Hi all folks,

Whether there are software from OpenSource which can edit PDF files

B.Regards
satimis

PDFs weren't really made to be edited. And I dont really know of any programs that can.

But if you want to export something as a PDF, the latest Betas of OpenOffice do it nicely.

That is correct. Aside from LIMITED editing of text and alignments, .pdf's are not really editable. The .pdf concept is to make a document CROSS PLATFORM and CONSISTANT on every platform. That means that the document is UNIFIED with embeded fonts and structure. The Adobe Acrobat (full) software can edit them from a limited standpoint. I do almost ALL of my publishing work in .pdf format.

That is why I'm praying for more support for Linux, as a new user. I still have to create a lot of my .pdf stuff in Windows. Uhhhggg!

But the above post has a great solution...for SIGNIFICANT editing, you would have to EXPORT (or copy/paste) the text into an Open Office document (or something) and then RE-CREATE the .pdf (a new file). The trick is the graphics. I haven't figured out yet how to do that because if you extract graphics from a .pdf file, the resolution is reduced considerably and then quality deteriorates.

I have completely switched to Open Office.org both in Linux AND Windows and am hoping for more .pdf support...although it's already getting quite good. A more seamless transition between .pdf's and other formats is something that would be very welcome.

Hi all,

Thanks for your response. Adobe Acrobat/Acrobat Distiller can add "Note"/text" to a pdf document. I am now using it to add NOTE to pdf document but I have to jump from Linux OS and Win OS. Is there a similar application from OpenSource.

B.Regards
satimis

And that, satimis, seems to be the problem with this issue. I don't know of any equivilent software YET that can do this. You are having the EXACT same problem that I am having...I can now do nearly EVERYTHING that I used to do in Windows in Linux now. And I do.

Except fot this ONE THING...and that had to do with advanced .pdf work. I don't think that there is anything out there YET, but the way this community is, I'm sure that it won't be too long before something comes along. However, the way it seems to work (even in Windows) is that Adobe really steals the show when it comes to doing the ADVANCED .pdf stuff. I know that there are a lot of .pdf converters and output-type programs, but nothing comes close to doing all that Acrobat can do. And my understanding is that Adobe isn't really interested in porting the Full Acrobat to Linux. Funny about that, considering that .pdf's purpose is to be ACROSS platforms. About the only thing Adobe offers UNIX and Linux, aside from a stripped down Reader, is online Distiller and that is licensed to enterprise and very expensive.

As Linux catches on (inevitable) and the "pressure" is there, I'm not so sure that even Adobe would respond...however THEIR software wouldn't be anything even NEAR Open Source.

You open up a good question and I think that after I get home from vacation, I might just research this a little harder to see if there are any projects in this area.

My problem has been just as yours....even to MAKE a .pdf, I have had to print to Post Script, and then take that file to Windows to Distill it. Open Office make a decent .pdf, but what about adding bookmarks and links? So you aren't the only one...and I continue to hope for something more.

I'm not a programmer or code writer so I have to really rely on the community for stuff like this, but overall, I'm really impressed (good example, The Gimp)

Thanks for a great topic, satimis, and I hope someone else jumps in on this issue.

Yeah, very interesting topic. I also have not heard of any "small" editing PDF programs.

On a side note, I don't understand why you guys are creating PS files and then going into Windows to create the PDF. ps2pdf works great for me....I do all of my papers in Latex....and depending on if I use psfrag or not, I will use pdflatex...or output the DVI to PS and then use ps2pdf. My graphics look great too (they must all be PS graphics)!

Hi folks,

The problem jumping between Linux and Windows is really my headache existing for sometimes.

I use Acrobat Distiller to add notes/remarks on PFD documents downloaded from Internet making the same as reference material. I would not creat a PDF document and then add comment on it afterwards. Hoping there will be a breakthrough soon.

ScanSoft PaperPort is another Win application I have been searching for its alternative for prolonged time without result.

B.Regards
satimis

Candyman123 makes a good point. There is a MUCH better way to make .pdf's than I described above, and it's just fine the way he described...and the quality is great too.

However, about commenting, workflow, bookmarks, articles, destinations, multimedia...etc....you just CAN'T do it yet in Linux. But as I said above also....I have used Linux for only two months now (going on three pretty soon) and can do EVERYTHING I did in Windows in Linux now (except for just a couple of little things like this topic, and a couple of specialized applications that are ONLY available in Windows.

The interesting thing to me is how fast and relatively painless the transition has been...and the RATIO of time spent from one to the other. It is now about 80% Linux and only 20% Windows. After a few learning curve thingies on doing software and editing a couple of system files to get it to work just the way I like it....Linux is really no more difficult than Windows...if anything a little easier because of the fact that you have more CONTROL.

Anyway, I digress....I'll leave this one now and hope for better .pdf stuff in the future. It is almost there now...

The OpenOffice 1.0.x versions can export to PDF, you do it like you are printing the document, but instead of selecting "Printer" as the destination, you select "PDF Converter Press", and check the box that says, "Print to file".

Yes, OpenOffice.org has been really good about this. They are planning, if I am correct, to even make it's .pdf integration more extensive....it is at least a question on their survey. I have already "printed" to .pdf from OpenOffice.org in Linux and you get a high quality output.

I have completely shifted to OpenOffice.org in Windows also and dumped Microsoft completely on that stuff...but I print to Distiller there because of the more extensive options.

Anyway, in Linux, the increasing usefulness is exponential now, and I have so much respect for the Open Source community, that there might be something even better than in the proprietary world soon.

This thing is ready to go...I feel it in my bones. I am so happy with the stability and reliability of Linux that there is no turning back. Just have a few loose ends and once those are cleared up, I'm going to be done with Microsoft. And it's not a hate thing.....it's a PRACTICAL thing (and expense thing too).

You know...this is off topic here, but I have to say it. I have "refurbished" about 5 computers for people that had Windows 98 on it and they are happy using those old machines for e-mail and stuff like that. Boy, am I hitting myself in the head now. If I knew better then, they would have had a nice MODERN and RELIABLE operating system onboard and REALLY gotten a "new" old machine.

I can always go back and do that for them when I have time. But that's my point above...and Candyman123's...you CAN do just about EVERYTHING now (not true just a couple of years ago) and it's only going to get better (2.6 kernel and improved apps, etc).

So, my point is made....and I'll shut up now

Interesting topic here. I'm have the same problem of wanting to switch entirely to Linux, but the need for editing pdf's keeps me from that. As I'm still a newbie this might be a stupid question: but isn't there a possibility to get Adobe Acrobat up and running in Linux through a Windows emulator?
Anybody that has experience on that?

You do NOT want to use OpenOffice for PDF creation. Scribus was written to comply 100% with the PDF standard. Nothing beats Scribus except for maybe Adobe Acrobat. But that costs money!

Link:
http://web2.altmuehlnet.de/fschmid/about.html Scribus

Hmmm, this Scribus looks promising.
Thanks for the hint!!

In reply to an earlier post; like everybody else here, I badly missed the Adobe tools when I changed to Linux. My solution was to run Acrobat and Illustrator via Wine.

I used Illustrator 9.0 and Acrobat 5.0 - as I remember it, newer versions didn't work - and installed into a Wine windows directory in the usual way, as root, without any major problems. I'd be happy to post any configs for those that want them.

Here is a how-to about producing pdf's in LaTeX that possess some of the special features you may use Acrobat for.

http://ringlord.com/publications/latex-pdf-howto/