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Stirling-PDF

DEVOPS
Velocity5.0

Locally hosted web app to perform 50+ operations on PDF files.

stirlingpdf.io ↗

Stirling PDF is clearing the decks — six weeks of hotfixes ahead of a promised big release.

pdf-toolsself-hosteddesktop-appdigital-signatureshotfixescross-platform
◆Current state
Every release in this window is corrective. 2.14.3 fixes tool operations failing on Debian 12 and Fedora 44, concurrency problems on merge, an automation bug in image removal, and crashes on 2GB PDFs, plus Linux startup and a Windows ARM64 test build. Before it, 2.14.2 patched Postgres user-data loading, 2.14.1 stopped PostHog loading before opt flags were read and fixed certificate signing, and 2.13.2 covered security fixes and desktop performance. The one feature release is 2.14.0, which added hardware token signing via PKCS#11 smart cards and OS certificate stores on desktop.
◆Where it's heading
The project is consolidating a desktop application on top of what was a server tool, and the defect pattern shows where that hurts: platform-specific startup failures, OS certificate integration, ARM64 builds, large-file memory behaviour. Hardware token signing is the strategically interesting piece, since it moves the product toward legally meaningful signatures that a browser-only tool cannot offer. The 2.14.3 notes state a large feature release is two to three weeks out.
◆Prediction
The changelog explicitly promises a substantial feature release in two to three weeks, and the stabilisation pattern supports that. Hardware token signing spreading beyond desktop-only is the natural extension of the 2.14.0 work.

◆Recent moves

  1. 5d ago

    2.14.3 fixes Debian/Fedora tool failures, concurrency and 2GB PDF crashes

    A hotfix clearing platform-specific breakage: merge and other tools failing on Debian 12 and Fedora 44, concurrency issues, an image-removal automation bug, and crashes on 2GB PDFs, plus Linux startup fixes and a Windows ARM64 test build. Notably, the release notes announce a large feature release two to three weeks out.

    View source ↗
  2. 1mo ago

    2.14.2 Hotfix for certain postgres environments

    A server-only hotfix for Postgres connections failing to load user data. Narrow deployment fix.

    View source ↗
  3. 1mo ago

    2.14.1 Bug fixes and new 3rd party license page

    Fixes for PostHog loading before opt-out flags were read, certificate signing on some installations, and a page-rearrange failure, plus a settings page listing third-party licenses. The analytics fix is the one with privacy relevance for self-hosters.

    View source ↗
  4. 1mo ago

    2.14.0 Hardware token signing and shared signing

    The only feature release in this window: desktop hardware token signing via PKCS#11 smart cards and USB tokens plus OS certificate stores, alongside shared signing and file-sharing UI work and a login disclaimer for business deployments. It moves signing toward credentials a browser-only tool cannot reach.

    View source ↗
  5. 1mo ago

    2.13.2 Desktop performance fix, and security fixes

    Security fixes and unused dependency removal in the Docker image, plus a desktop UI performance fix and corrections to macOS startup. Maintenance across the deployment targets.

    View source ↗
  6. 1mo ago

    2.13.1 bug fixes for desktop upload from mobile and multitool rotations

    Fixes for multi-tool rotation on certain PDFs and desktop mobile upload via QR code scan, alongside translation sync and dependency bumps. Routine patch work.

    View source ↗