00:00)

**** End of Job ****

Online converters have also failed me.  I've read about software called Ghostscript, but I haven't the foggiest idea how to run it.  It's obscenely complex.  Something having to do with Homebrew, X11, and MuPDF...  I wrestled with it for a couple hours, but I'm way out of my depth.  It seems like you have to be a programmer to even read the FAQ...

[abeddie · Accepted solution]

%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: md ]%%

The error above is caused by the line:

md begin

Since md is not defined

Unless you cut out the ProcSet from your post it should be included under:

%%IncludeProcSet: "(AppleDict md)" 68 0

See http://www.lbl.gov/IT/CIS/dp/samples/jobtag.fac between the following 2 lines:

%%BeginProcSet: "(AppleDict md)" 68 0

%%EndProcSet

Another option is cut out the lines of code related to md or define your own md as a no-op

[NickJohn]

Thank you Abeddie,

I looked at your link.  The type of code you indicated, starting with "BeginProcSet" and finishing with "EndProcSet" doesn't exist in my documents.  The only mention of "ProcSet" is the one I posted above.

How do I identify "code related to md" in order to cut it out?  How should I go about... the second thing... defining my "own md as no-op".

I appreciate your time and attention.

[abeddie]

Try cutting and pasting the 520 line ProcSet from the link above into your file below the line:

%%IncludeProcSet: "(AppleDict md)" 68 0

%%BeginProcSet: "(AppleDict md)" 68 0

  < 518 lines not shown>

%%EndProcSet

Or as Helge suggested you can post your file or a link to it.

[abeddie]

Cutting and pasting the 520 line ProcSet into one of your files worked.

[NickJohn]

Fantastic!  Sorry I didn't understand what you were trying to tell me.  I just tried it and it works great.  Now I just have to do it a couple dozen more times ; ) .  Thanks so much for your help!

[Helge_Blischke]

The said procset is for an (meanwhile) fairly ancient Apple Laserwriter II NT, and without looking into your PS file I cannot guess

if commenting out the "md begin" (and, of course, the corresponding "end" – note that md is a dictionary) solves your problem.

But a wuick glance at this procest (1.abeddie thanks for the link) shows that the Laserwriter specific parts depend on the Product operator

returning somthing beggining with "Laserwriter", what is definitely not Acrobat Distiller. So the rest of the definitions of the

procset should work, if you copy in (or provide Acrobat with a file path where it can find) this procset, as 1.abeddie advised.

If you need more help, please post one of your files so that I (or somebody else) could do a test.

Helge

[NickJohn]

Thank you Helge,

It's gratifying that you can identify my documents and have a prognosis for recovery, even though I'm struggling to understand it.  I read your instructions aloud a few times and they sound great, but honestly I have no idea how to begin to  follow them.

However, I'll happily give you some of the files to look at!  I was unable to attach them to this post, so I uploaded them here.

I very much appreciate your time and attention.

Link removed