How to Use Pandoc on Linux

Pandoc is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to convert files from one markup format to another. It supports a wide range of formats including Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, PDF, and many more. In this article, we will explore how to use Pandoc on Linux.

Pandoc is a command-line tool for Linux that allows you to convert files between different markup formats. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to use Pandoc on Linux:

1. Install Pandoc on your Linux system using the package manager specific to your distribution.
2. To convert a file, open a terminal and navigate to its directory.
3. Use the command structure “pandoc [options] input-file -o output-file” to convert the file to the desired format.
4. Pandoc offers various options like specifying the input and output format explicitly, generating standalone files, and customizing CSS and templates.
5. You can convert multiple files by providing their names and separate them with spaces in the command.
6. If you frequently use Pandoc or need to perform repetitive conversions, automate the process using shell scripts that execute a series of commands.
7. Save the script with a “.sh” extension, navigate to its directory in the terminal, and run it using “bash convert.sh”.

By following these instructions, you can effectively use Pandoc on Linux to convert your files between different formats easily.

Step 1: Install Pandoc

Before using Pandoc, you need to install it on your Linux system. Follow these steps to install Pandoc using the package manager for your distribution:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Update the package manager by running the appropriate command for your system:
   • Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt update
   • CentOS/Fedora: sudo dnf update
3. Install Pandoc using the package manager:

sudo apt install pandoc

Step 2: Convert a File

Once Pandoc is installed, you can start converting files using the command line. Here’s how to convert a file from one format to another:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory where your file is located using the cd command. For example:
   • cd /path/to/your/file
3. To convert a file, use the following command structure:
   • pandoc [options] input-file -o output-file
4. Replace [options] with any desired options such as specifying the output format or adding custom stylesheets.
5. Replace input-file with the name of your input file with its format extension (e.g., input.md).
6. Replace output-file with the desired name and format for the output file (e.g., output.html).
7. Run the command. Pandoc will convert the input file to the specified output format.

Step 3: Utilize Pandoc Options

Pandoc provides a wide range of options to customize the conversion process. Here are a few commonly used options:

• -f/--from format: Specify the input format explicitly. For example, -f markdown tells Pandoc to interpret the input file as Markdown.
• -t/--to format: Specify the output format explicitly. For example, -t html tells Pandoc to convert the file to HTML.
• -s/--standalone: Generate a standalone file with header and footer, rather than just the body content.
• -o/--output output-file: Specify the output file name and format.
• --template template-file: Use a custom template file for the output.
• --css css-file: Apply custom CSS to the output file.
• --self-contained: Embed external resources, like CSS or images, into the output file itself.

Explore the Pandoc documentation for more options and functionalities.

Step 4: Convert Multiple Files and Batches

Pandoc also supports converting multiple files at once and even converting an entire directory of files. Here’s how you can achieve this:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory where your files are located.
3. To convert multiple files, use the following command structure:
   • pandoc [options] file1 file2 … -o output-file
4. Replace [options] with any desired options.
5. Include the names of all the input files separated by a space.
6. Replace output-file with the desired name and format for the output file.
7. Run the command. Pandoc will convert all the specified input files to the specified output format.

Step 5: Automate with Shell Scripts

If you find yourself using Pandoc frequently or needing to perform repetitive conversions, you can automate the process using shell scripts. Shell scripts allow you to write a series of commands that can be executed in sequence.

1. Open a text editor.
2. Write the series of Pandoc commands you wish to automate, each on a new line.
3. Save the script with a .sh extension, e.g., convert.sh.
4. Open the terminal.
5. Navigate to the directory where the script is saved.
6. Run the script using the following command:
   • bash convert.sh

Note: Make sure the script file has execute permissions. You can set the permissions using the following command:
– chmod +x convert.sh

Now you can conveniently execute your script to perform the desired conversions.

Pandoc is a versatile tool that simplifies the process of converting files between different formats on Linux. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to start utilizing Pandoc effectively to convert your files with ease.