Re: Spool File to PDF and Email. Free? PC based?

[Scott Klement <klemscot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 6 Feb 2002, Bernard McCartney wrote:
> I know that there is Gumbo, and other AS/400 programs that convert
> spools to PDF.
>
> But I am looking for a PC based program that converts spools to PDF and
> automatically emails out.
>
> Since recession, Our budgets have been cut next to nothing.
>
> Free version will be the best.


If you want a FREE solution... the "Linux" (or any modern unix) TN5250
program comes with a program called "lp5250d", which will act like a
printer, and download spooled files to the PC.

Then, it also comes with a utility called "scs2ps" which will convert the
spooled file from IBM's SCS format to postscript.   The (also free,
open-source) Ghostscript package comes with a utility called ps2pdf that
will convert postscript to PDF.

So (and I just did this as a test) I can write a simple shell script
that looks like this:

#!/bin/sh
exec 2>&-
echo "To: klemscot@klements.com"
echo "From: Spooler"
echo "Subject: Spooled file"
echo
echo "Here's the spooled file you asked for:"
echo
/usr/local/bin/scs2ps  | \
/usr/local/bin/ps2pdf - | \
/usr/bin/uuencode spoolfile.pdf || exit $?

and then run lp5250d like this:

        lp5250d env.DEVNAME=PRT01 "outputcommand=/path/to/script|sendmail
klemscot@klements.com" as400.example.com

and now whenever I direct a spooled file to PRT01, it gets converted to
PDF and e-mailed to me...   not too bad for 5 minutes of work.


So...  that's my idea.   You'll probably say "But!  I'm running Windows!".
Well, you didn't specify Windows in your request -- you just said PC.  :)
And if you really want things free, and open-source OS is a better choice.