Virtual machine for rapid deployment
The webPDF virtual machine (VM) is now available in the download section and runs on VMware or VirtualBox in open virtualization format.
This VM is the fastest and easiest way to deploy webPDF quickly or test it without installing anything on your workstation or server. It can run on the hypervisors VMware and VirtualBox.
Linux as the basis for the virtual machine
This VM is provided in open virtualization format (OVF) and uses the 64-bit version of Debian 7.1 (Wheezy) for x86 processors. The default VM settings use a quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM, which is also the minimum requirement for operation. The VM is configured to start the webPDF server automatically and obtain an IP address via DHCP. Web services and the portal are available immediately after startup. Once launched, the VM displays the assigned IP address on the console.
The webPDF virtual machine launched in VirtualBox
Can be easily customized
The virtual machine is based exclusively on the standard packages included in Debian 7.1 Wheezy. Administration can be done remotely via SSH (for example with PuTTY) and locally by logging in on the console with the username root and password root. For security reasons, change the password with the Linux passwd command after the first login.
OpenJDK 7 is used as the basis for the webPDF server. Various TrueType font packages are installed to support document conversion, such as Microsoft Office formats like DOC or PPT. You can add your own fonts by installing them in /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ and then restarting the webPDF server with /etc/init.d/webPDF.sh restart.
Optimizing your virtual machine
Any VM setting changes, such as additional memory or CPU resources, can also benefit the webPDF server. The webPDF installation is located in /usr/local/webPDF. For example, you can edit webPDF.sh and assign more memory to the webPDF server using JRE startup parameters. Do not forget to restart the server after changes.
Initial testing using the web portal
After installing the virtual machine and adapting it to your needs, the easiest way to test the webPDF server is through the web portal. Open your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, etc.) and access the portal using the address shown in the initial login dialog:
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Once the portal is loaded, you can upload a document and convert it to PDF. If you already have a PDF, you can digitally sign the document or make it PDF/A compliant. Try the webPDF portal.