- PDFCreator
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PDFCreator 
Developer(s) PDFforge Stable release 1.2.3 / September 9, 2011 Written in Visual Basic Operating system Microsoft Windows Available in Multilingual[1] Type PDF printer/creator/ Adware License Mixed GNU General Public License, Aladdin Free Public License and FairPlay OpenSource license[2], malware toolbar is proprietary software[3] Website www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator PDFCreator is an application for converting documents into Portable Document Format (PDF) format on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It works by creating a virtual printer that prints to PDF files, and thereby allows practically any application to create PDF files by choosing to print from within the application and then printing to the PDFCreator printer.[4] It contains optional closed source adware that is installed by default.[3]
Contents
Implementation
The application is written in Microsoft Visual Basic and released to the public at no charge. It works with 64-bit and 32-bit Windows versions including Windows 7, internally using mostly 32-bit code. The actual PDF generation is handled by Ghostscript, which is already included in the setup package.
Besides being installed as a virtual printer, PDFCreator can be associated with .ps files to manually convert PostScript to PDF format.
PDFCreator can convert to the following file formats: PDF (including PDF/A (1b) and PDF/X (X-3:2002, X-3:2003 and X-4), PNG, JPEG, BMP, PCX, TIFF, PS, EPS, TXT, PSD, PCL, RAW.[5] It also allows to digitally sign PDF documents.
Since version 0.8.1 RC9 (2005) PDFCreator supports access to its functionality via an ActiveX/COM interface;[6] this allows programs written in other languages, like C#, Delphi, Visual Basic, .NET, VBA, Perl, Python, Ruby, WinBatch, Windows Scripting Host (JScript, VBScript), to utilise and control PDFCreator programatically.
The installation package includes a closed-source browser toolbar that is considered by many users to be malicious software (see below). Although technically an optional component, the opt-out procedure is a multi-step process which is considered by many to be intentionally confusing[7]. In addition to the spyware activity described below, the toolbar allows one-click creation PDFs from the current webpage and includes a search tool.
PDFCreator allows the user to disable printing, copying of text or images and modifying the original document. The user can also choose between two types of passwords, user and owner, to restrict PDF files in several ways. The former is required to open the PDF file, while the latter is necessary in order to change permissions and password. Encryption can be either 40 bits, compatible with Adobe Acrobat 3.0 or 4.0, or 128 bits for Acrobat 5.0 or higher.
Starting with version 0.9.6, there is full support for Windows Vista and version 0.9.7 provides support for Windows 7.[8]
Adware toolbar controversy
Starting with version 0.9.7 (February 2009), PDFCreator has included an adware toolbar.[9][10] The end-user-license agreement for Pdfforge Toolbar by Spigot, Inc. (versions prior to 0.9.7 have a different, optional toolbar called "PDFCreator Toolbar"), states that the software will:
modify your Microsoft Internet Explorer and/or Mozilla Firefox browser settings for the default search engine, address bar search, "DNS error" page, "404 error" page, and new tab page to facilitate more informative responses as determined by The Toolbar[11]SourceForge, who hosts the downloads for PDFForge and many other projects, has received criticism for failing to adequately respond to complaints about the confusing toolbar installation process. In June 2009, SourceForge marked the report as Invalid.[12] In May 2011, a user filed another complaint with SourceForge,[3] this time because the toolbar is proprietary software,[12][3] which SourceForge does not allow developers to host.[12] SourceForge replied, "This is under internal investigation by our staff."[3] As of November 2011, SourceForge has not[3] updated the complainer on the investigation, and PDFCreator still[13] installs the toolbar unless the user declines it.
PDFForge, which created PDFCreator, responded with an FAQ regarding the toolbar[14] that states:
Is this spyware then? I think the main difference is if this is done unasked and undisclosed amount...Furthermore, the company works together with major Anti Ad- and Spyware companies to ensure, that it can be consider transparent und unharmful for the user. These include: Microsoft Windows , Anti-Spyware Webroot SpySweeper, Computer Associates Pest Patrol, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, Aluria Spyware Scanner and Spyware Eliminator.[14]Awards
The now defunct OpenCD project chose PDFCreator as the best-of-breed free software package for creating PDF files in Windows.[15][16]
In August 2008 InfoWorld magazine recognized PDFCreator with an Open Source Software Award from the field of more than 50 available open source or free PDF creation applications.[17]
Both of these awards predate the inclusion of the contested spyware.
See also
- RedMon + Ghostscript is an alternative way of producing PS/PDF files through a virtual printer.
- List of PDF software
- Comparable applications
References
- ^ PDFCreator: Translations
- ^ PDFCreator license
- ^ a b c d e f Spiro, Jason; Tsai, Chris (31 May 2011). "Ticket #19639: PDFCreator installer includes the closed-source "pdfforge Toolbar"". SourceForge.net site issue tracker. Geeknet, Inc.. http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sourceforge/ticket/19639. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ PDF Forge (2006). "PDFCreator". http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ^ Version history for PDFCreator
- ^ PDFCreator 0.8.1 RC9 available
- ^ http://www.pdfforge.org/forum/open-discussion/4612-yahoo-toolbar-installs-even-if-i-uncheck-box
- ^ sourceforge.net (January 2009). "Project News for PDFCreator". http://sourceforge.net/news/?group_id=57796. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ Walker, KL (May 2009). "PDFCreator with PDFForge is causing havoc with toolbar install". http://www.klwalker.com/blog/136/pdfcreator-with-pdfforge-is-causing-havoc-with-toolbar-install. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ Raj, Victor (March 2009). "Malware — urlseek20.vmn.net". http://csclab.murraystate.edu/serendipity/index.php?/archives/34-Malware-urlseek20.vmn.net.html. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ http://pdfforge.mybrowserbar.com/terms.html
- ^ a b c hinojosa; nhruby; mikelococo. "Project: PDFCreator has been reported as inappropriate". SourceForge.net site issue tracker. Geeknet, Inc.. http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/sourceforge/ticket/2409. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ Heindörfer, Frank. "/trunk/Setup/ToolbarForm.isd, revision 812". PDFCreator source code repository. Lines 121–134. http://pdfcreator.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/pdfcreator/trunk/Setup/ToolbarForm.isd?revision=812&view=markup#l121. Retrieved 23 September 2011. (The constant ToolbarInstallToolbar is defined in another file: Heindörfer, Frank. "/trunk/Setup/Language includes/english.inc, revision 859". PDFCreator source code repository. Line 75. http://pdfcreator.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/pdfcreator/trunk/Setup/Language%20includes/english.inc?revision=859&view=markup#l75. Retrieved 23 September 2011.)
- ^ a b Is the PDFCreator Toolbar Spyware?
- ^ "OpenCD 07.04". Linux Distributions. http://www.linuxdistributions.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1133. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "The Open CD". Sunburnt Software. http://www.sunburnt.com.au/tools/free-software/the-open-cd. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ Dineley, Doug (4 August 2008). "Best of open source productivity apps". InfoWorld. http://www.infoworld.com/slideshow/2008/08/165-best_of_open_so-7.html. Retrieved 3 November 2008. in: Best of Open Source Software Awards 2008
External links
Categories:- Adware
- PDF software
- Windows-only freeware
- Software that bundles malware
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