soPdf - Better than Yet another PDF to LRF converter

[frabjous]

Yeah, after investigating, it seems that to run the 32-bit executable in Ubuntu 64 bit, you need to install the ia32-libs package, which is something I install routinely anyway.

(I just tested that with a LiveCD--actually it was a Linux Mint live CD, since that's the only 64 bit distro live CD I had available--but installing that and no additional packages I was able to run sopdf. I doubt it's any different for Ubuntu, since LM is based on Ubuntu.)

I don't know whether or not there's anything equivalent to ia32-libs for Fedora. I found this when Googling, but it looks like it might be worth a shot if you can't figure out a way to compile the source.

No, I don't know anything about the sopdf source; I don't even know C.

[damag]

Thanks for your help, I just figured out how to get the binary running with 32-bit libraries after reading the comments in this post. It's just a matter of installing the libraries but specifying the i686 architecture for each:

$ sudo yum install glibc.i686 libjpeg.i686 zlib.i686 freetype.i686 fontconfig.i686

It works now, thanks for all your help. =)

[frabjous]

Glad to hear it!

[MrKyle]

Originally Posted by damag

Thanks for your help, I just figured out how to get the binary running with 32-bit libraries after reading the comments in this post. It's just a matter of installing the libraries but specifying the i686 architecture for each:

$ sudo yum install glibc.i686 libjpeg.i686 zlib.i686 freetype.i686 fontconfig.i686

It works now, thanks for all your help. =)

Thanks for commenting as to what fixed it. The problem you were having is a much bigger issue than this particular app I imagine. Now all us non Fedora users know how to ensure compatibility with 32-bit binaries.

[roger64]

Using Frabjous advice (better late than never), I downloaded and used the soPDF "bundle" on Windows XP.*

I find it amazingly efficient and fast to process a file.

This way I got a new PDF that I could easily read on my PRS-505 (landcape mode). I particularly appreciate the continuous flow of text (no white space between pages). Turning the pages is also twice quicker than what I got with the Acrobat Pro output (spend your money wisely )

A little sluggish for inserting bookmarks or looking for a new page but the end result is mostly pleasant.

For some pages, the last line (or last two lines) are not so crisp (a little faded I would say). I do not know to what attribute this -small- display defect.

As I am mainly an Ubuntu 32 bits user (today is a festive LTS day!!), is there also a GUI available on the Linux version?

* I also installed today (yes, again better late than never) the great PRS+ software on my PRS-505.

[frabjous]

There's a 64-bit linux GUI which I compiled in Nathan's SoPDF Frontend thread. It looks like no one ever got around to compiling a 32 bit linux version. You could do it yourself following Nathan's advice there. You could then share it with the community.

If you don't have time, or are too intimidated (which would be understandable; Nathan's instructions are not as clear as they could be...), I'm hoping to get around to doing this myself. I don't have a 32 bit linux system running right now, but I've been thinking about trying Lubuntu on my Notebook, which is only available 32 bit if I'm not mistaken. I was going to wait until the semi-official Lucid version is out, which I think should be in the next few days (Ubuntu/Kubuntu were released today, as you know.) If I end up doing that, I'll be happy to compile the GUI, but you'll have to give me a week or so.

Once you figure out what your favorite options are, it would also be trivial to write a bash script which you could call with from within the right-click context menu when browsing folders in nautilus. I do that on my machine. I'd be happy to share mine if you tell me what your favorites are.

For some pages, the last line (or last two lines) are not so crisp (a little faded I would say). I do not know to what attribute this -small- display defect.

This is just a hunch, but I suspect this has nothing to do with soPDF. The Sony Reader, or at least the 505, when viewing a PDF in landscape mode, so that you only see half the page at once, will fade out the edge bordering the other half of the page. It's its way of reminding you that there's more to see.

Personally, I find it very annoying.

Actually, one great way around this is to use the "Fit2xWidth" (or -m0) option in soPDF, which will, in addition to cropping, splits the pages in half and rotates them 90 degrees. That way, when you load them on the Sony, it'll look just like it does in landscape mode when the device is still in portrait mode, so you won't get this faded areas. (You'll also get portrait menus, which I prefer to the landscape ones, because the numbers line up with the number buttons...)

[roger64]

Thanks for your compilation proposal but I am afraid I'm too thick for that. I just used a couple of times a sudo make install and that' it. Once I proposed a 32 bits x86 deb for Sigil this way but it had no future.

If this fading is intentional, it's a weird and dumb idea... So thanks also for explaining the Fit2xWidth workaround. The name looked so obscure that I dared not try this option.

OK. I tried it: it's better, quicker and no fading. Deviously nice.



NB: all Ubuntu versions not equally ready now but the servers are already jammed.
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/build/all/all

Well, even this site is down now...

[frabjous]

Yeah, there's a reason the Fit2xWidth option is default, though I don't really understand the naming conventions myself. Too bad theguru isn't around to ask...

I went ahead and compiled a 32 bit linux binary for Nathan's GUI. You'll find it, packaged with the sopdf binary, in Nathan's thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=36

I'd appreciate it if you let me know if it works for you, since I've only tested it on one system.

I downloaded Kubuntu 10.04 earlier today, which actually wasn't too bad to download, though I haven't gotten around to installing it. I also installed Lubuntu 10.04 (though it's unofficial) on my Notebook. Nice and fast in general, though updates are taking forever today, yeah.

[roger64]

Your Linux binary port is working lightning fast on Ubuntu Karmic 32 bits. I also could read the output window (text ending with: saved), while on XP, I could only read it if it was reporting a failure for some reason (for example, failed to process because it's an image PDF).

To be sure, I did it twice.

PS: I am going to try to pay you with an unrelated tip that maybe will complete your signature.
If you use Grub2, have available a USB key, FAT32 formatted, you can install MultibootV3 . It's free, GPL and has an Ubuntu deb. It's intended to allow booting from any iso file placed on a USB key. It's incredibly easy to use.

You just drop nearly any iso in a small window (see photo) and have it copied on the key. You then can try it purely Live. If you like it, you can use this iso on a persistent way (it's just a matter of settings).
You can add and use as many isos on your single partition as there is space available on it. Ideal for testing or demonstration purposes or for using LiveCD like Clonezilla Live, RescueCD, Acronis boot iso, whatever.
I find it amazing: http://liveusb.info/dotclear/

[flyash]

I have a pdf (image scan), and I tried using soPdf (w/ Windows GUI) to crop the margins. The program runs through all the pages (I can see this happening in the cmd window), but the resulting file is only 1kb and contains no pages.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[frabjous]

Originally Posted by flyash

I have a pdf (image scan), and I tried using soPdf (w/ Windows GUI) to crop the margins. The program runs through all the pages (I can see this happening in the cmd window), but the resulting file is only 1kb and contains no pages.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Does the cmd window show any errors at any point? Or just the page numbers?

SoPDF is rather temperamental, and in general I find that it's not the most effective tool when it comes to scanned PDFs anyway. Depending on your goals, I would suggest another tool, such as BRISS.

[flyash]

Originally Posted by frabjous

Does the cmd window show any errors at any point? Or just the page numbers?

SoPDF is rather temperamental, and in general I find that it's not the most effective tool when it comes to scanned PDFs anyway. Depending on your goals, I would suggest another tool, such as BRISS.

I just ran sopdf from the command prompt. It processes all the input pages (runs through all 200+ pages), but doesn't copy output pages, then it saves the file. No error messages.

Thanks, I'll take a look at Briss.

Update: Briss did a good job cropping this pdf.

[humore]

I sincerely hope theguru will come back and make it even better. The cropping is not consistent, with some of the pages left uncropped. Anyone else has got similar problems?

[stjoe]

Hi All,

Newbie here with Kindle DX.

I tried to use sopdf to split PDF 2 column using fit 2xWidth but the output PDF pages are rotated (upside down).

I don't know if this rotated page is specifically for Sony PRS ereader, but for Kindle, we don't need the page rotated.

Anyone can help me here?

Thanks

[frabjous]

SoPDF is not designed to handle multi-column PDFs. The 2x options were designed for splitting a single page vertically (and then rotating for viewing on the reader in landscape), not for splitting up columns. You might have better luck with something like BRISS.

However, if SoPDF manages to cut your multicolumn PDFs in the right place (this would be luck), I suppose you could use jPDFTweak or pdftk to rotate them back upwards, but I bet it would take another run through SoPDF to get rid of the middle margins.