Bug 26478

Thank you for pointing this out. A big version difference. 

We do have other more up-to-date PDF manipulators:
- pdftk-java
- pdfmod
but your point is quite valid.

Assigning this globally, CC'ing Dan who has touched this very recently.

CC: (none) => dan
Source RPM: PdfSam => pdfsam-2.2.4e-5.mga7.src.rpm
Assignee: bugsquad => pkg-bugs
Summary: Pdfsam is outdated. => Pdfsam is outdated, 2.2.4e v 4.1.2

This needs a packager knowing java and maven : by default, the build downloads things from network, which is a no go for Mageia.

CC: (none) => lists.jjorge

We need a version of java more updated. The new version of pdfsam indicate that has been compiled by a more recent version of the Java Runtime.

Created attachment 11635 [details]
Current pdfsam, looks useless

@Jose
Trying our current 'pdfsam-2.2.4e-5.mga7', I get nowhere. This screenshot seems to offer no way to actually use the application. Where is my mistake?
Do *you* know how to drive this thing? If so, please tell me!

CC: (none) => lewyssmith

Comment on attachment 11635 [details]
Current pdfsam, looks useless

I should add that the only icons visible relate to the environment or log or exit. The File menu just the environment & exit. To *use* it?

Once the application is open, we must select one of the functions from the left side menu, and then add the files we want to modify with the "Add" option that appears on the right. For example, if we want to "reorder" the pages of a document, we must select the option "Visual reorder", and then add the document from "add" which is on the other side on the right.

The new version of PdfSam, has many improvements, including the interface, which is much more intuitive and modern (here it seems that we go back to the 1920s). And I guess it will be in my case in Spanish too, which is more understandable for the Spanish user.

The current version of Mageia, works, but is totally outdated...

Greetings!!

(In reply to Jose Manuel López from comment #6)
> Once the application is open, we must select one of the functions from the
> left side menu, and then add the files we want to modify with the "Add"
> option that appears on the right.
Many thanks, not obvious. The list looks just that, a list of plugins, rather than an action menu. Which to chose from, say 'alternate mix', 'merge/extract', 'split', 'visual reorder'? Never mind.

Your update request looks good except for José Jorge's comment 2, which to me implies dropping the package if we cannot keep it up-to-date within Mageia policy.

The problem here seems to be java, which in Mageia is outdated and this application depends on it.

We don't have any java maintainers for your update? Because in that case we'll have to leave the package as it is, but it's a pity, because for office tasks it's an almost essential application at some point.

Greetings!!

(In reply to Jose Manuel López from comment #8)
> we'll have to leave the package as it is, but it's a pity, because for
> office tasks it's an almost essential application at some point.
Or use PDFmod, which is more intuitive once you understand having a window per open file, and that you can drag pages within & between them.
[It seems we used to offer also PDFshuffler, now gone].

Assigning to akien as registered maintainer (and committer of the current Version 2.2.4e nearly 6y ago!), for his opinion. Other possibly relevant packagers already CC'd, adding Java stack maintainers.

CC: (none) => java
Assignee: pkg-bugs => rverschelde
Severity: normal => enhancement

Duplicate of bug 24740.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 24740 ***

Status: NEW => RESOLVED
Resolution: (none) => DUPLICATE

(In reply to Rémi Verschelde from comment #10)
> Duplicate of bug 24740.
Apologies, Rémi; I should have found that - exactly a year ago. It simply did not occur to me to look... Your c6 there is essentially the same as c2 here.

I guess we will have new enough Java in mga8 so we can download and use the zip from upstream.

@ Lewis, comment #8: do pdfmod really work for you on mga7?  I get: 

$ pdfmod
Unhandled Exception:
System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Console' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.ConsoleDriver' threw an exception. ---> System.Exception: Magic number is wrong: 542

Also, i don not find pdftk, mentionned in comment #1

CC: (none) => fri

Ah, I Searched The Net (modern form of RTFM)
If i launch it from terminal, i need to tell it that. This do work in konsole:

$ export 'TERM=konsole' && pdfmod


@José: in old pdfsam, spanish can be selected in preferences (in that tree manu at left.  After making change use save button at far left, then close pdfsam and restart.

save button is far right, and i forgot to consume coffee today obviously...

Ok Morgan, I've already seen it. At least if we can not have the new version due to java update problems, we have this complete version that fulfills its function, and also as you tell me and I have tried, it can be put in Spanish.

Thank you very much, greetings !!

For the reference, while I'm not interested in packaging PDFsam 4, any motivated packager is welcome to do it (and we can drop the old PSFsam 2 if the features of the open source version of PDFsam 4 fulfill what PDFsam 2 could do).

Java packaging is horrible, and I'm only the pdfsam maintainer because I was the one to reimport it after it got dropped due to packaging issues.

Today I remembered that Libreoffice Draw can also edit pdfs, I have been testing several things, like deleting pages, and exchanging the order of each of them and does the functions perfectly. My question is Will there be any function that PdfSam does, that we can't do with Libreoffice Draw?

If not, you may not need to keep PdfSam.

Greetings!!

Thanks for the hint on LibreOffice. It sure have come long since i tried pdf with it, it was several years ago.  How nice to be able to edit and insert text fields! - On top of just reorder/add/delete pages!

(In reply to Morgan Leijström from comment #12)
> @ Lewis, comment #8: do pdfmod really work for you on mga7?  I get:
> $ pdfmod
> Unhandled Exception:
> etc
It works for me, from menu; also from console:
 $ pdfmod
[1 Debug 20:19:37.671] Starting PdfMod 0.9.1
[1 Debug 20:19:37.746] Initializing i18n catalog from /usr/share/locale/
[1 Debug 20:19:37.893] Loaded custom AccelMap from /home/lewis/.config/pdfmod/gtk_accel_map
[1 Debug 20:19:37.949] Cache directory set to /home/lewis/.cache/pdfmod
 It is dead easy to use. My only complaint is that I have too many PDF files it does not like, but which get opened by other applications.

I have a little magic script "To remove an OWNER password from a PDF", but there exist other potential barriers.

> Also, i don not find pdftk, mentionned in comment #1
The original (console) pdftk got dropped because of changes in its library requirements. We re-introduced it as pkg 'pdftk-java' (I think in backports, but I have it): pdftk-java-3.0.6-1.mga7
The console command is still just 'pdftk', it works just like the original. Powerful but fiddly. It too baulks on some PDFs.

I think we should close this discussion now! Much has been said, some useful info given.