New gs breaks transparency of epstopdf

[Gustavo Carneiro]

I have an eps file which loses transparency information in some places when converted to pdf using epstopdf. This bug doesn't happen in breezy, only in dapper.

In both systems epstopdf gives me:
EPSTOPDF 2.7, 2001/03/05 - Copyright 1998-2001 by Sebastian Rahtz et al.

In breezy, gs --version is 8.01. In dapper, I have now 8.15.1. I assume it's the different gs version that's causing this.

[Gustavo Carneiro (gjc)]

original eps file

[Gustavo Carneiro (gjc)]

you'll notice the first box (mobile node) is transparent and it shouldn't; it's easy to see in acrobat reader with transparency grid activated

[Gustavo Carneiro (gjc)]

this file converted in breezy is ok

[Ian Jackson (ijackson)]

I have investigated this and reproduced it. It is an algorithmic error in gs. I'm not sure of the correct solution, I'm afraid, so I haven't fixed it.

The bug will happen whenever the first drawing operation in the file is a white fill. If you have some control over the order of objects in the .eps file, you may be able to work around it. For example, if you draw a non-white object underneath the white fill, the bug will go away.

I have reported the bug upstream, at
 http://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=688641

[Ian Jackson (ijackson)]

I propose not to apply the patch from upstream unless this is a serious problem for you. Please let me know if my suggested workaround isn't sufficient.

The fix will be deployed in Ubuntu in due course, via upstream and Debian.

Thanks.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Bug still persists in ESP GhostScript 8.15.4. So a fix will only be using GPL GhostScript (which will be the default soon, after the upcoming ESP/GPL GhostScript merger). Please try gs-gpl and tell whether this fixes your problem.

[Gustavo Carneiro (gjc)]

With current gs-gpl in Feisty (8.54), the problem remains.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

ESP Ghostscript is not developed upstream any more and replaced by GPL Ghostscript -> removing gs-esp task