GNU bug report logs - #39674
[PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 39674 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 39674 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>
To: guix-patches <at> gnu.org
Subject: [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 13:08:03 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Some of my teacheres distribute notes in .ps files, so I kinda need 
this, and I think others will find it helpful as well.

AFAIK other distros enable it too.

Much easier than converting PostScript files to PDF.

[0001-gnu-evince-enable-ps.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com>
To: raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>, 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 13:27:42 +0100

Thanks!

I was wondering why it could not open .eps files!  I tested the patch,
applies, build and now I can open them.  guix size reports +3%
(1009.6 -> 1038.0).

+1 for merging

raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net> writes:

> Some of my teacheres distribute notes in .ps files, so I kinda need 
> this, and I think others will find it helpful as well.
>
> AFAIK other distros enable it too.
>
> Much easier than converting PostScript files to PDF.
>
> From c767aa2d6a3d779d90e8185e313892eb2212dd37 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: raingloom <raingloom <at> protonmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 12:47:42 +0100
> Subject: [PATCH] gnu: evince: --enable-ps
>
> ---
>  gnu/packages/gnome.scm | 3 ++-
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
> index 3c63ab283d..5fae5d11ad 100644
> --- a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
> +++ b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
> @@ -1502,7 +1502,8 @@ forgotten when the session ends.")
>                 "05q6v9lssd21623mnj2p49clj9v9csw9kay7n4nklki025grbh1w"))))
>      (build-system glib-or-gtk-build-system)
>      (arguments
> -     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" "--enable-introspection")
> +     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" "--enable-introspection"
> +                           "--enable-ps")
>         #:phases
>         (modify-phases %standard-phases
>           (add-before 'install 'skip-gtk-update-icon-cache
> -- 
> 2.25.0

Message #11 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com>
To: raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>, 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 08:05:42 +0100

Should we enable DVI too? What are other distributions doing?

Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Thanks!
>
> I was wondering why it could not open .eps files!  I tested the patch,
> applies, build and now I can open them.  guix size reports +3%
> (1009.6 -> 1038.0).
>
> +1 for merging
>
> raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net> writes:
>
>> Some of my teacheres distribute notes in .ps files, so I kinda need 
>> this, and I think others will find it helpful as well.
>>
>> AFAIK other distros enable it too.
>>
>> Much easier than converting PostScript files to PDF.
>>
>> From c767aa2d6a3d779d90e8185e313892eb2212dd37 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
>> From: raingloom <raingloom <at> protonmail.com>
>> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 12:47:42 +0100
>> Subject: [PATCH] gnu: evince: --enable-ps
>>
>> ---
>>  gnu/packages/gnome.scm | 3 ++-
>>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>> index 3c63ab283d..5fae5d11ad 100644
>> --- a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>> +++ b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>> @@ -1502,7 +1502,8 @@ forgotten when the session ends.")
>>                 "05q6v9lssd21623mnj2p49clj9v9csw9kay7n4nklki025grbh1w"))))
>>      (build-system glib-or-gtk-build-system)
>>      (arguments
>> -     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" "--enable-introspection")
>> +     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" "--enable-introspection"
>> +                           "--enable-ps")
>>         #:phases
>>         (modify-phases %standard-phases
>>           (add-before 'install 'skip-gtk-update-icon-cache
>> -- 
>> 2.25.0

Message #14 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>
To: 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2020 00:24:37 +0100

Looks like it's an optional feature in Arch, provided by installing the 
texlive optional dependency.
Isn't that enough on Guix as well? I have no DVI files on hand to test 
it.

https://git.archlinux.org/svntogit/packages.git/tree/trunk/PKGBUILD?h=packages/evince&id=f1f028f091aa277ffac13388e01d2d0f2f396fab

On Thu, Feb 20, 2020 at 08:05, Nicolò Balzarotti 
<anothersms <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Should we enable DVI too? What are other distributions doing?
> 
> Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com> writes:
> 
>>  Thanks!
>> 
>>  I was wondering why it could not open .eps files!  I tested the 
>> patch,
>>  applies, build and now I can open them.  guix size reports +3%
>>  (1009.6 -> 1038.0).
>> 
>>  +1 for merging
>> 
>>  raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net> writes:
>> 
>>>  Some of my teacheres distribute notes in .ps files, so I kinda need
>>>  this, and I think others will find it helpful as well.
>>> 
>>>  AFAIK other distros enable it too.
>>> 
>>>  Much easier than converting PostScript files to PDF.
>>> 
>>>  From c767aa2d6a3d779d90e8185e313892eb2212dd37 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 
>>> 2001
>>>  From: raingloom <raingloom <at> protonmail.com>
>>>  Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 12:47:42 +0100
>>>  Subject: [PATCH] gnu: evince: --enable-ps
>>> 
>>>  ---
>>>   gnu/packages/gnome.scm | 3 ++-
>>>   1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>>> 
>>>  diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>>>  index 3c63ab283d..5fae5d11ad 100644
>>>  --- a/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>>>  +++ b/gnu/packages/gnome.scm
>>>  @@ -1502,7 +1502,8 @@ forgotten when the session ends.")
>>>                  
>>> "05q6v9lssd21623mnj2p49clj9v9csw9kay7n4nklki025grbh1w"))))
>>>       (build-system glib-or-gtk-build-system)
>>>       (arguments
>>>  -     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" 
>>> "--enable-introspection")
>>>  +     `(#:configure-flags '("--disable-nautilus" 
>>> "--enable-introspection"
>>>  +                           "--enable-ps")
>>>          #:phases
>>>          (modify-phases %standard-phases
>>>            (add-before 'install 'skip-gtk-update-icon-cache
>>>  --
>>>  2.25.0

Message #17 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>,
 guix-security <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2020 11:02:30 +0100

Hi Nicolò & raingloom!

(+ Cc: guix-security)

Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com> skribis:

> Thanks!
>
> I was wondering why it could not open .eps files!  I tested the patch,
> applies, build and now I can open them.  guix size reports +3%
> (1009.6 -> 1038.0).
>
> +1 for merging

I think PostScript support is often disabled by default because of
security issues: PostScript is a very versatile language and Ghostscript
has had a series of problems due to its inability to “sandbox”
PostScript code.

A particularly important issue is thumbnail generation: you could find
yourself running PostScript code without explicitly opening a file.

FWIW, I resort to gv (or ps2pdf) when I need to open a PostScript that I
deem trustworthy.

Leo, Mark, WDYT?

Thanks,
Ludo’.

Message #20 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: calcium <calcium <at> disroot.org>
To: 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2022 15:04:03 +0200

+1 for merging, .ps files are common enough.

Message #23 received at 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: guix-security <at> gnu.org, 39674 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>,
 Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 23:17:50 +0900

Hi,

Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> writes:

> Hi Nicolò & raingloom!
>
> (+ Cc: guix-security)
>
> Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com> skribis:
>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> I was wondering why it could not open .eps files!  I tested the patch,
>> applies, build and now I can open them.  guix size reports +3%
>> (1009.6 -> 1038.0).
>>
>> +1 for merging
>
> I think PostScript support is often disabled by default because of
> security issues: PostScript is a very versatile language and Ghostscript
> has had a series of problems due to its inability to “sandbox”
> PostScript code.
>
> A particularly important issue is thumbnail generation: you could find
> yourself running PostScript code without explicitly opening a file.
>
> FWIW, I resort to gv (or ps2pdf) when I need to open a PostScript that I
> deem trustworthy.

My opinion is that we should enable it.  It's advertised as a
supported format [0]; if there was a serious security issue upstream
would probably drop support for it, or at least hide it behind some
configuration warning, and not advertize it.

Debian, known for its security track record, also has it enabled [1].

[0]  https://help.gnome.org/users/evince/stable/formats.html.en
[1]  https://salsa.debian.org/gnome-team/evince/-/blob/debian/latest/debian/rules?ref_type=heads#L15

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim

Message #28 received at 39674-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 39674-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org, raingloom <raingloom <at> riseup.net>,
 Nicolò Balzarotti <anothersms <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [bug#39674] [PATCH] enable PostScript backend in Evince
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2025 23:48:37 +0900

Hello,

[...]

> My opinion is that we should enable it.  It's advertised as a
> supported format [0]; if there was a serious security issue upstream
> would probably drop support for it, or at least hide it behind some
> configuration warning, and not advertize it.
>
> Debian, known for its security track record, also has it enabled [1].
>
> [0]  https://help.gnome.org/users/evince/stable/formats.html.en
> [1]  https://salsa.debian.org/gnome-team/evince/-/blob/debian/latest/debian/rules?ref_type=heads#L15

I've pushed 0a26cd43f9, which enables it.  Closing, at last!

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.