[LINK] PDF isn't all bad (was Estens report posted)

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

For information. This is from the XPDF README.txt file

I have used it and it works quite well.

<quote>

Xpdf
====

version 1.01
2002-may-20

The Xpdf software and documentation are
copyright 1996-2002 Glyph & Cog, LLC.

Email: derekn@foolabs.com
WWW: http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf/

The PDF data structures, operators, and specification are
copyright 1985-2001 Adobe Systems Inc.


What is Xpdf?
-------------

Xpdf is an open source viewer for Portable Document Format (PDF)
files.  (These are also sometimes also called 'Acrobat' files, from
the name of Adobe's PDF software.)  The Xpdf project also includes a
PDF text extractor, PDF-to-PostScript converter, and various other
utilities.

Xpdf runs under the X Window System on UNIX, VMS, and OS/2.  The non-X
components (pdftops, pdftotext, etc.) also run on Win32 systems and
should run on pretty much any system with a decent C++ compiler.

Xpdf is designed to be small and efficient.  It can use Type 1,
TrueType, or standard X fonts.


Distribution
------------

Xpdf is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), version
2.  In my opinion, the GPL is a convoluted, confusing, ambiguous mess.
But it's also pervasive, and I'm sick of arguing.  And even if it is
confusing, the basic idea is good.

In order to cut down on the confusion a little bit, here are some
informal clarifications:

- I don't mind if you redistribute Xpdf in source and/or binary form,
  as long as you include all of the documentation: README, man pages
  (or help files), and COPYING.  (Note that the README file contains a
  pointer to a web page with the source code.)

- Selling a CD-ROM that contains Xpdf is fine with me, as long as it
  includes the documentation.  I wouldn't mind receiving a sample
  copy, but it's not necessary.

- If you make useful changes to Xpdf, please make the source code
  available -- post it on a web site, email it to me, whatever.

If you're interested in commercial licensing, please see the Glyph &
Cog web site:

    http://www.glyphandcog.com/


Compatibility
-------------

Xpdf is developed and tested on a Linux 2.2 x86 system.

In addition, it has been compiled by others on Solaris, AIX, HP-UX,
SCO UnixWare, Digital Unix, Irix, and numerous other Unix
implementations, as well as VMS and OS/2.  It should work on pretty
much any system which runs X11 and has Unix-like libraries.  You'll
need ANSI C++ and C compilers to compile it.

The non-X components of Xpdf (pdftops, pdftotext, pdfinfo, pdffonts,
pdfimages) can also be compiled on Win32 systems.  See the Xpdf web
page for details.

If you compile Xpdf for a system not listed on the web page, please
let me know.  If you're willing to make your binary available by ftp
or on the web, I'll be happy to add a link from the Xpdf web page.  I
have decided not to host any binaries I didn't compile myself (for
disk space and support reasons).

If you can't get Xpdf to compile on your system, send me email and
I'll try to help.

Xpdf has been ported to the Acorn, Amiga, BeOS, and EPOC.  See the
Xpdf web page for links.


Getting Xpdf
------------

The latest version is available from:

  http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf/

or:

  ftp://ftp.foolabs.com/pub/xpdf/

Source code and several precompiled executables are available.


</quote>

-- 
Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@austarmetro.com.au