[libreoffice-users] corrupt files when using command line --print-to-file

Hi all.

I'm having a spot of bother trying to get a .ps or .pdf produced from a 
.odt using the command line.

I've revisited some code last used a few years ago, whose last step is 
just to use LO to do this conversion. It used to make a .ps file, but 
that now seems to have changed, and I get a .pdf instead - which is corrupt.


So I get for example

> > > libreoffice --headless --print-to-file --outdir "./"  "./y.odt"
print /dhome/mike/homebrew software/service sheet production/web 
generator/y.odt -> /dhome/mike/homebrew software/service sheet 
production/web generator//y.pdf using <default_printer>

> > > pdfinfo y.pdf
Syntax Warning: May not be a PDF file (continuing anyway)
Syntax Error (2432): Illegal character '{'
Syntax Error: Couldn't find trailer dictionary
Syntax Error: Couldn't find trailer dictionary
Syntax Error: Couldn't read xref table

The resulting pdf won't load into a browser and upsets several of the 
pdf tools, although gimp or xreader can read it. Fortunately, pdf2ps 
accepts the file, so as a workaround, I do the LO --print-to-file and 
then run the result through pdf2ps and then back through ps2pdf; the 
result of that contortion seems OK.


Looking at the GUI instead, under the tools|options|print page, if I try 
to set options for print to file, the tick box for pdf is set and 
disabled. Yet if I select print to file in the normal print dialogue, I 
get a valid .ps file not a pdf.

I need to run this as a print job, since '--convert-to pdf' doesn't 
honour the brochure setting in place in the document. Using the GUI and 
printing works fine, but isn't useful for automated processing.

If anyone has a way better of doing a command line conversion to a pdf 
while honouring in particular the 'brochure' setting, I'd be grateful.



(This is with LO 6.4.7.2 under mint 20)

--
Mike Scott
Harlow, Essex, England

--
To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscribe@global.libreoffice.org
Problems? https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/
Posting guidelines + more: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette
List archive: https://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/
Privacy Policy: https://www.documentfoundation.org/privacy