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How to find the PDF version of a Read-the-docs project


What am I not seeing? The RTD features page says:

PDF Generation

When you build your project on RTD, we automatically build a PDF of your project’s documentation. We also build them for every version that you upload, so we can host the PDFs of your latest documentation, as well as your latest stable releases as well.

But how do you find the PDF version? A websearch finds this 2012 blog post where the writer says:

Here, for example, is the url to Django-Tastypie’s PDF docs:

http://media.readthedocs.org/pdf/django-tastypie/latest/django-tastypie.pdf

You can replace django-tastypie with the slug for any Read the Docs project.

However, RTD doesn't permit users to browse the website's directory tree via the URL: http://media.readthedocs.org/pdf/[project slug]/, get's me 403 FORBIDDEN! At least for project CookieCutter.


Solution

  • For security reasons, many websites do not allow you to browse directory listings on the web server; hence the 403.

    Anyway, I guess you were looking for these:

    Typically, it should not be necessary to construct this URL yourself. There is a link in the navigation bar of RtD. You just have to know where to find it.

    RtD screenshot, panel collapsed

    Notice the 'Read the Docs' label at the bottom left of the page (together with the version indicator). Click it and a panel will open.

    RtD screenshot, panel expanded

    In the panel, you can select the desired version. The 'PDF' link navigates to the PDF file. The build system of RtD should automatically keep this file up to date with the documentation source.

    Note: for PDF and EPUB generation to be available, the RtD project: