Is Linux compat still the correct way to run Acrobat Reader under FreeBSD?

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user0

I am kind of used to Acrobat Reader 8/9 interface and find that they usually display better quality fonts than Okular etc, and would like to use it under BSD as well.
Do I need to run its Linux version?
Is there a guide for setting it up? If I remember correctly it comes in a rpm/deb package - how can I install that?
 
Adobe stopped supporting Linux. So there is no Linux version of the Reader anymore. Besides that, both Acrobat Reader 8 and 9 are not supported anymore (even on Windows) and contain some serious security flaws.
 
There are still the old versions that can be obtained from Adobe FTP and I am perfectly happy using them even if Adobe thinks they should announce end of support.
I never had to even think of support for Acrobat Reader in all the years since using it for the first time some 15+ years ago, so their bugs and security flaws are essentially irrelevant.
There really are no viable alternative to the old AcroRead when it comes to the features and document display. The open source tools like Okular either cannot display 2 pages scaled to 100% side by side or the fonts are ugly and have nothing to do with the look of an original.
What are you proposing?
 
user0 said:
There are still the old versions that can be obtained from Adobe FTP and I am perfectly happy using them even if Adobe thinks they should announce end of support.
I never had to even think of support for Acrobat Reader in all the years since using it for the first time some 15+ years ago, so their bugs and security flaws are essentially irrelevant.
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So you only ever use it to display .pdf files you created yourself? In any other case, this is just grossly negligent. There are many high quality free .pdf viewers out there, use one of these.
 
This is turning into an argument of Adobe Reader vs open source alternatives and I am not really interested as my mind is made up.
 
We cannot stress enough that you put your system and your data at a very real risk using this software. This is not about open-source or closed-source, it is about a software that has severe and well-known security flaws in the latest version available. If you still want to use it for whatever reason you think is reasonable .... yes, linux compat is the only way to run it. In this special case, I refuse to call it a correct way.
 
user0 said:
This is turning into an argument of Adobe Reader vs open source alternatives and I am not really interested as my mind is made up.
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I am still going to suggest that you take a look at Okular's settings (Settings->Configure Okular). Under the Performance tab there are several knobs you can adjust, some are also for font rendering (in particular you might want to try turning on text hinting and see if that makes a difference for you).
user0 said:
Okular either cannot display 2 pages scaled to 100% side by side
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It can. Turn off View->Continuous Mode, turn on View->View Mode->Facing pages, set zoom as appropriate. Enabling View->Trim margins is also nice in this mode.
 
There is the old standard graphics/xpdf, which has a poor user interface but works on about anything. Then there is graphics/mupdf which is fast and looks nice, but has almost no user interface. Either has less overhead and is safer to run than an old version of Reader. Or a new one, for that matter. Adobe has been adding things like Javascript that only make it less secure in later versions.

If you really have your heart set on Reader, maybe try it with Wine. This is not any safer than the Linux emulator, programs have way too much access to the FreeBSD environment. But at least it might be possible to use the most current, least insecure version.
 
This is great and I am ready to believe that the open source readers have gone a long way, but I want Adobe reader.
And when I am saying "I" it actually means my users who do not have time or desire to learn how to work around unfamiliar software.
This is not a sandbox full of computer enthusiasts, but a distributed team of low paid volunteers who have to do tough crap on the tight deadlines and I do not have guts to tell any of them to stop and learn new stuff.
So I will install Adobe one way or another regardless. You can help me or walk away.
 
Well then you'd better get it working on the Linux emulator, because you're never going to see a native port of Reader here. Don't like that go talk to Adobe. I'm sure they'll pay close attention.
 
A agree with everything related to Adobe reader, it's bad and I don't use it, xpdf(1) is great! Sometimes I use Firefox with its embedded PDF rendering engine.
However, how to deal with fillable documents?
 
user0 said:
This is great and I am ready to believe that the open source readers have gone a long way, but I want Adobe reader.
And when I am saying "I" it actually means my users who do not have time or desire to learn how to work around unfamiliar software.
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So you're even operating a system used by others and you don't bother? That's very irresponsible. And I just assume you have some responsibility. Leaves me kind of speechless ... just give them a Windows VM to run Adobe Reader on, that would be the only valid option.
 
user0 said:
This is not a sandbox full of computer enthusiasts, but a distributed team of low paid volunteers who have to do tough crap on the tight deadlines and I do not have guts to tell any of them to stop and learn new stuff.
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You might find yourself in the even more difficult position of having to explain to those volunteers how all their work was lost or stolen because you did not want to bother them with learning something different.

Really, I think you underestimate them. Give any user a window showing a PDF document and they can operate the scroll bars and menus. If not, a little instruction can go a long way. And that's something that can be done at leisure, unlike data recovery and reinstallation.
 
user0 said:
Thank you for contributing, Acrobat it is.
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Can't say you weren't warned or that anyone misled you. XPDF would've been more than adequate.

I wish you luck getting it to work on the Linux emulator. But sooner or later the donkey is going to throw you off and you'll have no choice but to dump Reader. Linux emulation moves forward, while Linux Reader 8/9 is permanently frozen in time 3 years earlier and several versions behind.
 
Some people just don't take well-meant advice. It's obvious to most of us here, but I want to state it clearly: this is NOT about closed-source / proprietary software. Not at all. There's nothing wrong with that. What's wrong is software with well-known bugs and security issues and no further support from the vendor. user0, if you really think this is a good idea, you got your answer: There's no native version for FreeBSD, and you can either run a very outdated and dangerous Linux version or a not-so-outdated (and therefore maybe less dangerous) Windows version. These are your options.
 
Well, just consider that you didn't get any help (although in my opinion any piece of information is valuable anyway).
Not all questions asked here get answers, thus (in your opinion) this is one of them.
But why people who frankly wish to help should "walk away"?..
 
And then, nobody said Acrobat Reader "sucked", in fact, I liked it when it was still supported and used it a lot.

It's simple as that: nowadays it's a gaping security hole, because there is no support, no updates whatsoever for years and there will never be any again. Maybe you like your holes, that's ok for me, but it's very important to know the fact. If you still insist on using it, that's your problem, but I don't see how you didn't get your answer? The answer is yes you need linux compat (either that or wine or a VM) in order to run it. If there's still something unanswered, just kindly point it out instead of putting down people trying to warn you not to shoot yourself in your foot ...
 
gpatrick said:
Everyone should take a breath and wait 10 minutes before submitting what you wrote. I've been "testy" before with replies and have regretted it.

Some of these remarks remind me of Theo and his attitude. FreeBSD has always had a helpful and pleasant community, please don't tarnish the reputation.
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I'm not seeing the issue here, all they did was state the truth and provide the best advice possible. It's very unwise to be using software that is not supported and not only has major security issues, but a history of them as well. The security situation in computer land has never been more dire than it is now. We and the OP cannot afford to be politically correct about this and I'm sure as hell not going to be.

If he wants to take the Dagger of Warding(so to speak), then that's his choice. But don't berate those who act in your best interests.
 
This is turning into a meta discussion. I'm mostly with zspider here. But I don't think we need a lot of pathos on this. I kind of get gpatrick's point in the sense that a lot of people giving advice they weren't asked for can be annoying. For anyone speaking German: "Ratschläge sind auch Schläge" (loosely translated: advice is also spankings ... the word-play only works in German).

So, I just want to add, it's easily experienced as annoying or even rude, but that isn't the intent. As I read this thread, everyone is just trying to keep the OP from doing "something stupid" (and that's NOT the same as being stupid -- Forrest Gump was wrong on that *g*).

So my conclusion would be: back to topic, please. The warnings were there, they were numerous and to the point. More we can't do. If the OP still wants to run Acrobat Reader on the FreeBSD box he's operating, let's help him IF there are still unanswered questions. Let's wait for that.
 
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