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I would like a PDF reader that lets me split the screen so I can see two different parts of the same document. Do any exist for Ubuntu?

  • I do not want a split view that only lets me see two consecutive pages
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"split the screen"? you mean "display 2 pages at once" or "display 2 pages at once from different documents"? – quack quixote Oct 11 '09 at 11:00
Updated the question – Casebash Oct 11 '09 at 22:56
thanks for the clarification. – quack quixote Oct 12 '09 at 11:27
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4 Answers

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This is a bit of a strange answer, but Konqueror (the default everything-browser for KDE) can do what you want. You see, Konqueror is not just a web browser or just a file browser -- it is a browser for any type of data that there exists a KPart for (where a KPart is some type of component that KDE can understand and embed places -- things like Konsoles, Kate windows, and -- of interest on this occasion -- KPDF viewers).

Thus, because Konqueror has a split view, you automatically get a split-viewable PDF reader for free. Just open up a Konqueror window, split its view, and open up the PDF in each pane. Each can scroll independently of each other, etc.

You'll have some of the basic PDF-browsing features but not some others -- KParts are not meant to be full applications. Thus, you won't (for example) be able to annotate the PDF in Konqueror as you would be able to in Okular, for instance. But as long as you just want basic viewing, this will be enough :)

KParts and all the modularity of the KDE framework allows for some pretty neat stuff, in my opinion.

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+1: Thats a nice solution, but I really don't want to have to install the KDE components just to get a split view of a PDF! – Casebash Dec 22 '09 at 10:02
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up vote 4 down vote

Running two instances of a pdf reader is not an option?

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Its a pain, but +1 for pointing out the obvious – Casebash Dec 22 '09 at 9:58
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Evince doesn't let me open the same document twice though – Casebash Dec 24 '09 at 10:49
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up vote 2 down vote

Emacs 23 (and earlier versions with the separately obtained doc-view.el package) can seamlessly open and view PDF files. And using the usual split window support (C-x 2) you can display two different parts of the same document in the same window.

I doubt that this is going to be as easy to use as just opening a normal PDF twice, but it definitely does exactly what you ask for.

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+1 for working, but still a pain. Surely, someone has written a PDF reader and realised that screen splitting is a worthwhile feature. – Casebash Dec 22 '09 at 23:34
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up vote 2 down vote

evince 2.30 can at least open two separare windows for the same PDF document. Open a PDF file, then choose File->Open a Copy. Now you have the same document in two windows.

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That is a good hint, I first made a copy of my PDF to open it in a second window :-D – white_gecko Jan 23 at 15:15
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