Ubuntu Tutorials

The topic of installing Adobe products in Ubuntu has both been loved and hated by reader since the first time I outlined it. Some very much appreciate the clear steps outlining installation of the PDF reader application. Others despise the idea of proprietary software intermingling with their otherwise open source desktop. However you feel about Adobe Reader, love it or hate it, it is a popular application and in many cases required by users for work or otherwise. With each new Ubuntu release I outline how to install and update your Adobe Reader installation.

Repository Requirements (Optional)

Canonical, the parent company behind Ubuntu, has provided a repository to distribute Adobe Reader and similar applications. The method of installing Ubuntu by way of a repository is more automated than a direct download from the Adobe website. I’ll outline either version, but keep in mind that I prefer (and suggest!) the first. Configuring the partner repository is a requirement for the first option.

Canonical Partner Repository – Option 1

Installation of Adobe Reader 9 requires the activation of the Canonical Partner repository. You can add the Partner repository by following the steps outlined below.

1. Navigate to System > Administration > Software Sources
2. Select “Third Party” or “Other Software”
3. Select “Add” and enter: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner

You should now be able to install the latest version of Adobe Reader on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS by using the following command, or clicking the embedded link:

sudo aptitude install acroread

Direct Download: Adobe.com – Option 2

The alternate installation solution is to download Adobe Reader directly from the Adobe website. As a disclaimer, I should warn you that this method will not receive automatic updates and it is left to the user to download and install any future releases of this application.

If you understand these requirements, continue to install Adobe Reader using the following steps:

1. Visit this page: http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/
2. Select “Linux – x86 (.deb)” from the drop-down menu
3. Select your preferred language
4. Download the package

Depending on your browser you may be prompted to open the package with the package installer, or it will simply save it to disk. If it saves to disk, you’ll simply need to double-click the archive for the installation to begin.

Conclusion

Most of my dealings with PDF files is managed by Evince, the default GNOME pdf reader. Occasionally however I need the Adobe-specific application. As with many of the readers here, I prefer the free software solution where possible, but sometimes it just isn’t possible. Love it or hate it, Adobe Reader is sometimes part of our lives.

Again, I would suggest the first solution toward installing Adobe Reader as it will automatically manage security updates for you. The packages are provided directly from Canonical, Ubuntu’s parent company, and managed by Ubuntu staff. I trust these packages just as much (if not more) than the direct-from-adobe packages available in the secondary solution.

In a release long, long ago and in a galaxy far, far away I blogged about how to configure Ubuntu to print directly to a .pdf file.  Looking back to this article it appears to be outdated an in need of some corrections.  This tutorial will outline how to use and, if needed, configure your Ubuntu 8.04 machine to print directly to a .pdf file.

Verifying Setup or Print to PDF Configuration

My Ubuntu 8.04 installation was already configured, out of the box, to print to .pdf.  This means, without any additional configuration I could select “Print” from an application and the output would be generated into a .pdf file and saved to disk.  You can verify whether or not your machine is configured the same way by Navigating to:

System > Administration > Printing

If you already see a Local Printer listed as “PDF” then your machine is already configured as well.  If, for whatever reason, this is not the case for you this can be configured as follows.

1. Install the cups-pdf package using: sudo aptitude install cups-pdf
2. Select “New Printer”
3. Select “Print into PDF file” with the device URI of “cups-pdf:/”
4. Select “Generic”
5. Select “PDF file generator”
6. Assign a name.  “PDF” should be sufficient.
7. Select “Apply”

Again, I would be surprised if this is not configured on your machine by default, but I never can tell what some of you have done to your machines

Printing Directly to PDF

Once you have verified your machine is configured properly you should now be able to print documents directly to a .pdf file.  This should include text documents, web pages, etc.  Simply select “PDF” as the printer when you want to print a document.

After a print job has been sent you can find the generated .pdf file in your users Home folder within a new directory called “PDF”.