Ubuntu
poppler package

With Evince I can't copy text out from PDF documents created with cups-pdf

Bug #49498 reported by Nicola Jelmorini
10
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Evince
Unknown
Medium
Poppler
Fix Released
Medium
poppler (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Low
Ubuntu Desktop Bugs

Bug Description

When I create PDF documents with the cups-pdf printer, after, I can't select text and copy it out from the PDF itself.
The strange thing is that when I have installed the cups-pdf printer with the gnome-cups-manager, I have printed the test page. In this case, and only in this case, when I opened the pdf created in Evince I am able to copy the text and paste it elsewhere.
The problem is that when I use the cups-pdf from other tools like gedit, I can create PDF documents, but when I open it in Evince, I can't copy text out. These documents are like "protected" from copying.

The step to reproduce are:
1) install cups-pdf
2) open gnome-cups-manager and install the new printer, then make a test pressing the
    "Print a test page" button
3) open in Evince the just created PDF document and try to copy the text ====> you are able to do
4) open gedit, write something, and choose to create a PDF with cups-pdf
5) open in Evince the PDF document just created and try to copy the text ====> you aren't able to do

Revision history for this message
Nicola Jelmorini (jelmorini) wrote : Test page printed from gnome-cups-manager

when I open this PDF with Evince, I'm able to select and copy text out

Revision history for this message
Nicola Jelmorini (jelmorini) wrote : a PDF document printed with cups-pdf

This PDF document was written with gedit and printed with the cups-pdf virtual printer.
When I open this PDF document with Evince, I'm not able to select text and copy out.

Revision history for this message
Nicola Jelmorini (jelmorini) wrote :

Just to try, I have installed the Adobe Reader package.
I have opened the PDF document printed with cups-pdf in Adobe Reader and here I can copy out the text.
Therefore the problem is in the Evince document viewer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After, I have pasted in gedit the text copied out from the PDF document and are displayed strange characters instead the original text.
This bug I have already reported here: bug# 49631
and was confirmed here:
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=344892

Revision history for this message
Dave Morley (davmor2) wrote :

I have followed the steps the orginal poster describes and it works in edgy Amd64 bit however Nicola's bug is confirmed.

Revision history for this message
Rich Johnson (nixternal) wrote :

Previous response confirms this issue

Changed in evince:
importance: Undecided → Low
status: Unconfirmed → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Ryan Bair (dr.bair) wrote :

I have a Gentoo system running Gnome 2.16. PDFs generated from my Edgy machine do not work in Evince on either machine. However if I make the PDF on my Gentoo machine the PDF works on both machines.

I think we're looking at a cups-pdf or cups bug, not an evince bug. I'm currently using 2.4.2 on my Gentoo machine (same as edgy) but only version 1.1.23 of cups (1.2 has been nothing but trouble on multiple machines for me).

Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

Thanks for your bug report. This bug has been reported to the developers of the software. You can track it and make comments here: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=403984

Changed in evince:
assignee: nobody → desktop-bugs
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in evince:
status: Unknown → Unconfirmed
Revision history for this message
In , Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

The bug has been sent on http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=403984 and evince upstream indicated that's a poppler issue

That bug has been opened on
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/evince/+bug/49498

"...
The step to reproduce are:
1) install cups-pdf
2) open gnome-cups-manager and install the new printer, then make a test
pressing the
    "Print a test page" button
3) open in Evince the just created PDF document and try to copy the text ====>
you are able to do
4) open gedit, write something, and choose to create a PDF with cups-pdf
5) open in Evince the PDF document just created and try to copy the text ====>
you aren't able to do
...
http://librarian.launchpad.net/3026073/job_11-untitled_document.pdf
a PDF document printed with cups-pdf

This PDF document was written with gedit and printed with the cups-pdf virtual
printer.
When I open this PDF document with Evince, I'm not able to select text and copy
out.
...
Just to try, I have installed the Adobe Reader package.
I have opened the PDF document printed with cups-pdf in Adobe Reader and here I
can copy out the text.
Therefore the problem is in the Evince document viewer."

Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

Upstream indicated that's a poppler bug, I've sent it on https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12268

Changed in evince:
status: Confirmed → Triaged
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in evince:
status: New → Invalid
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Unknown → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
In , Albert Astals Cid (aacid) wrote :

But do you actually get something meaningful when copying from Acrobat Reader? Because here i get

*MPI (SGYQIRXS RSR WEPZEXS 4EKMRE HM
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS b WYHS IXG MRMX H GYTW]W VIWXEVX
4EWW[SVH
   6IWXEVXMRK 'SQQSR 9RM\ 4VMRXMRK 7]WXIQ GYTWH ? SO A
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS b

I'm leaning towards it beign a bug on cups-pdf

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
In , Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

The submitter wrote in the description that he tried with acroread and that it works correctly

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
In , Albert Astals Cid (aacid) wrote :

which version is he using?

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
In , Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

how does it matter what version of acroread is working?

Revision history for this message
In , Albert Astals Cid (aacid) wrote :

Because i used the last version available and the user may be using an old version not implementing the specification correctly.

Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

what version of acrobat do you use? upstream states it doesn't work with the current one and thinks that's a cups-pdf issue

Revision history for this message
In , Brad Hards (bradh) wrote :

I just tried it with Acroread 5.0 (which is from 2001) on Windows XP, and I get roughly the same as the output in Comment #1. The difference is in the underscores.

*MPI__(SGYQIRXS___RSR_WEPZEXS 4EKMRE___HM__
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS_b__WYHS__IXG_MRMX_H_GYTW]W_VIWXEVX
4EWW[SVH_
___6IWXEVXMRK_'SQQSR_9RM\_4VMRXMRK_7]WXIQ__GYTWH_________________________?_SO_A
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS_b_

I'd really like to see acroread pull the data out correctly.

Sebastian: can you please chase this up with the original reporter?

Revision history for this message
In , Brad Hards (bradh) wrote :

Also, I'm not sure this can really be a problem in cairo backend.

Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

upstream bug comment

"I just tried it with Acroread 5.0 (which is from 2001) on Windows XP, and I get
roughly the same as the output in Comment #1. The difference is in the
underscores.

*MPI__(SGYQIRXS___RSR_WEPZEXS 4EKMRE___HM__
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS_b__WYHS__IXG_MRMX_H_GYTW]W_VIWXEVX
4EWW[SVH_
___6IWXEVXMRK_'SQQSR_9RM\_4VMRXMRK_7]WXIQ__GYTWH_________________________?_SO_A
RMGSPE$GEZIVKRS_b_

I'd really like to see acroread pull the data out correctly."

What version of acroread do you use?

Changed in poppler:
status: Triaged → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
In , Benjamin-close (benjamin-close) wrote :

Bugzilla Upgrade Mass Bug Change

NEEDSINFO state was removed in Bugzilla 3.x, reopening any bugs previously listed as NEEDSINFO.

  - benjsc
    fd.o Wrangler

Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Babets (babets) wrote :

Same problem for me trying to copy text from evince to gedit.
I have also tryed to copy from acrobat reader (included in medibuntu repository) to gedit and the problem persist.
Sorry for my bad english.
I use Ubuntu Gutsy.

Revision history for this message
Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) wrote :

I've tried to reproduce this issue in Hardy and was able to copy/paste from evince to gedit.
The problem seems to be solved in Hardy.

Main differences between the pdf posted in this report and the one I just created from gedit:
First:
Creator: Gnome Print Version 2.12.1
Producer: ESP Ghostscript 815.02

Second:
Producer: GPL Ghostscript 8.61

Revision history for this message
Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) wrote :

This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been activity in it recently. Is this still an issue ?

Revision history for this message
Nicola Jelmorini (jelmorini) wrote :

With Ubuntu Hardy this bug was resolved and for me can be closed.

Revision history for this message
Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) wrote :

Thanks for your update.

This bug report is being closed due to your last comment regarding this being fixed with an update. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status .

Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Feel free to submit any future bugs you may find.

Changed in poppler:
status: Incomplete → Fix Released
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
importance: Unknown → Medium
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in evince:
importance: Unknown → Medium
status: Invalid → Unknown
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
importance: Medium → Unknown
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
importance: Unknown → Medium
Bug Watch Updater (bug-watch-updater)
Changed in poppler:
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Bernhard Schülke (bernhard001) wrote :

(Ubuntu 18.04)

Evince
Version = 3.28.4-0ubuntu1
Diodon
Version = 1.8.0-1

Same problem.
When i use atril as pdf-reader, i can copy text to the diodon table. But it doesn't work with evince.

Date today = 2018-01-14.

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