packtpub

Download the daily offer book into the current directory with the specified book format (defaults to pdf)

$ packtpub download [[-t|--type]] [pdf|ebup|mobi]

$ packtpub download [[-d|--dir]] [path/to/directory]

$ packtpub login

$ packtpub logout

$ packtpub view-offer

$ packtpub view-offer

$ packtpub whoami

packtpub [options] [subcommand] [arguments]

Common invocation examples:
packtpub login
packtpub claim
packtpub download --format pdf
packtpub list

login
    Authenticates the user with Packt Publishing using provided credentials (email/password). This command typically stores authentication tokens for subsequent operations.

claim
    Claims the current daily free ebook or video offer, adding it to the user's library. This prevents missing out on daily freebies.

download
    Downloads a specific product from the user's claimed library using its unique identifier. The is usually obtained from the list command or the Packt website URL.

list
    Displays a comprehensive list of all products currently claimed by the user in their Packt library, often including product IDs, titles, and available formats.

--format , -f
    Specifies the desired download format for ebooks (e.g., pdf, epub, mobi) or for videos. Not all products are available in all formats; the tool will usually default to the best available or a common one.

--output , -o
    Designates the local directory where downloaded files will be saved. If not specified, a default directory (often the current working directory or a configured location) is used.

--all
    Used with subcommands like download to indicate that all claimed products should be downloaded, or with claim to claim all currently available free offers if applicable (e.g., for a limited-time bundle).

--verbose, -v
    Increases the verbosity of the output, displaying more detailed information about the command's execution, progress, and potential debugging messages.

--help, -h
    Displays a help message for the command or a specific subcommand, showing available options, arguments, and usage examples.

--version
    Outputs the version information of the packtpub utility being used.

The packtpub command refers to community-developed command-line tools designed to automate interaction with Packt Publishing's daily free learning offers and existing library. These utilities typically allow users to log in to their Packt account, automatically claim the daily free ebook or video, and download previously claimed content in various formats like PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and video files. While not a standard Linux system command, packtpub tools fill a niche for users who wish to programmatically manage their Packt library without navigating the website. They are often written in scripting languages like Python and require user credentials for authentication. The primary goal is to simplify the process of acquiring and organizing digital content from Packt Publishing's offerings.

The packtpub command is not a standard, pre-installed Linux utility; it typically refers to community-developed Python scripts or similar tools.
Its functionality is highly dependent on Packt Publishing's website structure and APIs, meaning updates to the Packt site can break the tool's operation, requiring updates from the script maintainers.
Users must provide their Packt account credentials, which should be handled securely, ideally via environment variables or a secure configuration method rather than hardcoding.
While designed for free content, aggressive or excessive use might trigger rate limiting or IP blocking by Packt's servers, although this is rare for normal usage.

As packtpub is not a standard system command, it typically needs to be installed manually. This usually involves cloning a Git repository (e.g., from GitHub) and installing Python dependencies using pip. For example:
git clone https://github.com/someuser/packtpub-cli.git
cd packtpub-cli
pip install -r requirements.txt
Users often symlink the main script to a directory in their PATH, like /usr/local/bin, to make it globally accessible and callable as just 'packtpub'.

The first step after installation is typically to configure the tool with your Packt Publishing account credentials (email and password). This is usually done via a packtpub login subcommand, which may prompt for credentials interactively or read them from environment variables or a secure configuration file. It's crucial to ensure these credentials are stored securely, ideally using a system's keyring or encrypted configuration.

A common workflow for the packtpub command involves:
1. Login: Authenticate your session using packtpub login
2. Claim daily free offer: Regularly run packtpub claim to add new free titles to your library.
3. List claimed products: Use packtpub list to see what's in your library and their IDs.
4. Download specific product: Retrieve content using packtpub download --format pdf.
5. Automate with cron: Many users schedule packtpub claim to run daily via cron to never miss a free offer.

The concept of a 'packtpub' command-line utility emerged from the Packt Publishing 'Free Learning' initiative, which offers a daily free ebook or video. Users sought to automate the manual process of claiming these free titles. Independent developers, primarily within the open-source community, began creating scripts (most notably in Python) to achieve this. These tools gained popularity around the mid-2010s, with various implementations appearing on platforms like GitHub, each attempting to provide a robust and user-friendly interface for managing Packt's free offerings. The tools evolve as Packt's website and API change to maintain compatibility.

curl(1), wget(1), python(1), cron(8)