PDF Joiner Now Supports Linux: Quick Setup Guide
July 07, 2025
PDF Joiner now supports Linux with automatic tool detection and installation. The tool works on all major Linux distributions and provides the same simple interface as the macOS version.
If you havenβt read about PDF Joiner before, check out my original post about the Mac version where I explain the motivation behind creating this free command-line utility.
Quick Setup
1. Check Your CPU Architecture
First, determine your system architecture:
uname -m
- If output is
x86_64
β use amd64 binary - If output is
aarch64
orarm64
β use arm64 binary
2. Download the Correct Binary
For 64-bit Intel/AMD systems (x86_64):
curl -L https://github.com/vinitkumar/pdf-joiner/releases/download/v1.2.9/pdf-joiner-linux-amd64 -o pdf-joiner
For ARM64 systems (aarch64):
curl -L https://github.com/vinitkumar/pdf-joiner/releases/download/v1.2.9/pdf-joiner-linux-arm64 -o pdf-joiner
3. Make It Executable
chmod +x pdf-joiner
4. Run It
./pdf-joiner file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf
First Run Setup
On first run, the tool automatically:
- Detects your Linux distribution
- Installs required PDF tools if missing
- Asks for sudo permission to install dependencies
Example first run:
$ ./pdf-joiner file1.pdf file2.pdf
No PDF joining tools found. Attempting to install them...
Detected Linux distribution: ubuntu
Installing PDF tools for Ubuntu/Debian...
[sudo] password for user:
PDF tools installed successfully!
Successfully joined PDFs into: combined_20250625_143812.pdf
Supported Linux Distributions
Distribution | Package Manager | Auto-Install |
---|---|---|
Ubuntu/Debian | apt-get | β |
Fedora | dnf | β |
RHEL/CentOS | yum | β |
Arch Linux | pacman | β |
Usage Examples
Basic joining:
./pdf-joiner file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf
Custom output filename:
./pdf-joiner -o combined_document.pdf file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf
Move to system PATH (optional):
sudo mv pdf-joiner /usr/local/bin/
# Now you can run it from anywhere
pdf-joiner file1.pdf file2.pdf
PDF Tools Used
The tool automatically selects the best available PDF backend:
- pdfunite (fastest, preferred)
- ghostscript (most compatible)
- qpdf (alternative option)
Troubleshooting
Permission denied error:
chmod +x pdf-joiner
Tool not found after installation:
# Reinstall PDF tools manually
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install poppler-utils ghostscript # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install poppler-utils ghostscript # Fedora
sudo yum install poppler-utils ghostscript # RHEL/CentOS
sudo pacman -S poppler ghostscript # Arch Linux
Build from Source (Optional)
git clone https://github.com/vinitkumar/pdf-joiner.git
cd pdf-joiner
go build -o pdf-joiner
./pdf-joiner file1.pdf file2.pdf
GitHub Repository: vinitkumar/pdf-joiner
Latest Release: v1.2.9
The Linux support extends PDF Joinerβs reach beyond macOS, making it accessible to developers across all major platforms while maintaining the same privacy-focused, local processing approach that makes it a reliable alternative to online PDF tools.