Ghostscript Help Needed

[Joel]

I am trying to both compress and encrypt a file using Ghostscript.

I have tried do so with the below two approaches i) a Shell Script and ii) an Apple Script.

I have yet to test the compression but I do know that the encryption is not working under either.

In terms of testing I know that:

1. Ghostscript is properly installed (i.e., it successfully using a different macro).

2. The password is being properly recalled from the Keychain per a Display Text box I used to test it.

Shell Script Version

Apple Script Version

Please assist me in getting this to work.

Thank you.

[Nige_S]

I'm sure you knew this was coming, but...

@Joel

Please assist me in getting this to work.

Please assist us to assist you by posting a demo macro, the shell script Action (so people can check settings), or at the very least the code in your shell script. Not many people will have time to re-type all that from scratch or thoroughly check an OCR of your images.

But, from a quick scan, isn't qpdf called with

qpdf [infile] [options] [outfile]

...while you seem to be doing

qpdf [options] [infile] [outfile]

It's always worth trying these commands in Terminal, typing out everything instead of using variables, to check syntax. Then bring them into KM and make sure the environment is correct. Then start switch hard-coded paths for variables. One step at a time until you've got it working.

[Joel]

@Nige_S

@Joel

Please assist me in getting this to work.

Please assist us to assist you by posting a demo macro, the shell script Action (so people can check settings), or at the very least the code in your shell script. Not many people will have time to re-type all that from scratch or thoroughly check an OCR of your images.

Following up on the previous thread and the above comment, below is test macro that I built which is now working and, as you suggested.

Ghoscript Test.kmmacros (5.8 KB)

@Nige_S

But, from a quick scan, isn't qpdf called with

qpdf [infile] [options] [outfile]

...while you seem to be doing

qpdf [options] [infile] [outfile]

It's always worth trying these commands in Terminal, typing out everything instead of using variables, to check syntax. Then bring them into KM and make sure the environment is correct. Then start switch hard-coded paths for variables. One step at a time until you've got it working

Appreciated and exactly what I did at 4:30 AM!

I started with the basics -- no variables -- and worked my way up and finally got it to work.

---

One follow up, is my understanding correct that because the Shell Script contains code along the lines of $KMVAR_Local_VariableName" that the Shell Script option "With input from" should be set to Nothing as the Shell Script has already pulled the variable in (and it would be redundant and unnecessary to also have the variable set here)?

Thanks.

[Nige_S]

@Joel

One follow up...

"With input from" is the shell's "standard input" (<STDIN>) -- use it when you want your command or script to act on the input. So you can

...or

For your script:

# Trimming whitespace is key for KM variables
PASSWORD=$(echo "$KMVAR_Local_MyPass" | tr -d '\n' | xargs)

It really isn't! Trimming unwanted whitespace may be -- but unwanted whitespace is usually the result of a previous macro step or (and more often!) an accidental trailing Return in a "Set Variable to text" Action.

The way you've done it will also remove newlines within the text.

If you do want to sanitise your input like this, KM already has an Action for it -- "Filter: Trim Whitespace" -- which removes leading and trailing spaces/newlines:

...and you may find that easier to spot than a line in a shell script when maintaining your macros.

The pipe to xargs doesn't seem to doing anything either.

But there's some impressive error checking! I'm more of a "cross fingers and hope" scripter, so thanks for the lesson.

So, come on -- what was the problem? A trailing Return or an invalid path in one of your KM variables? Curious minds need to know!

[Joel]

@Nige_S

@Joel

One follow up...

"With input from" is the shell's "standard input" (<STDIN>) -- use it when you want your command or script to act on the input. So you can

...or

Appreciated and confirming my understanding.

@Nige_S

For your script:

# Trimming whitespace is key for KM variables
PASSWORD=$(echo "$KMVAR_Local_MyPass" | tr -d '\n' | xargs)

It really isn't! Trimming unwanted whitespace may be -- but unwanted whitespace is usually the result of a previous macro step or (and more often!) an accidental trailing Return in a "Set Variable to text" Action.

The way you've done it will also remove newlines within the text.

Appreciated, I will get on it and learn how to fix it.

Gemini / Perplexity here I come!

@Nige_S

If you do want to sanitise your input like this, KM already has an Action for it -- "Filter: Trim Whitespace" -- which removes leading and trailing spaces/newlines:

...and you may find that easier to spot than a line in a shell script when maintaining your macros.

Excellent, thank you!

@Nige_S

The pipe to xargs doesn't seem to doing anything either.

On it! Thanks you!

@Nige_S

But there's some impressive error checking! I'm more of a "cross fingers and hope" scripter, so thanks for the lesson.

Appreciated but all I can take credit for is the logic, not the programming.

I am lousy at programming -- my self-assessment -- but my formal math education and training des come through at limited times!

@Nige_S

So, come on -- what was the problem? A trailing Return or an invalid path in one of your KM variables? Curious minds need to know!

A combination on things including i) not specific the full path to Ghostscript ii) no error handling to help identify it [hence why I added it] iii) and a white space!

I ended up staring from scratch this morning with a clear head and got through it in about 1 hour.

Thanks for asking.