XPDF download

carmj

Hi, i really need to be able to use the metadata retrieval option but even though i have downloaded:
x86, Windows -- pdftops, pdftotext, pdftohtml, pdftoppm, pdftopng, pdfimages, pdfinfo, pdffonts, and pdfdetach only:
xpdfbin-win-3.04.zip (includes 32-bit and 64-bit binaries) (10794993 bytes)
and the file appears on my desktop - now unzipped - i can't seem to link it to Zotero Standalone? or Standalone can't find it? i am trying to get my IT people to help me connect the two but need further instruction please. your website does not seem to have step-by-step instructions? please help, i really want to be able to use Zotero as my bibliographic tool for my library for my PhD and have heaps of PDFS i want to import.
carm75

adamsmith

why aren't you just installing them from the search tab of the Zotero preferences? This should really just be one click -- there's an install button there.

carmj

i have tried numerous times - i keep getting this response:

An error occurred while attempting to download the Xpdf utilities from zotero.org. Please try again later, or view the documentation for manual installation instructions.

i don't have administrative rights on this computer - could that be it? however it is not even getting to the part where it asks for permissions?

carmj

i have just realised my Zotero standalone is not syncing with the internet? any suggestions?

adamsmith

almost certainly IT related. you could provide a debug ID for a sync or an attempt to download the pdftools and Dan might be able to tell you a little more,
https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output#zotero_for_firefox_or_zotero_standalone
but it's almost certainly your IT blocking this, either via a required proxy or via a firewall.

carmj

IT would like to know where to find the proxy settings in the zotero program?

adamsmith

Zotero uses the system's proxy settings, it doesn't have separate ones.

carmj

so if the program downloaded successfully then it is automatically using the local system proxy settings? (just so i can confirm with my IT guys)

adamsmith

yes

carmj

hi adam,

I apparently need your destination host (IP Address?) to ask for permission to sync with your server and break through the firewall. are you able to give that to me please?
many Thanks
Carmen

dstillman

https://sync.zotero.org/ and https://api.zotero.org/

dstillman

(But if they do it by IP address it will break.)

adamsmith

but e.g. for PDF retrieve metadata, Zotero uses a bunch of additional URLs (the crossref API, Worldcat, google scholar). Search by identifier uses yet another bunch in addition to those (library of congress, datacite, pubmed), so some more general solution to allow Zotero general http//https access would be very helpful...

dstillman

Oh, yeah, what adamsmith says. Disregard the hosts I give above — even with those, you won't be able to upgrade Zotero automatically, install the PDF tools, or report errors. And as adamsmith says, various basic functionality in Zotero won't work without general HTTP/HTTPS access. Zotero is built on a web browser (Firefox) and really needs equivalent access to work properly.

carmj

So - what am I missing? hopefully IT will come out today and they are baffled by this. I can use the software at home just fine and even at my last workplace - is it a firewall issue? I just need some kind of direction to send the IT crew in? you guys have been most helpful BTW I really appreciate it.

adamsmith

what you'd need is for Zotero to have standard access to the http and https ports -- we can't say whether that's a proxy or a Firewall setting, but your IT should know.

Without that, we can walk you through installing the PDF tools manually, but retrieve metadata won't work and I don't see how we could give you a sufficiently specific set of rules there.

carmj

Thankyou - hopefully I can show the IT people here this thread and they can make something of it - I have the program at home and love it - I just want to be able to do more at work with it.

Thanks Again
carmen