Doing useful things with pdf files

[debernardis]

I thought that only pdftk was good for fiddling with pdf files, and struggled for porting it (but with no joy, because a java compiler was needed, which lacks).
But I discovered I could do the same thing with pyPdf. Here is a quick howto:
1) install python and python development packages as described in http://pymaemo.garage.maemo.org/manual_installation.html
2) download pyPdf from http://pybrary.net/pyPdf/
3) uncompress than install while being root:
python2.5 setup.py install
4) now you can cut, join, encrypt, decrypt, rotate, crop pdf files, and apply watermarks, as described in the pyPdf page (see examples). You can use the python command line, cutting & pasting & editing the example commands, or write a script.
Or, some pythonologist could code a GUI for that, maybe.

I am very happy with it. My aim is using my IT as a notebook replacement, and this is a nice step forward :)

[tinix]

try xournal...

http://www.linux.com/articles/56094
http://xournal.sourceforge.net/

[debernardis]

xournal is a complement to that, since it allows to easily annotate pdf files. Unfortunately, it cannot do those rearrangements to pdf files.

Here is a naturalistic example of what you can do with the presently available instruments:

1) I received a fax in my email, in the form of a long multipage tiff attachment;
2) browsed the multipage tiff in evince, and saw there were several forms to compile and resend;
3) converted the multipage tiff in pdf format. How? Use tiff2pdf om your IT. To get it you must install libtiff-tools (you must be in red pill mode);
4) took from the pdf only the pages to annotate, with pypdf, and joined in a new, shorter, pdf file;
5) fired xournal to annotate the pdf file, and finally...
6) resent the pdf with my internet fax service.

All on the IT.
Now I only wish I could open directly pdf files from the file manager with evince...