File Conversion on Raspberry Pi

In this tutorial, you will learn how to install and configure Vertopal CLI to bring file conversion to your Raspberry Pi terminal.

Introduction to Vertopal CLI

Vertopal CLI is a tiny open-source utility that works on top of Vertopal File Conversion API and supports converting +440 file formats to each other. Converting GIF to APNG, MIDI to MP3, PDF to LATEX, images, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, fonts, ebooks, audio files, 3D models, and tens of thousands of other conversions are supported.

Install Raspbian on Raspberry Pi

To make this tutorial short and avoid duplication, use any other great articles about how to get started with setting up your Raspberry Pi. You can also read the Official Documentation.

Install Vertopal CLI on Raspberry Pi

Even though Vertopal CLI binaries are available for macOS, Windows, and Linux distros, the easiest way to set it up on your Raspberry Pi, is through Package Installer for Python or pip for short. It retrieves packages from the pi-wheel server, making it easier for you to install packages without needing additional dependencies. The package installation from pip is efficient as it compiles the code from the source and then prepares it accordingly for installation.

Step 1: Update Raspbian

Before moving towards the pip installation, the better way is to update current packages on your Raspberry Pi system using the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install pip on Raspberry Pi

To install pip on Raspberry Pi, execute the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt install python3-pip

To check the pip version, you can use the following command:

$ pip --version
pip 20.3.4 from /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip (python 3.9)

Step 3: Install Vertopal CLI using pip

Step 3: Install Vertopal CLI using pip

Install Vertopal CLI on Raspberry Pi by executing the command below:

python -m pip install -U vertopal

You can check if the package is installed successfully by running either:

$ which vertopal
/home/pi/.local/bin/vertopal

or:

$ vertopal
usage: vertopal [options] <command> [<args>]

A small, yet powerful command-line utility for converting digital files to a
variety of file formats using Vertopal public API.

options:
  --version   Output version information and exit
  -h, --help  Display this help message and exit

commands:
  <command>
    convert   convert files or read from stdin
    api       send requests to the Vertopal API
    config    configure user-specific config file

Convert utility by Vertopal - https://www.vertopal.com

or:

$ vertopal --version
vertopal version 2.1.0

Step 4: Client Credentials

Vertopal CLI comes with built-in public credentials (app: free, token: FREE-TOKEN) so you can start converting files right away without any setup. These default credentials are perfect for quick testing, personal use, or small-scale conversions.

For production environments or when converting a large number of files, it’s strongly recommended to obtain your own private credentials. Private credentials ensure better reliability, higher rate limits, and secure integration with third-party services.

To obtain private credentials:

• Create a free Vertopal account.
• After logging in, navigate to User Account > API > APPS > New App.
• Choose a name for your app (e.g. vertopal-cli) and check the “Connect third-party services to this app” option.
• On your app management page, set the app status to Production.
• Copy the values of the ID and Access Token fields. These are your private client credentials.

Step 5: Configure Vertopal CLI Client Credentials

Configure Vertopal CLI and set the client credentials of the Vertopal Public File Conversion API with the command below. Substitute your application ID and security token values from the previous step with the <app-id> and <token> below.

vertopal config api.app "<app-id>" api.token "<token>"

Step 6: Start Converting Files!

Congratulations! You are ready to convert hundreds of file formats.

Create a sample TXT file with the vertopal --help command as its content using the following command:

vertopal -h > vertopal.txt

Then convert the plain text file to PDF using Vertopal CLI:

$ vertopal convert vertopal.txt --to pdf

[1/4] Uploading vertopal.txt
[2/4] Waiting for PDF conversion
[3/4] Converting vertopal.txt to PDF — please wait...
[INFO] Convert vCredits used: 1
[4/4] Downloading converted file
[DONE] Your converted file saved as vertopal.pdf

Your TXT file is converted to PDF. You can find it in your current working directory, next to the TXT file.

Vertopal CLI supports all the file formats and conversions in its web platform accessible from https://www.vertopal.com.

Vertopal CLI GitHub Repository | Product Page