# PDF conversion with ruby/linux

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 31, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109 "2006-08-31T18:12:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Floyd_W)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109/1 "2006-08-31T18:12:29Z")

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Unfortunately I have a project which has the requirement that users may  
submit several different document types (currently at least .doc and  
.ppt) which should be converted on the fly to pdf available for  
immediate preview. Can anyone point me in the direction of a library or  
SDK that would allow me to do this with Ruby on a linux box? There is a  
budget for this aspect of the project so commercial products are viable.

Thanks,

tfw

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**Author:** ![Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Floyd_W)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109/2 "2006-08-31T18:30:32Z")

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Floyd W. wrote:

> Unfortunately I have a project which has the requirement that users may  
> submit several different document types (currently at least .doc and  
> .ppt) which should be converted on the fly to pdf available for  
> immediate preview. Can anyone point me in the direction of a library or  
> SDK that would allow me to do this with Ruby on a linux box? There is a  
> budget for this aspect of the project so commercial products are viable.

There’s a tutorial over on [xml.com](http://xml.com) for doing it with an OpenOffice macro  
from the command line, which presumably you could kick off from a Ruby  
script.

It’s here:  
[http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2006/01/11/from-microsoft-to-openoffice.html](http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2006/01/11/from-microsoft-to-openoffice.html)

I don’t know how good Impress is at reading .ppt, but it’s worth a shot.  
I was evaluating it for .doc to .html, but then I found wvWare and  
used that instead.

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**Author:** ![Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Floyd_W)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109/3 "2006-08-31T19:18:41Z")

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I didn’t even think of open office–a very interesting alternative that  
I think just may end up working out. Thanks a lot for the tip.

tfw

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**Author:** ![Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@Floyd\_W](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Floyd_W)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/pdf-conversion-with-ruby-linux/67109/4 "2006-08-31T19:24:42Z")

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Floyd W. wrote:

> I didn’t even think of open office–a very interesting alternative that  
> I think just may end up working out. Thanks a lot for the tip.

No worries. It’s also got an RPC interface which might help, but I  
don’t know if there’s a Ruby binding to it.