--- loncom/interface/printout.pl	2024/07/11 12:44:40	1.171
+++ loncom/interface/printout.pl	2024/10/16 17:48:08	1.173
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/perl
 # CGI-script to run LaTeX, dvips, ps2ps, ps2pdf etc.
 #
-# $Id: printout.pl,v 1.171 2024/07/11 12:44:40 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: printout.pl,v 1.173 2024/10/16 17:48:08 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -447,12 +447,10 @@ foreach $texfile (@texfile) {
 	  $new_name_file =~ s/\.dvi/\.ps/;
 # Explicitly include a switch for papertype, otherwise dvips will default
 # to whatever is listed first in config.ps (which in most cases is a4).
-# Historically (since 2004) LON-CAPA printing expected to use the default,
-# i.e., a papertype of a4, when the user selected letter [8 1/2 x 11 in] 
-# in the Layout options, so I follow that convention if $papera is letter.  
-	  my $papera=$paper;
-	  if ($papera eq 'letter') {$papera='a4';}
-	  if ($papera ne '') {$papera='-t'.$papera;}
+	  my $papera;
+	  unless ($paper eq '') {
+	      $papera='-t'.$paper;
+	  }
 	  my $extra_ps_header = $perlvar{'lonLib'} .'/includepsheader.ps';
 	  my $comma = "dvips $papera -h $extra_ps_header -Ppdf -G0 -o  $new_name_file";
 	  &busy_wait_command("$comma $name_file 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null",
@@ -544,7 +542,19 @@ foreach $texfile (@texfile) {
 		      last if ($device ne '');
 		  }
 		  if ($device ne '') {
-		      $comma = "gs -sDEVICE=$device -dLanguageLevel=1.5 --permit-file-read=* ";
+		      my ($major,$minor);
+		      if (open(PIPE,"gs -v |grep 'GPL Ghostscript' 2>&1 |")) {
+		          my $info = <PIPE>;
+		          close(PIPE);
+		          chomp($info);
+		          if ($info =~ /Ghostscript\s+(\d+)\.(\d+)/) {
+		              ($major,$minor) = ($1,$2);
+		          }
+		      }
+		      $comma = "gs -sDEVICE=$device -dLanguageLevel=1.5 ";
+		      if (($major > 9) || (($major == 9) && ($minor >= 50))) {
+		          $comma .= '--permit-file-read=* ';
+		      }
 		      &busy_wait_command("$comma -o $tempo_file $new_name_file 2>/dev/null 1>/dev/null",
 				         "for $status_statement now validating PS",
 				         \%prog_state, $tempo_file);