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Discussion => Security => Topic started by: P2P on May 28, 2013, 02:29 am

Title: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: P2P on May 28, 2013, 02:29 am
For some reason I am having a lot of trouble with this. I'm trying to extract an RAR file I just downloaded into a folder I created in my persistent volume but it doesn't extract, for whatever reason.  I'm using the archive manager to try and extract the files, but it's simply not working. Also, I have no idea how to open the PDFs in the RAR. And I can't extract them to open in ScribusNG (which I think is the pdf reader in tails, correct?). Part of the reason I got tails was to buy some books off of SR, but now I'm not even able to properly open them. Please let me know how to deal with this if you have experience with tails. I've been searching on their site and forums and can't seem to find much.
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: astor on May 28, 2013, 03:53 am
For some reason I am having a lot of trouble with this. I'm trying to extract an RAR file I just downloaded into a folder I created in my persistent volume but it doesn't extract, for whatever reason.  I'm using the archive manager to try and extract the files, but it's simply not working.

That's odd. The archive manager should work with RAR files by default. I just tested it with an example RAR file from here:

https://code.google.com/p/suddendeath/downloads/detail?name=example.rar&can=2&q=

Does that one open for you? If it does, maybe the RAR file you're trying to open is corrupt? Are you getting a CRC error or anything like that?

Also, I have no idea how to open the PDFs in the RAR. And I can't extract them to open in ScribusNG (which I think is the pdf reader in tails, correct?).

Once you get the PDFs extracted, you can double click on them in the file manager and they will open with Document Viewer, which is technically called Evince. But your problem is that you can't extract them.


Part of the reason I got tails was to buy some books off of SR, but now I'm not even able to properly open them. Please let me know how to deal with this if you have experience with tails. I've been searching on their site and forums and can't seem to find much.

Check the error that you get when attempting to extract. If it's a CRC error or something along those lines, try downloading the RAR file again. If you still get the error, contact the vendor and have them re-post the file.
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: P2P on May 28, 2013, 04:18 am
That's the thing, though, astor. There's no error message. I see the files in the rar in archive manager; they're there. I highlight them all and click extract. The loading bar comes up and everything, saying the extraction was successfully completed. I open the folder I extract to and NOTHING IS THERE. Is this normal? I don't know why this is happening but this defeats a large part of the purpose of using tails.

Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: astor on May 28, 2013, 04:34 am
Try this. Navigate to the folder with the RAR file. Right click on it -> Extract here. The a folder should be created with the same name as the RAR file. The PDFs should be in it.
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: P2P on May 28, 2013, 04:53 am
Try this. Navigate to the folder with the RAR file. Right click on it -> Extract here. The a folder should be created with the same name as the RAR file. The PDFs should be in it.

I actually tried that too. I'm going to reboot and see if that can do anything. Any other ideas?
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: DoctorFate on May 28, 2013, 05:03 am
Are you using the newest version of tails, .18? 

Did the reboot work?   Did you set up tails with a persistent volume or did you setup tails with persistence to certain files/folders ie saving settings for pidgin, iceweasel, keys etc...

I would try using tails fresh with no persistence to see if something may happened with permissions or maybe you've run out space wherever your keeping tails.   
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: astor on May 28, 2013, 05:28 am
Have you tried some random RAR file as a test, like the one I linked above?

We can at least figure out whether it's the archive manager or the archive.
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: DoctorFate on May 28, 2013, 05:40 am
Have you tried some random RAR file as a test, like the one I linked above?

We can at least figure out whether it's the archive manager or the archive.


Agreed or taking the rar file to another computer and seeing if you can replicate the issue there?
Title: Re: How to Open PDFs and RARs in Tails
Post by: P2P on May 28, 2013, 11:21 pm
Astor, I tried the RAR file you posted and extracted. I saw a file called "compile" or something of that nature, and then I saw a folder called "images" that had nothing in it (if it was supposed to have something in it, tell me). It's just strange because I'm seeing the files in the RAR I want, but they won't extract. There's no error message or anything, everything runs like normal but then there's no files extracted to the folder in question when I check. I did the extract here function again and it even creates a folder with the same name as the RAR but there is nothing inside.

Yes, my version of tails is up to date (0.18). Yes, it was a persistent volume. Even if it wasn't, the files would still show up; they'd just be gone after I shut down. I definitely have not run out of space (32gb hard drive, empty, used for this, tails says 29.1gb available). And I don't have any permission password when I run tails, so I don't know.