Installing AdobePS, PPDs and printers (long)

["Thomas Michanek" <thomas.michanek@xxxxxxxxx>]

Exactly how are you meant to install Adobe's printer driver and
subsequent printer instances using PPD files, in particular the
virtual printer intended for distilling PDF files?

I thought I understood this process, but I've become somewhat
confused myself when trying to help out another FM user.
Maybe you have done this and can help me get it right?
Maybe Adobe needs to update and clarify their instructions?

>>> Let's say you have a PC with Windows NT 4.0 and the complete
>>> Acrobat 4.0x package, but not the AdobePS printer driver.

To see what printer driver and PPD file to use for creating PDF
files from FrameMaker, we are told to check out:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/212b2.htm (dated 08/15/2000).
In this case, you're told to use AdobePS 5.1.2 (Universal Installer
1.0.2) with ADIST4.PPD. (The ADISTILL.PPD file is for Acrobat 3.)
It says that you can download both the printer driver *and* the
PPD file from Adobe's download page. A help file with instructions
is also said to be included.

On the download page http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html
you'll find "Printer Drivers" for Windows. This takes you to
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/pdrvwin.htm
where you'll find the 1.0.2 Universal Installer (AdobePS 5.1.2)
and a long list of PPD files. So far all is well.

Let's start with the PPD file (ADIST4.PPD). Since you were told to
download this file, you may be tempted to follow the link to the
Adobe PPD files: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/273e.htm
However, this package only contains ADISTILL.PPD (for Acrobat 3),
not the ADIST4.PPD file. This will surely confuse new users!

>>> But, isn't ADIST4.PPD included in the Acrobat 4 installation?
>>> Why then are users told you can download this file, when it
>>> doesn't even exist on the Adobe web site for downloading?

If you download and extract the PPD package anyway, you'll get the
ADISTILL.PPD file and a file with detailed instructions on how to
install the PPD file with the AdobePS printer driver. Among other
things, you're told to use the AdobePS Setup Utility from the
Start menu, after having downloaded and installed AdobePS 5.x.

So let's go to the AdobePS 5.1.2 download page (English version):
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/855e.htm
The instructions tells you to have your PPD file ready and
double-click the Setup.exe file. The problem is that the downloaded
file is called aps102eng.exe. I thought that this perhaps is a
self-extracting archive that would either reveal the Setup.exe file
and the previously promised instructions file, or install the Setup
Utility as mentioned in the PPD instructions file (see above).

However, the 5.3 MB file aps102eng.exe is the setup utility itself,
with no accompanying instructions file. If you run it, it will ask
for your PPD file and then create the printer instance. If you need
to add more printers, you apparently have to keep this exe file and
run it manually each time, unless I have missed out on something.

>>> The AdobePS instructions should be updated to not confuse users.
>>> Also, wouldn't it be nice if the AdobePS 5.1.2 Setup utility is
>>> installed in an easy-to-find place, as seems to have been the
>>> case with earlier versions? (see the PPD instructions file above)

Finally, you can also go to Adobe's Printer Drivers main page:
http://www.adobe.com/products/printerdrivers/
For Windows NT, there's a link to the AdobePS 5.1.2 page:
http://www.adobe.com/products/printerdrivers/windows.html#adobeps5
There you'll find links to the AdobePS 5.1.2 download page, to
installation instructions, and to the PPD file download page.
Great! There are, however, a few additional problems:

* The installation instructions tells you to run the downloaded exe
  file, and then "Open the AdobePS 5 Setup Utility." I certainly
  cannot find that separate Setup Utility on my NT system...

* The installation instructions for the PPD download page
  (http://www.adobe.com/products/printerdrivers/installwinppd.html)
  is the same instructions as included in the Adobe PPD package
  (see earlier) that refers to a non-existing Start menu choice.

>>> Is it just me that fails to install this properly, or are the
>>> installation instructions in fact incorrect and outdated?

Your comments are welcome,

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Thomas Michanek, FrameMaker/UNIX/MIF expert
mailto:Thomas.Michanek@telia.com   (Sweden)
http://w1.133.telia.com/~u13304072/framers
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