🚀 go-pugleaf

No, you would need a different kind of port for that. A FILE port will
prompt you each time.

Aandi Inston

Thank you for the reponse.

FILE port would not work for me. It wouldn't be a good idea for our system to prompt the user for file name each time.

What we are doing is create a PDF file and then attach it in Outlook email. We were using Acrobat to print to the Distiller printer diretly to make a PDF. I was told that it is not a supported function by Adobe. That's way we are trying to print the PostScript files and then let the Distiller create PDFs.

Any suggestion on how to work around?

Thanks.

You need to do one of the following:

1. Always print to the same file name. That shouldn't be a big
problem, because you can then run Distiller immediately to convert the
fixed PostScript file to different PDF files.

2. Set the output PostScript file name in a program. 

Aandi Inston

I understand what you are saying here.

The concurrent issue concers us because we are going to deploy the printing mechanism to a few applications on the same server. We are afraid that some users are going to step on each other's foot. Does the PostScript printer process files sequentially?

Is it true that printing to the Distiller printer directly to make a PDF is not supported? We did run into a problem that print jobs are clogged up in the printer queue. We had to reset the printer each time when that happens.

Thank you.

>The concurrent issue concers us because we are going to deploy the printing mechanism to a few applications on the same server. We are afraid that some users are going to step on each other's foot. Does the PostScript printer process files sequentially?

No, it can overlap. But, since you MUST make sure Distiller is run
only once, you might as well use the same mechanism to lock out
printing. A mutex, for instance.
>
>Is it true that printing to the Distiller printer directly to make a PDF is not supported? 

It is certainly supported, and it's the recommended way for users to
make PDFs. But automating it, which seems to be the real question
here, is not supported.

Aandi Inston

We contacted Adobe to discuss our problem on the Distiller Printer Server - Sometimes print jobs hang and clog up the printer queue. The tech support told us that Printing PDF directly to Distiller Pinter Server is not supported.

We are using Distiller Server 4.05 with Windows 2000.

Do you have any insight on this? Thank you very much!

Ah, I think things may be different for Distiller Server. Sorry, I'm
much less familiar with that.  So, I would recommend using the first
part of my last reply - set a mutex or other method so processes
cannot overlap.

Aandi Inston

Thanks for the info.

How do I set a mutex? If you don't mind giving me a bit insight.

Thanks again.

I don't know the details - I've never had to do it on Windows.  The
idea is simple - a mutex is something that only one task, process or
thread can own.  So if your program asks for a particular mutex, and
nobody else has it, your program continues.  When you are finished you
free the mutex.

If another program asks for the mutex it will normally just wait - as
if asking for a response from a slow network link or user input. The
request will complete only when the mutex is released.  

Try searching MSDN library for "mutex" - I think it will give you what
you need.

Also, consider whether other parts of your application need this (e.g.
writing a log file). It is surprising how many problems will show up
every few months but can be eliminated by a mutex.

Aandi Inston