Re: Before I install Debian
On Sat, 11 Feb 2017 02:10:00 +0000
GiaThnYgeia <GiaThnYgeia@openmailbox.org> wrote:
>
> I have yet to find a single pdf document (and for many languages) that
> can not be handled for reading by the document-viewer (evince) open
> and free.
I received one from my accountant last week. Having confirmed none of
my Linux software would see it (a multi-page government form, with the
text on all pages after the first completely garbled) I had to fire up
the Windows laptop and use Adobe Reader.
In the past, I've had loads of documents that stopped evince dead, many
created by open-source software (gEDA, libreCAD). I think it's better
now.
> There are also libre and other plugins that handle
> importing a pdf in other formats, but even as pdf pictures some
> open-free ocr may read them with small percentage of loss and need
> for editing/correcting. If you can see it on the screen then it is at
> least a digital picture.
>
But you would not expect a PHP 5.0 script to run on version 3.0 of PHP.
If it was a simple script it might, with minor errors, but anything
which used major new features would not have a chance.
> Yes, this would be a huge task for a huge amount of documents. And
> then there is wine and vm of running other systems' software.
Which requires a licence to run the other system, which you may not
have. Pretty much only the retail professional versions of Windows are
licenced for use in a VM, neither home nor OEM versions can (generally)
do so legally. This may not worry some people.
> The
> very logic of adobe's foundation is very much in clash with the linux
> logic and philosophy, at least that is why I am here and not there.
Adobe is a commercial business. Its revenue comes from selling software.
> And I know very little about how things work. I did much research on
> which system to choose and it was the debian manifesto that sold me,
> not the technical details. If debian fails so does the need for
> computing, for me at least. I can go back to planting seeds the
> analog way. If the adobes prevail we are in deeper trouble than we
> may think. And it is not always about winning, but fighting an
> honorable battle that matters.
It is not a battle which can be won. Always, to solve a problem with a
computer you:
a) define the task
b) find the application which will complete the task
c) find the operating system which will run the application
d) find the physical hardware which can support OS and application
There may be a bit of iteration, there may be alternatives, and the task
may have to be redefined a bit. But there is little scope for relaxing
the requirements of a task which says 'display/print this document
file'.
d) is pretty much always a modern PC, but c) may still vary. But there
will always be some tasks which require Windows, sometimes in order to
run other completely proprietary software. Many people can structure
their lives so as not to need to carry out any of these tasks, but not
all of us can.
--
Joe
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