GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 382700
Set override_restrictions by default
Last modified: 2008-01-24 15:08:56 UTC
I have just discovered that Evince "honours" PDF restrictions. This is DRM. I recognize that there use cases where an admin might want to turn it on, however, for the casual GNOME user, there is no sane reason why they would support this kind of DRM. Thus, this gconf key should be set by default.
[The gconf key was implemented in bug 305818. Also relevant is the ML thread @ http://mail.gnome.org/archives/evince-list/2005-May/msg00051.html]
I agree completely with Corey Burger. I understand that this gconf-key might be necessary in some situations, but I think there are a lot of cases where this unfairly limits the user. An example from my own experience: I am working on my final essay for my bachelor degree. I use a lot of journal articles as references — most of them are only available to me in digital form. These articles are offered almost exclusively in PDF, most of them without restrictions. I always safe a copy so I can reread them during the course of my research, and to make sure I can keep working even if my Internet connection is down (which happens from time to time due to circumstances beyond my control) or if the service offering these documents is down. I am grateful for the gconf-key that permits me to use PDF documents with restrictions set as normal PDF documents, but I also think that a non-technical user should never have to set keys in gconf to get an application to behave in a sane manner. I hope I am not rehashing an old issue that has been put to rest already.
I think the PDF spec requires viewers to honor these settings (at least by default). This is not so much a technical as a political issue. Distributors should decide for themselves... I'd like to mark this bug as WONTFIX, but let's wait for others to give their opinion.
I fail to see how breaking the PDF for this hurts GNOME (or any downstream distributor). We offer the ability to turn it on, so admins that want to can, but for the rest of us, it is our computer, not Adobe's.
(In reply to comment #3) > I think the PDF spec requires viewers to honor these settings (at least by > default). This is not so much a technical as a political issue. Distributors > should decide for themselves... I have been looking through Adobe's PDF Reference (1.7), and I think — but please correct me if I am wrong, this specification is quite large — this section is relevant: > It is up to the implementors of PDF consumer applications to respect the > intent of the document creator by restricting user access to an encrypted PDF > file according to the permissions contained in the file. > > Note: PDF 1.5 introduces a set of access permissions that do not require the > document to be encrypted; see Section 8.7.3, “Permissions.” (p.122) I tend to agree that this is a political issue, but Bugzilla can handle those bugs as well I think. :) Following standards is important, but in this case it concerns a setting with no repercussions for the proper rendering or interoperability of PDF files, as well as a part of the specification that seems to imply MAY (or perhaps SHOULD) rather than MUST implement. Due to Evince being open source, and the open nature of its most commonly used OS, it would be impossible to stop a knowledgeable user from saving a copy of a PDF document, as it is already on his computer when he views it. How difficult should it be for him to actually do so? I fully agree with Corey above and Christian Persch on the mailinglist: > GNOME software should work for the user, not against him.
Ok, I've checked the PDF specification as well, and hereby confirm that Evince should decide for itself whether to respect the document's permissions. However, IANAL, but I think the text quoted above is quite clear on this matter. So, I hereby change my opinion stated in comment #3: I'm all for changing the default to true. I can make this change before the 2.22 if nsh or carlos agrees.
Ok, we should include a note for packagers in the release notes.
This leads me to complete drop of this gconf key :) If file format is not secure we shouldn't confuse users with imaginary protection they could have.
I'd leave the gconf key so that distros or even system administrators can decide.
The issue with leaving it for distros is that most will not do it, possibly leading to more bug reports like this. I would rather set it to true and and document it in a sysadmins guide.
Ok, so what needs to be done? 1. Set the default to true. 2. Add a big fat note in the NEWS file. Anything else?
(In reply to comment #11) > Ok, so what needs to be done? > > 1. Set the default to true. > 2. Add a big fat note in the NEWS file. > > Anything else? no, that's all
2008-01-24 Wouter Bolsterlee <wbolster@svn.gnome.org> * NEWS: * data/evince.schemas.in: * shell/ev-window.c: (ev_window_setup_action_sensitivity): Override PDF restrictions by default. Fixes bug #382700.