What program can be used to view/convert *.chm (win help) files?

Hi.

Is it possible to view windows help files (*.chm) under linux, and what can be used to do it? Or maybe convert them to any other viewable format (pdf, html or whatever)?

I don't know of any programs as most don't need Windows help files in Linux. Is there a reason for this? Have you tried to just view them in a text editor?

Some piece of documentation was given to me in this format, and I have to read it
This is a binary file so a text editor is useless...

Is it possible with wine? I thought viewing a help file is some inner windows feature so maybe wine fails here...

Originally posted by shy Some piece of documentation was given to me in this format, and I have to read it This is a binary file so a text editor is useless... Is it possible with wine? I thought viewing a help file is some inner windows feature so maybe wine fails here...

If its a binary file.. I would think your screwed.. you'll need whatever program Microsoft uses to view help files, which I believe is built into Explorer

There is xchmviewer, or you can use IE in Wine

i think he means try this: http://xchm.sourceforge.net/

or you can use this if you don't have the libraries installed required for xchm:
http://archmage.sourceforge.net/

which you can use to decompile the chm file into regular html file(s). there are rpms available. also what you'll need to do is to edit the archmage script (get's installed in /usr/bin) and change the first line of the script to:

#!/usr/bin/python2.2

since the chm.py module is installed in python2.2's libraries in /usr/lib/python2.2

after converting, go to destination directory and open up index.html.

is there any other programm for this job, because in xCHM you cant copy nor select text from .chm files?

Good news for those why read .chm files under linux, there is a tool - HelpExplorer-2.1 from KAMA Software. It works just like the same tools in windows!

Here is the recipe I use to extract the files from .chm help files:

- download chmlib
- extract:

tar zxf chmlib-0.35

- configure:

./configure

- make:

make

- make install (or checkinstall for those of you who want to be able to uninstall easy):

make install

or

checkinstall

- compile example programs (this is the scope of all this... in the example programs there is one which extracts the files from .chm):

make examples

After you make examples in the directory of chmlib will be the executable extract_chmLib . This is the thing you need. It extracts the html and images from .chm and makes a browsable site out of the .chm which you will be able to see with any browser.

That's it. This is what I use and I'm very happy with it. No stupid bloated X programs for which you need 1000 libraries to make them work. Easy and simple.

After you make examples in the directory of chmlib will be the executable extract_chmLib .

I get this error:

./extract_chmLib: error while loading shared libraries: libchm.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

libchm.so.0 is in my /usr/local/lib directory and I'm trying to execute it as root so I don't know why I'm getting the error

probably because /usr/local/lib isn't in your searchable path. I know redhat doesn't put /usr/local in the searchable path
path and there's probably a few other distros that don't either.

the quick down and dirty way to fix your problem is to probably create a symlink in /usr/lib to that file in /usr/local/lib.

]# ln -s /usr/local/lib/libchm.so.0 /usr/lib/libchm.so.0

you need to do this as root.

Originally posted by megaspaz probably because /usr/local/lib isn't in your searchable path. I know redhat doesn't put /usr/local in the searchable path path and there's probably a few other distros that don't either. the quick down and dirty way to fix your problem is to probably create a symlink in /usr/lib to that file in /usr/local/lib. ]# ln -s /usr/local/lib/libchm.so.0 /usr/lib/libchm.so.0 you need to do this as root.

That worked like a champ thanks!

Also chmlib works great too. I'm happy

glad everything worked out for ya.

this worked like a charm!! i have been looking for something like this for a loooooong time..thanks!!

Hi
another way to do it: open Konqueror, right click on the file; select "preview with KChmPart".
It works in my case...

Regards