Distiller loses Watched Folders on a server

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

I work at a newspaper. There are five ad reps who need proofs from me pretty constantly. I set up watched folders on a server under each of their names and linked them to Distiller on my machine. Instead of going from Quark to EPS to PDF and then moving the PDF to the network folder, I can just save an EPS in the network folder and within 60 seconds they get a PDF to send to the client. Easy. I love it.

The problem: If I quit Distiller and restart it, it can't use the watched folders. If I make a watched folder on my machine and restart distiller, there's no problem; however, I need the watched folders to be on the server.

My machine is a Mac G5 running OS X 10.3.9 and Distiller 6.0 Pro. The server is running Windows Server 2003. Any ideas?

Jeremy

[Larry_G._Schneider@adobeforums.com]

Don't quit Distiller. But you are violating the EULA by running Distiler in a server situation.

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Well, when I shut the machine down on the weekend, I have to shut down Distiller.

How is it a violation of the license? The end result of it is the same: I make a PDF from a Quark EPS and give it to an ad rep. This just saves me a step. What if I had the watched folder on my desktop and made an AppleScript to move the resulting PDF to the server folder? It seems like an exercise in hair-splitting to me.

Jeremy

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Oops. Where's the delete button on here?

Jeremy

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

Seriously, if the process allows someone else the use of Distiller,
and to get the result, it is a breach of the EULA. Each person
requires a license of Acrobat in this situation. It doesn't matter
whether the alternative would have been for you to do the same
process; that's like arguing that if someone didn't run a copy of
Word, then you would have typed their letter anyway.

Aandi Inston

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Yeah, my last post was actually meant to go somewhere else about the same topic.

Anyway, even if the other people in my department were to see the In and Out folders and realize what they're for, no one without a license for Distiller would be using it. So no one who does not have a license for Distiller already has access to this or even a need to use it.

Jeremy

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

Ok, if you overcome the license issue: then, well, this is pretty much
what it does. Adobe aren't motivated to fix it. If you tried to
persuade them, I think they would refer you to the message at the
bottom of the watched folder setup dialog.

Aandi Inston

[de_Siem@adobeforums.com]

The main issue is that distiler needs to run on the same machine where the watched folders are.
So if you had a windows version of distiller it might just work. Again all users will need their own license of Acrobat.

If you have many users (50 plus or so) you might want to look at server applications like PDF-Generator.

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Well, I think I found a way to move the files with AppleScript from my machine to the server. There are only about five people in the building who need a non-Reader version of Acrobat and my bosses love when I can script a free way to do something that would otherwise cost money (even when the free way doesn't work as smoothly), so I guess I'll disable the watched folders on the server and do things differently. Thanks for the input on this issue.

Jeremy

[Rocket_Jay_Squirrel@adobeforums.com]

Well, here is a simple workaround to the issue. Have the server map to a Distiller client machine rather than the reverse.

In other words create the folders on your Distiller machine and share them. This way there are no network folders for Distiller to lose when it shuts down.

Then use the server machine to map to the Distiller machine shares instead of the other way around.

Use cron or cronnix to copy files to each persons respective folder on the server and have the job run at say 20 second intervals to look for and copy/move files from one folder to the other.

Rocky

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Well, that seems like a neat idea, too. It seems to me, however, that this would also allow other people with network access to make unlicensed use of Distiller. I still think it's hair-splitting.

I put the watched folders on my desktop and attached a folder action script to each Out folder. It moves the PDF to the ad rep's network folder and then to the trash. I'm going to put this solution on the other Macs today so everyone can use the watched folders and I don't lose sleep over screwing with the EULA.

Jeremy

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

I know you won't want to hear this, but Adobe consider indirect
network use (where the work happens locally but the files are moved
automatically to/from the server) every bit as much a license
violation.

Of course, since you say everyone using this sevice already has a
license for Distiller then Adobe tolerate it, though it beats me why
you would want to load up your machine rather than have each user use
their own copy of Distiller.

Aandi Inston

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Well, that's why I came up with the solution up there. Every person has local watched folders and AppleScript moves the files to the server. The only way someone without a license can use Distiller now is by coming into this room and taking the installation CD. So, we eliminate a little redundancy and Adobe's bottom line is secured. Everyone's happy.

Jeremy

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

Got it. I think. This stuff makes my head hurt.

Aandi Inston

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

You know, it makes mine hurt, too. I'm really intense about this stuff here at work. People are always asking me to sneak Photoshop or Illustrator or whatever else onto their machines. I tell them, "Sure, if you buy a copy, I'll help you install it." So I was pretty concerned when I realized I was crossing the same line I defend.

Jeremy

[pjonesCET@adobeforums.com]

What if an alias of of the Distiller watch folder was on the server and pointed to the one on your machine. Would That be breaking the Letter or the Spirit of the EULA?

I am not suggesting anything? I don't like piracy anymore than anyone else on this list.

Or creating another Folder to Copy the files into (not move) which then can be copied to the Server.

Seems like you have created the images, then end product is yours to do with.

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

"Would That be breaking the Letter or the Spirit of the EULA?"

I think that's what a lot of this reduces to. The spirit of the EULA is to make sure anyone using Acrobat has paid for it. The letter of the EULA, like the letter of many laws and agreements, complicates reality beyond the spirit of the law or agreement.

[Jon_Bessant@adobeforums.com]

Just looking on the technical angle - I have experienced issues with
watched folders over SMB - what protocol are you using over Win 2003?

Jon

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

SMB. I never imagined that it might be a protocol issue. I don't really need to solve the problem now, but I'm interested enough to try watching a folder on a Mac server.

Jeremy

[Jeremy_Coulson@adobeforums.com]

Very interesting. I put watched folders on a Windows share and a Mac share. I quit and restarted Distiller. Distiller kept the connection with the Mac share mounted with AFP, but lost the connection to the Windows share mounted with SMB. I wonder if the same would be true of Distiller running on an XP machine. Would it keep the connection to the Windows share and lose the Mac share? Or is it just a protocol issue? I have no way of testing this since we have no Acrobat to install on a PC.