# 📖 Scribd PDF Downloader - Installation Guide

Complete step-by-step installation guide for beginners with no programming experience required.

---

📋 Table of Contents

1. System Requirements
2. Step 1: Install Python
3. Step 2: Enable Long Path Support (Windows)
4. Step 3: Download the Code
5. Step 4: Run the Program (Auto-Install)
6. How to Use
7. Troubleshooting

---

✅ System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS, or Linux
• Internet Connection: Required for downloading Python and libraries
• Web Browser: Google Chrome (will be used automatically by Selenium)

---

🐍 Step 1: Install Python

Windows

1. Download Python:

   • Visit: https://www.python.org/downloads/
   • Click the "Download Python 3.x.x" button (latest version)

2. Install Python:

   • Open the downloaded file (e.g., python-3.12.0-amd64.exe)
   • ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Check the box "Add Python to PATH" on the first screen
   • Click "Install Now"
   • Wait for the installation to complete
   • Click "Close"

3. Verify installation:

   • Open Command Prompt (press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter)
   • Type the following command and press Enter:

     python --version

   • If it shows Python 3.x.x, installation was successful ✅

macOS

1. Download Python:

   • Visit: https://www.python.org/downloads/
   • Download the macOS installer

2. Install:

   • Open the downloaded .pkg file
   • Follow the on-screen instructions
   • Enter your password when prompted

3. Verify:

   • Open Terminal (Cmd + Space, type "Terminal")
   • Type: python3 --version

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip
python3 --version

---

🔧 Step 2: Enable Long Path Support (Windows)

⚠️ Windows only. This step prevents errors when installing PyQt6.

Method 1: Using PowerShell (Recommended)

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator:

   • Press Win + X
   • Select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" or "Terminal (Admin)"
   • Click "Yes" when prompted

2. Run the following command:

   reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem /v LongPathsEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

3. Restart your computer

Method 2: Using Group Policy Editor

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Filesystem
3. Find "Enable Win32 long paths"
4. Double-click, select "Enabled", click OK
5. Restart your computer

---

📥 Step 3: Download the Code

If you have Git:

git clone https://github.com/ritiek/scribd-downloader.git
cd scribd-downloader

If you don't have Git:

1. Download the ZIP file from GitHub
2. Extract it to your desired location (e.g., C:\scribd-downloader)
3. Open Command Prompt or Terminal
4. Navigate to the folder:

   cd C:\scribd-downloader

   (Replace C:\scribd-downloader with your actual path)

---

� Step 4: Run the Program (Auto-Install)

We have simplified the process! You don't need to manually install dependencies anymore. The launcher script will do it for you.

1. Make sure you're in the scribd-downloader directory

2. Run the command:

   Windows:

   python launch_gui.py

   macOS/Linux:

   python3 launch_gui.py

3. Wait for setup:

   • The script will automatically check and install missing libraries (Selenium, PyQt6, etc.).
   • It will also set up the Chrome Driver automatically.
   • Once done, the GUI window will appear! 🎉

---

🎯 How to Use

Program Interface

When you open the program, you'll see:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Scribd PDF Downloader                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Enter Scribd Document URL]             │
│ [Select Output Directory] [Browse...]   │
│                                          │
│ [Download]  [Stop]  ○ Status             │
│                                          │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Log Output Area                     │ │
│ │                                     │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                          │
│      ☕ Support this project on Ko-fi   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Steps to Download PDF:

1. Enter URL:

   • Copy the Scribd document link
   • Tool supports both URL formats:
     • 📄 Document URL: https://www.scribd.com/document/[id]/title
     • 🔗 Embed URL: https://www.scribd.com/embeds/[id]/content
   • Tool will automatically convert document URL to embed URL for download
   • Paste it into the "Enter Scribd Document URL" field

2. Select save location (optional):

   • Click the "Browse" button
   • Choose the folder where you want to save the PDF
   • If not selected, the file will be saved in the current directory

3. Start download:

   • Click the "Download" button
   • Wait for the program to download (may take a few minutes)
   • Watch the progress in the Log Output area

4. Complete:

   • When you see "Download completed successfully!"
   • The PDF file has been saved to your selected folder

Features:

• ✅ Multiple URL format support: Automatically detects and converts URLs
• ✅ Auto-scroll: Selenium automatically scrolls to load all content
• ✅ High-quality PDF: Combines all pages into one PDF file
• ✅ Stop anytime: Click the "Stop" button to cancel
• ✅ Dark Mode: Beautiful dark interface
• ✅ Auto-Setup: Automatically installs dependencies and drivers

---

⚠️ Troubleshooting

Error 1: python is not recognized

Cause: Python not added to PATH

Solution:

1. Uninstall Python
2. Reinstall and remember to check "Add Python to PATH"

Error 2: OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory (Windows)

Cause: Long Path Support not enabled

Solution:

• Follow Step 2
• Restart your computer
• Reinstall PyQt6

Error 3: ChromeDriver not found or Browser Crash

Solution:

• The new script uses webdriver-manager to handle this automatically.
• Ensure you have Google Chrome installed.
• Try running python launch_gui.py again, it will attempt to fix driver issues.

Error 4: GUI doesn't appear

Solution:

1. Check the console output for any error messages.
2. Ensure you are running python launch_gui.py from the correct directory.

Error 5: "Access Denied" when downloading

Cause: Document is locked or requires login

Solution:

• Some Scribd documents require a Premium account
• This tool only works with publicly accessible documents

---

💡 Tips

1. Download speed:

   • PDF downloads take 2-5 minutes depending on document length
   • Don't close the program while downloading

2. PDF quality:

   • PDFs are created from screenshots
   • Quality depends on the original document

3. Multiple uses:

   • No need to reinstall libraries
   • Just run python launch_gui.py each time you use it

4. Updates:

   • To get the latest code:

     git pull

---

🆘 Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Re-read the guide from the beginning
2. Check the Troubleshooting section above
3. Google the error with keywords: scribd downloader [error name]
4. Create an Issue on the GitHub repository

---

☕ Support the Project

If you find this tool useful, please support the author:

👉 Support on Ko-fi

---

📝 Notes

• This tool is for educational and research purposes only
• Respect the copyright of document authors
• Do not use for commercial purposes

---

Happy downloading! 🎉