Using Mac GS Viewer as a Web Helper Application

You can use Mac GS Viewer as a helper application for your web browser.  The following steps show how to configure the Netscape browser.  If you are using a different browser, the configuration will be similar:

[ 1 ] In the Preferences section called Helper Applications, check to see if there is a Mime type application/postscript.  If there isn't, then click New... and create one:  In the dialog that appears, set the type to application, and the subtype to postscript, then click OK.

[ 2 ] Select the application/postscript Mime type by clicking on it.

[ 3 ] Set the extensions by typing ai,eps,ps into the Extensions field.

[ 4 ] Set the application by clicking the Browse... button.  In the dialog that appears, choose the Mac GS Viewer application and click OK.  Then choose the File type TEXT from the pop-up menu.

[ 5 ] Set the action to Launch Application.

[ 6 ] Click OK in the Preferences window to save the changes.

Some browsers, though not Netscape, may need to be restarted before the change will take effect.

IMPORTANT: Postscript includes operators for manipluating files.  A buggy or malicious postscript file could damage the files on your harddisk.  To minimize this risk, you should start Mac GS Viewer and set the command line in the Preferences to:
    -dSAFER

This disable a number of file operations in Ghostscript.  Note that there are two problems with this: (a) This option does not claim to be fool proof - Postscript is very powerful and this option can't guard against all possible problems.  (b) You will be unable to render to any of the file devices when this is set.  However, you still be able to save what you render to the screen as PICT files.

To turn off this feature, you need to remove -dSAFER from the command line in the Preferences dialog, then quit and restart Mac GS Viewer.