When ghostscript, libgs9 and libgs9-common at 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, ps2pdf works ok :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
When apt install ghostscript, ps2pdf breaks (libgs9-common not upgraded to 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.2) :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.2 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.2 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
Unrecoverable error: typecheck in .bind
Operand stack:
--nostringval-- typecheck --nostringval-- scheck .gcheck
Upgrade ghostscript from -proposed, ps2pdf works again :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.3 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.3 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.3 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
jo@xenial-build:~$
On Xenial :
When ghostscript, libgs9 and libgs9-common at 9.25~dfsg+ 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.1, ps2pdf works ok :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.1 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.1 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.1 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
When apt install ghostscript, ps2pdf breaks (libgs9-common not upgraded to 9.25~dfsg+ 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.2) :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.2 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.2 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.1 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
Unrecoverable error: typecheck in .bind
Operand stack:
--nostringval-- typecheck --nostringval-- scheck .gcheck
Upgrade ghostscript from -proposed, ps2pdf works again :
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep ghostscript 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.3 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.3 amd64 interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library 1-0ubuntu0. 16.04.3 all interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
ii ghostscript 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ dpkg -l | grep libgs9
ii libgs9:amd64 9.25~dfsg+
ii libgs9-common 9.25~dfsg+
jo@xenial-build:~$ ps2pdf ascii.ps
jo@xenial-build:~$