How to read PDF files with no desktop?

Ya Y

4/25/23, 11:45 PM

If use the system only with command line and do no desktop booted. How to read PDF files in such case? If Ubuntu 20.04 for desktops is used.

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command-line

pdf

guiverc

4/25/23, 11:47 PM

Depending on the types of PDF files; you can `view` them as they're mostly just XML... the pictures & graphics can make certain PDF files a *pain* to view, but if you're *somewhat* familiar (*even if only marginally*) with the viewing of XML files it's pretty easy & use just search for what you want to read... (FYI: I've used this to extract data that was a *pain* on a GUI reader for copy/paste into replies in my gui). Providing your OS & release details may allow users of this site to offer more but we currently don't know if you're using a *deb* based or *snap* only based Ubuntu system?

Ya Y

4/26/23, 2:12 AM

@guiverc I'd use Ubuntu 20+.

Ya Y

4/26/23, 2:18 AM

@guiverc I use 20.04, conventional desktop version.

Paul

4/26/23, 2:24 AM

@guiverc I have a feeling this really varies, as I just tried to read a bank statement that appears almost completely as text in a PDF viewer, but no useful information was viewable.

guiverc

4/26/23, 2:42 AM

Bank statements (*at least all I've received*) are usually encrypted, making it harder if not impossible to read using `view`. I would **not** attempt to read anything with encryption on it (*as I'd only expect enough detail that the type of file can be recognized; not that I can read the content within it*) but you are right. Depending on how sophisticated the PDF is, what features were used, tools used to create it - results can be great, or terrible.

guiverc

4/26/23, 3:16 AM

Bryan Lunduke wrote a series of articles years ago for a magazine, where the premise was *one month of using only terminal for everything* which covered PDFs, thus is likely where I'd go hunting for answers. As I recall he gave it away part way into it, by which time he'd worked out work-arounds for almost everything which likely included reading PDFs (*many of which weren't that fun*).

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Ubuntu

vanadium

4/26/23, 12:24 PM

Do not expect to see graphics content of a PDF in a terminal, obviously. You can however view textual content of a PDF, if any, and provided the file is not encrypted. The standard less will already do a very decent job on its own:

less filname.pdf

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