5 ms·

QPDF: A Content-Preserving PDF Transformation System

53 points by ghosh 12y ago

patrickg 12y ago
QPDF is great! I use it heavily to analyze PDFs generated from other applications (PDFTeX, InDesign) to incorporate new features (such as spot colors) in my software (http://speedata.github.io/publisher/index.html http://speedata.github.io/publisher/index.html) The command line I prefer is qpdf --qdf --object-streams=disable in.pdf out.pdf so I can view the result with less or a text editor.
- leni536 12y ago
  I use mupdf-tools' pdfclean command for that. pdfclean -d in.pdf out.pdf However qpdf seems to have more features. The most interesting for me: The QPDF library also makes it possible for you to create PDF files from scratch. In this mode, you are responsible for supplying all the contents of the file, while the QPDF library takes care off all the syntactical representation of the objects, creation of cross references tables and, if you use them, object streams, encryption, linearization, and other syntactic details.
- astrodust 12y ago
  If it's so great, why does it live on Sourceforge? Every time I see a link there I die a little inside.
  - patrickg 12y ago
    Very limited audience? No marketing effort?
    - astrodust 12y ago
      Destined to die in obscurity? Check.
mnw21cam 12y ago
So, a very heavy overlap with pdftk then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pdftk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pdftk
- xioxox 12y ago
  pdftk was removed from Fedora linux because of itext5 license issues (https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/devel/2014-March/196394.html https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/devel/2014-March/1...).
  - patrickg 12y ago
    isn't itext released under the terms of the AGPL? While one may like or dislike the license, it should be considered OpenSource!?!
    - maxerickson 12y ago
      If you follow the thread, this message is linked: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/legal/2011-June/001656.html https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/legal/2011-June/00... Which explains some more.
      - belorn 12y ago
        A key part to take from the conversation: "I also know from working with Tom Callaway that the theoretical solution of using the section 7 permission to remove additional restrictions is not one that Fedora generally wishes to use, perhaps as a matter of policy. I would add that, speaking for Red Hat as distributor, we do not wish to use that permission in this instance." Ie: There is additional restrictions added to the AGPLv3 license in this specific case. The license allow fedora to remove them, but Fedora chooses not to do so.

53 points by ghosh 12y ago

QPDF is great! I use it heavily to analyze PDFs generated from other applications (PDFTeX, InDesign) to incorporate new features (such as spot colors) in my software (http://speedata.github.io/publisher/index.html http://speedata.github.io/publisher/index.html) The command line I prefer is qpdf --qdf --object-streams=disable in.pdf out.pdf so I can view the result with less or a text editor.

leni536 12y ago
I use mupdf-tools' pdfclean command for that. pdfclean -d in.pdf out.pdf However qpdf seems to have more features. The most interesting for me: The QPDF library also makes it possible for you to create PDF files from scratch. In this mode, you are responsible for supplying all the contents of the file, while the QPDF library takes care off all the syntactical representation of the objects, creation of cross references tables and, if you use them, object streams, encryption, linearization, and other syntactic details.
astrodust 12y ago
If it's so great, why does it live on Sourceforge? Every time I see a link there I die a little inside.
- patrickg 12y ago
  Very limited audience? No marketing effort?
  - astrodust 12y ago
    Destined to die in obscurity? Check.

mnw21cam 12y ago

So, a very heavy overlap with pdftk then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pdftk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pdftk

xioxox 12y ago
pdftk was removed from Fedora linux because of itext5 license issues (https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/devel/2014-March/196394.html https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/devel/2014-March/1...).
- patrickg 12y ago
  isn't itext released under the terms of the AGPL? While one may like or dislike the license, it should be considered OpenSource!?!
  - maxerickson 12y ago
    If you follow the thread, this message is linked: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/legal/2011-June/001656.html https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/legal/2011-June/00... Which explains some more.
    - belorn 12y ago
      A key part to take from the conversation: "I also know from working with Tom Callaway that the theoretical solution of using the section 7 permission to remove additional restrictions is not one that Fedora generally wishes to use, perhaps as a matter of policy. I would add that, speaking for Red Hat as distributor, we do not wish to use that permission in this instance." Ie: There is additional restrictions added to the AGPLv3 license in this specific case. The license allow fedora to remove them, but Fedora chooses not to do so.