How to install the Sun PDF Import Extension in OpenOffice 3.

Oracle

Another quick Ubuntu tip (well anyone with OpenOffice 3 really), you can install an extension that allows you to import and edit pdf files in OpenOffice. Thats fairly handy to do in my book, so here goes.

The extension is called the Sun PDF Import Extension, you can install it using the extension manager, but I found it works better if you use the terminal.

1) You need OpenOffice 3 so check before you continue. Open OO and it'll say the version, or open OO and click Help, and About. The latest Ubuntu 9.04 has OpenOffice3.

2) Close OpenOffice, then in the terminal type the following, and enter your password:

sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-pdfimport

3) That's it! The PDF Import Extension should be installed. Now you can open most pdf files using OpenOffice Drawing and edit them. Just right-click the pdf and click "Open with..... OpenOffice Drawing."

4) You can save the edited pdf my clicking the "Export as PDF" button in OpenOffice Drawing.

This extension is still in beta, so it doesn't work perfectly. So don't expect it to be an Adobe Acrobat replacement. But it is useful if you want to change something in a document and you only have a pdf version of it.

corkie

.... looks like I had already installed it!

Regards,
J.