How to convert Pdf to Text in Unix? – Use xpdf’s pdftotext

The basic Unix distributions don’t come with an inbuilt utility to convert pdf documents to text documents. But thanks to xpdf, we can use the pdftotext command for this kind of task. Below I have listed the steps, from how to install pdftotext on your machine to using it for pdf to text document conversion.

1. Download the source code from ftp://ftp.foolabs.com/pub/xpdf/xpdf-3.02.tar.gz ( wget will do )
2. Untar and uncompress the archive : tar -xzf xpdf-3.02.tar.gz
3. Go into the directory xpdf-3.02/
4. type configure ( install in standard path)
5. make ( you will need gcc )
6. make install ( root priviledge needed)
7. At this point you should have successfully installed the xpdf utilities
8. Now try converting a pdf document to text : pdftotext foo.pdf

Hopefully thats helpful for someone

Cheers

Randy Pausch Quotes

Ever since I heard The Last Lecture video, I have been quoting Randy. And I quote him, not to be cool or hip, but because I honestly believe in those saying. Below are a few of my favourties :

1. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.
2. The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.
3. Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you
4. Don’t complain; just work harder
5. Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted
6. It is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not. Find your passion and follow it
7. Loyalty is a two way street
8. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity
9. When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care
10. Never lose the child-like wonder. It’s just too important. It’s what drives us.

Thank you for everything Randy Pausch. God Bless you.