Stirling PDF setup: Docker and desktop installers

This tutorial covers Stirling PDF, a PDF toolkit that processes documents on your own computer or server. The feature overview includes merging, splitting, compression, format conversion, document comparison and OCR for scans. It also covers password protection, signatures, redaction and page editing.

The Docker walkthrough uses Debian 13 Trixie and the quick-start command from the project's GitHub page. Docker must already be installed; the presenter points Windows and macOS users toward Docker Desktop. The container downloads its image if needed and exposes port 8080 for browser access. The tutorial then covers the initial administrator login and recommends changing the default password, particularly when other people can access the server.

For desktop use, the presenter lists MSI installers for Windows, DMG files for macOS, and Debian packages or AppImage for Linux. The Linux demonstration installs a .deb package with dpkg and launches the application from the desktop menu.

The presenter recommends desktop installers for personal use and the self-hosted Docker version for shared access or a home server. Docker users also need to manage updates, container maintenance and startup after reboot.