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srsross
srsross
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Why does the same PDF allow commenting on Windows but not on Linux?

Aug 7, 2012 9:04 AM

Tags: #adobe_reader #commenting

All,

 

I have a PDF document that (on version 9.5.1 of Adobe Reader on Linux) has its File > Properties... >  Security > Commenting field set to "Not Allowed".  However, I've copied the same file to a Windows machine and used Adobe Reader 10.1.3 there to open it.  On the Windows machine, the same Security Property says that commenting is allowed.  Why the difference?  I 'd like to do commenting on the Linux version but it will not give me the highlighting or sticky notes tools.

 

For what it is worth, all of the Security Properties (e.g., "Printing", "Document Assembly", "Content Copying", etc.)  between the two copies of the PDF are identical.with the single exception of the "Commenting" property.

 

Thanks for any help,

-- Steve Ross

5060 Views   5 Replies   Latest reply: srsross, Aug 13, 2012 4:27 PM
 
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  • srsross
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    1. srsross,
    Aug 9, 2012 1:51 PM   in reply to srsross
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    As per <http://blogs.adobe.com/thesamepage/2011/07/commenting-in-adobe-reader- x.html>, the person who creates PDFs for me enabled the "Reader Extended PDF" option when creating the PDF.  With that setting enabled, version 9.5.1 of Adobe Reader on Linux shows "Comenting: Allowed" and provides the whole suite of commenting tools (e.g., stick notes, highlighting, inserting text, deleting text, etc.)  So, my problem looks like a bug in how Adobe Reader in Linux interprets the Security property.

     

    I'm good to go.

     
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  • Test Screen Name
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    2. Test Screen Name,
    Aug 11, 2012 3:58 AM   in reply to srsross
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    It doesn't sound like a bug in the Linux version. You are only supposed to be able to comment if commenting was allowed.

     

    According to http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/reader/faq.html, Reader X allows "sticky notes and highlighter tools" even on non-enabled files. Reader 9 did not. Maybe this is what you are seeing.

     
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  • srsross
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    3. srsross,
    Aug 13, 2012 10:11 AM   in reply to Test Screen Name
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    Test Screen Name,

     

    Thanks for your comment.

     

    To clarify, here's a summary of what I see with Reader on both Linux and Windows given two different sets of enabled capabilities on PDF files as set by Acrobat 9 Pro.  I've used the same two files and copied them from the Linux to the Windows platform.

     

    Comment Setting of PDF File as set by Acrobat 9 Pro
    		Version 9.5.1 of Adobe Reader on LinuxAdobe Reader 10.1.3 on Windows
    Commenting: Not Allowed--not tried----not tried--
    PDF uses default setting of "Commenting: Allowed"

    "Commenting: Not Allowed"

    (this is incorrect)

     

    Reader shows no highlighting or sticky notes tools.  (Incorrect, it should show these tools as the Windows version does.)

     

    Reader shows no text insertion or deletion tools.   (Correct and expected)

    "Commenting: Allowed" 

    (this is correct and expected)

     

    Reader does show highlighting and sticky notes tools.   (Correct and expected)

     

    Reader shows no text insertion or deletion tools.  (Correct and expected)

    PDF uses explicit additional setting of "Advanced > Extend Features in Adobe Reader"

    "Commenting: Allowed"

    (this is correct and expected)

     

    Reader does show highlighting and sticky notes tools.  (Correct)

     

    Reader does show text insertion and deletion tools.  (Correct)

    		--Same as Linux version--

     

     

    As the table notes, the same file on Linux incorrectly says commenting is not allowed when it should be allowed, as Windows shows.  So, I do still believe that there is a bug in the Reader-on-Linux version.

     

    -- Steve

     
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  • Test Screen Name
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    4. Test Screen Name,
    Aug 13, 2012 11:08 AM   in reply to srsross
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    Thank you for your detailed study. I feel your table supports my statement, and nothing is wrong. I stated (per the readme) that Reader X has been extended to allow highlighting and sticky notes EVEN when a file is not extended.

     

    So, the Linux Reader, being version 9 and older than this change, is not expected for a default file to show these tools. Since it cannot show these tools, and correctly shows no others, it is CORRECT to say commenting is not allowed.

     

    It seems to me that your table correctly records the difference between version 9 of Reader (Linux OR Windows) and version X of Reader (not available for testing on Linux), except that nothing is incorrect.

     

    It may not be what we want, but that's a whole different story.

     
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  • srsross
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    5. srsross,
    Aug 13, 2012 4:27 PM   in reply to Test Screen Name
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    Comment Setting of PDF File as set by Acrobat 9 Pro
    		Version 9.5.1 of Adobe Reader on LinuxAdobe Reader 9.5.0 on Windows
    		Adobe Reader 10.1.3 on Windows
    Commenting: Not Allowed--not tried----not tried----not tried--
    PDF uses default setting of "Commenting: Allowed"

    "Commenting: Not Allowed"

     

     

    Reader shows no highlighting or sticky notes tools. 

     

     

    Reader shows no text insertion or deletion tools. 

    "Commenting: Not Allowed"

     

    Reader shows no highlighting or sticky notes tools.

     

     

    Reader shows no text insertion or deletion tools.

    "Commenting: Allowed" 

    (this is correct and expected)

     

    Reader does show highlighting and sticky notes tools.   (Correct and expected)

     

    Reader shows no text insertion or deletion tools.  (Correct and expected)

    PDF uses explicit additional setting of "Advanced > Extend Features in Adobe Reader"

    "Commenting: Allowed"

    (this is correct and expected)

     

    Reader does show highlighting and sticky notes tools.  (Correct)

     

    Reader does show text insertion and deletion tools.  (Correct)

    "Commenting: Allowed"

     

     

    Reader does show highlighting and sticky notes tools.

     

    Reader does show text insertion and deletion tools.

    		--Same as Linux version--

     

    Hi Test Screen Name,

     

    I've experimented with Adobe Reader 9 on Windows, and I see that you're correct: the difference in behavior between Reader-9-on-Linux and Reader-X-on-Windows is really the difference between versions 9 and 10, and not the difference between Linux and Windows versions.  I've updated my original table with the insertion of a new third column for Reader-9-on-Windows.  It behaves just like Reader-9-on-Linux.

     

    --Steve

     
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