macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ghostscriptlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ghostscriptMacPorts ports tree · print/ghostscript/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ghostscript with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper
Interpreter for PostScript and PDF. Version 10.07.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-23.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ghostscriptAlpine Linux edge package indexes · ghostscript · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ghostscriptDebian stable package indexes · ghostscript · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ghostscriptFedora Rawhide package metadata · ghostscript · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ghostscriptnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gh/ghostscript/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ghostscriptArch Linux sync databases · ghostscript · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ghostscriptopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ghostscript · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install GhostscriptChocolatey community package catalog · Ghostscript · source: community.chocolatey.org
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/ghostscriptScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/ghostscript.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Interpreter for PostScript and PDF
Project links
Commands and aliases
- dvipdf
- eps2eps
- gpcl6
- gpcl6c
- gpdlc
- gs
- gsbj
- gsc
- gsdj
- gsdj500
- gslj
- gslp
- gsnd
- gsx
- gxps
- gxpsc
- lprsetup.sh
- pdf2dsc
- pdf2ps
- pf2afm
- pfbtopfa
- pphs
- printafm
- ps2ascii
- ps2epsi
- ps2pdf
- ps2pdf12
- ps2pdf13
- ps2pdf14
- ps2pdfwr
- ps2ps
- ps2ps2
history
Project history and usage
Ghostscript is a long-running interpreter and conversion engine for PostScript and PDF files, with related GhostPDL components for other page description languages.
Project history
Ghostscript dates to the late 1980s: the official version history lists Ghostscript 1.0 on August 11, 1988, followed by early 1.x releases in 1989. The documentation describes the core product as a PostScript interpreter layer paired with a graphics library.
The project grew from a PostScript interpreter into the Ghostscript/GhostPDL family. Official documentation describes GhostPDF, GhostPCL, GhostXPS, and GhostPDL as related products sharing the Ghostscript graphics library, while Artifex documents a newer C-based PDF interpreter and the commercial Ghostscript Enterprise line.
Adoption history
Ghostscript became infrastructure for Unix printing, document conversion, prepress, archiving, and server-side PDF workflows. The project website describes uses in printers, multifunction devices, raster image processors, document management systems, PDF generation tools, and cloud printing.
How it is used
Practitioners usually encounter Ghostscript through the `gs` executable or helper commands such as `ps2pdf`. Common workflows include rendering PostScript or PDF to images, converting PostScript to PDF, selecting output devices, compressing or optimizing PDF files, and embedding the engine through an SDK.
Why package nerds care
Package nerds care about Ghostscript because it is one of the classic pieces of document-processing plumbing: a package that quietly enables print filters, TeX and publishing toolchains, image conversion, PDF generation, and archival pipelines across many operating systems.
Timeline
- 1988: Ghostscript 1.0 released.
- 1989: Ghostscript 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 released.
- 2010: Ghostscript 9.00 released.
- 2022: Ghostscript 10.00.0 released.
Related projects
- Related Artifex projects and product names include GhostPDF, GhostPCL, GhostXPS, GhostPDL, MuPDF, and Ghostscript Enterprise.
Sources
- https://ghostscript.readthedocs.io/en/gs10.05.1/Readme.html
- https://ghostscript.readthedocs.io/en/gs10.05.1/ReleaseDates.html
- https://ghostscript.readthedocs.io/en/gs10.05.1/Use.html
- https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads
- https://web.mit.edu/ghostscript/www/History1.htm
- https://www.ghostscript.com/
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:interpreter
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 12 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
dvipdf | cli | global executable | |
eps2eps | cli | global executable | |
gpcl6 | cli | global executable | |
gpcl6c | cli | global executable | |
gpdlc | cli | global executable | |
gs | cli | global executable | |
gsbj | cli | global executable | |
gsc | cli | global executable | |
gsdj | cli | global executable | |
gsdj500 | cli | global executable | |
gslj | cli | global executable | |
gslp | cli | global executable | |
gsnd | cli | global executable | |
gsx | cli | global executable | |
gxps | cli | global executable | |
gxpsc | cli | global executable | |
lprsetup.sh | cli | global executable | |
pdf2dsc | cli | global executable | |
pdf2ps | cli | global executable | |
pf2afm | cli | global executable | |
pfbtopfa | cli | global executable | |
pphs | cli | global executable | |
printafm | cli | global executable | |
ps2ascii | cli | global executable | |
ps2epsi | cli | global executable | |
ps2pdf | cli | global executable | |
ps2pdf12 | cli | global executable | |
ps2pdf13 | cli | global executable | |
ps2pdf14 | cli | global executable | |
ps2pdfwr | cli | global executable | |
ps2ps | cli | global executable | |
ps2ps2 | cli | global executable | |
unix-lpr.sh | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version10.07.1
manager updated2026-05-23
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloadsnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ghostscript |
|---|---|
| Version | 10.07.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ghostscript |
| Homepage | https://www.ghostscript.com/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads |
| Upstream docs | https://ghostscript.com/documentation/index.html |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/download/gs10071/ghostpdl-10.07.1.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-23T00:55:24Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | fontconfig, freetype, jbig2dec, jpeg-turbo, leptonica, libarchive, libidn, libpng, libtiff, little-cms2, openjpeg, tesseract |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | expat |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | Ghostscript is now built `--without-versioned-path`. Temporary backwards compatibility symlinks exist but will be removed with 10.07.0 release. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ghostscript |
| Aliases |
|
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Conflicts With |
|
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
ghostscript 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
sudo apt install ghostscript- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Debian apt95%
ghostscript-doc 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Documentation
sudo apt install ghostscript-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Debian apt95%
libgs-common 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - ICC profiles
sudo apt install libgs-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Debian apt95%
libgs-dev 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Development Files
sudo apt install libgs-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Debian apt95%
libgs10 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library
sudo apt install libgs10- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 18 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Debian apt95%
libgs10-common 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
sudo apt install libgs10-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Nix95%
ghostscript
nix profile install nixpkgs#ghostscript- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
ghostscript 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
sudo apt install ghostscript- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
ghostscript-doc 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Documentation
sudo apt install ghostscript-doc- Section: text
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
libgs-common 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - ICC profiles
sudo apt install libgs-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
libgs-dev 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Development Files
sudo apt install libgs-dev- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
libgs10 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - Library
sudo apt install libgs10- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 19 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
Ubuntu apt95%
libgs10-common 10.02.1~dfsg1-0ubuntu7
interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF - common files
sudo apt install libgs10-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
apk95%
ghostscript 10.07.1-r0
Interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF
sudo apk add ghostscript- License: AGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
apk95%
ghostscript-dbg 10.07.1-r0
Interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF (debug symbols)
sudo apk add ghostscript-dbg- License: AGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
apk95%
ghostscript-dev 10.07.1-r0
Interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF (development files)
sudo apk add ghostscript-dev- License: AGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ghostscript
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ghostscript
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment