In article <Pine.GSO.3.95-960729.961211172123.10371C-100000@altair.dur.ac.uk>, Cathy Thompson <Cathy.Thompson@DURHAM.AC.UK> wrote: >Can anyone help? > >We have a problem with version 6.1 for Sun Solaris. When asking for >PostScript output from a text window SPSS throws up an error to the effect >that it cannot find or open the PSstd.fonts file. > >I have been in touch with SPSS in the UK and they have offered a 'fix' >which requires the font files to be located in a directory /dvx. Whilst >we can get the printing to work using this 'fix' our systems people are >very unhappy with what is required. I have enquired further of SPSS (see >below), but have had no response.

I reported this same problem in April 1996, and it was assigned tracking number 104097. My last correspondence on this item was on 16 May 96 from "Brenda Litin <blitin@spss.com>" who wrote:

Your hypothesis was indeed correct: we did hardcode our own postscript directory into the program. The short-term solution is to create that directory structure and have links to the fonts. Let me know if you need additional details.

Obviously, SPSS considers "short-term" to be longer than 6 months. This is a programming bug, plain and simple, and not a design problem.

The only solution that seems to be possible is to create the /dvx directory and then build the symbolic links to the location of the proper file.

Unfortunately, I have had other similar problems with SPSS's UNIX products and similar (lack of) responses when requesting fixes.

-- Andrew Patrick, Ph.D. <andrew@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca> Networks Services & Interfaces Laboratory Communications Research Centre http://debra.dgbt.doc.ca/