How to Install a Free Software PDF Reader from pdfreaders.org

pdfreaders.org does not host installers itself. It lists Free Software PDF readers and points you to each project's own download page, but the site notes that most Free Operating Systems provide package management systems, so you usually do not need to download any files manually from project pages. Installation instructions live on your distributor's website, and the project download pages provide source code if you prefer to build the software yourself.

What pdfreaders.org actually gives you

The site is a directory, not a download portal. For each reader it lists the platforms it supports, and that platform list is the main thing you need before choosing an installation route.

Two notes from the site that affect what you install:

• Xpdf is listed as a lightweight viewer using a plain motif interface, but the site states that the XpdfReader builds are non-free and advises against them. If you want Xpdf specifically, this is a reason to check what you are actually installing.
• The site frames its whole list around Free Software, which it describes as respecting your four freedoms to use, study, share, and improve the software, giving you control over your computer and helping protect your privacy. It contrasts these with proprietary alternatives to Adobe's PDF reader, whose internal working is a trade secret.

Installing on GNU/Linux or another system with a package manager

This is the route the site itself recommends first. The steps are the same regardless of which reader you picked:

1. Identify your distribution and its package manager (for example, the package tool your distributor documents).
2. Open your distributor's documentation for installing packages.
3. Search for the package name matching your chosen reader — for example, Evince, Okular, qpdfview, or Zathura.
4. Install it through the package manager rather than from a project page.
5. Verify by opening a PDF with the newly installed reader.

Expected result: the reader is installed, tracked by your package manager, and updated along with the rest of your system. The common snag is a package name that differs slightly from the project name, so check your distributor's package index rather than assuming the project name is the package name.

Installing on Windows or macOS

For these platforms the package-manager shortcut usually does not apply, so you go to the project's own download page. The site's platform list tells you which projects to look at:

• Windows: SumatraPDF, Okular, sioyek, MuPDF
• macOS: Skim, gv, sioyek

The practical sequence:

1. Pick a reader whose platform list includes your system.
2. Go to that project's download page (linked from pdfreaders.org).
3. Download the build offered for your platform.
4. Run the installer or move the application into place, following the project's own instructions.
5. Verify by opening a PDF.

If a project offers only source code for your platform, you will need to build it — see below.

Building from source

The site states that the download pages it refers to will provide source code, should you desire to build the software. This is the fallback when no ready-made build exists for your system, or when you specifically want to compile it yourself.

Before starting, confirm you have:

• The source archive from the project's download page.
• The build dependencies the project lists.
• A working toolchain for your platform.

Then follow the project's own build instructions. The expected result is a locally built binary you run directly. The usual failure point is a missing dependency, which typically shows up as a configure or compile error naming the missing library.

Choosing between the two routes

A note on translation and contributing

The site also invites users to help translate the interface or the download webpages of their favorite PDF reader. That is separate from installation, but it is the site's stated way for users to contribute back to the projects it lists.