Contents

Installation Guide

Complete step-by-step instructions to install and configure eMark PDF Signer on your system. Follow the guide for your operating system below.

Prerequisites

Important: Java 8 Required

eMark requires Java SE 8 (JDK or JRE 1.8.x) specifically. It is NOT compatible with Java 7 or Java 9+. Make sure to install Java 8 before proceeding.

Required

  • Java SE 8 (JDK or JRE) - Version 1.8.x
  • 64-bit Operating System (recommended)
  • Minimum 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
  • 100 MB free disk space

For PDF Signing (one of the following)

  • USB Token (eToken, SafeNet, Gemalto, etc.)
  • Hardware Security Module (HSM) with PKCS#11 support
  • Smart Card with certificate
  • PKCS#12/PFX certificate file
  • Windows Certificate Store (Windows only)

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows 7, 10, 11 (64-bit recommended)
  • Linux: Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora, other distributions
  • macOS (via JAR file)

Windows Installation

1

Download eMark for Windows

Visit the GitHub releases page and download the latest .exe installer for Windows.

Download .exe Installer
2

Install Java 8

If you don't have Java 8 installed, download and install it first:

Option 1: Oracle Java 8

Download from Oracle website (requires account):

https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase8-archive-downloads.html

Option 2: Amazon Corretto 8 (Recommended)

Free, production-ready distribution:

Download Corretto 8 MSI Installer

Option 3: Adoptium (Eclipse Temurin)

Open-source Java distribution:

https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases/?version=8

Verify Installation: Open Command Prompt and run:

java -version

Expected output: java version "1.8.0_xxx"

3

Run the Installer

Double-click the downloaded eMark-setup.exe file and follow the installation wizard.

• Accept the license agreement

• Choose installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\eMark)

• Select whether to create desktop shortcut

• Click Install and wait for completion

4

Launch eMark

After installation completes, launch eMark from:

  • Start Menu → eMark
  • Desktop shortcut (if created)
  • Installation directory: eMark.exe

Windows installation complete! Skip to Certificate Setup

Linux Installation

1

Install Java 8

Install OpenJDK 8 using apt:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre

Verify installation:

java -version
2

Download eMark .deb Package

Download the latest .deb package:

wget https://github.com/devcodemuni/eMark/releases/latest/download/eMark.deb
3

Install eMark

Install the .deb package:

sudo dpkg -i eMark.deb
sudo apt-get install -f
4

Launch eMark

Run from terminal or application menu:

emark

Or search for "eMark" in your application launcher.

1

Install Java 8

Install OpenJDK 8 using dnf:

sudo dnf install java-1.8.0-openjdk

Verify installation:

java -version
2

Download & Install JAR

Download the universal JAR file:

wget https://github.com/devcodemuni/eMark/releases/latest/download/eMark.jar
sudo mkdir -p /opt/emark
sudo mv eMark.jar /opt/emark/
sudo chmod +x /opt/emark/eMark.jar
3

Create Desktop Entry (Optional)

Create a .desktop file for easy access:

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/emark.desktop

Add the following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=eMark
Comment=PDF Signing Software
Exec=java -jar /opt/emark/eMark.jar
Icon=/opt/emark/logo.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Office;
4

Launch eMark

java -jar /opt/emark/eMark.jar

For other Linux distributions, use the universal JAR file which works on any Linux system with Java 8.

1

Install Java 8

Use your distribution's package manager to install Java 8. Examples:

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S jre8-openjdk

# openSUSE
sudo zypper install java-1_8_0-openjdk

# Gentoo
sudo emerge -av virtual/jre:1.8
2

Download and Run JAR

Download the universal JAR file:

wget https://github.com/devcodemuni/eMark/releases/latest/download/eMark.jar
java -jar eMark.jar

macOS Installation

eMark runs on macOS using the universal JAR file. Follow these steps to set it up.

1

Install Java 8

Install Java 8 using Homebrew (recommended):

# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install Java 8
brew install --cask adoptopenjdk8

Alternative: Download from Adoptium

java -version
2

Download eMark JAR

Download the latest JAR file:

curl -L -o eMark.jar https://github.com/devcodemuni/eMark/releases/latest/download/eMark.jar

Or download directly from the releases page

3

Launch eMark

Run the JAR file:

java -jar eMark.jar

Tip: Create an alias for easy launching:

echo 'alias emark="java -jar ~/Downloads/eMark.jar"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Java Setup Guide

Detailed instructions for installing Java 8 on different platforms.

Java Version Compatibility

eMark requires exactly Java 8 (1.8.x). Using Java 7 or Java 9+ will not work. If you have multiple Java versions installed, ensure Java 8 is set as default or use the correct path.

Verify Java Installation

java -version

Expected output should show version 1.8.x:

java version "1.8.0_xxx"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_xxx-xxx)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.xxx-xxx, mixed mode)

Switching Java Versions

If you have multiple Java versions installed:

Windows

Set JAVA_HOME environment variable to Java 8 directory

setx JAVA_HOME "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_xxx"

Linux

sudo update-alternatives --config java

macOS

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 1.8)

Certificate Setup

Configure your digital certificates for signing PDFs. eMark supports multiple certificate sources.

USB Token Setup

  1. Install the manufacturer's driver software for your USB token
  2. Insert your USB token into a USB port
  3. In eMark, go to Settings → Keystore
  4. Select "PKCS#11" as the keystore type
  5. Browse and select the PKCS#11 library file:
    Windows: C:\Windows\System32\eTPKCS11.dll
    Linux: /usr/lib/libeToken.so
    macOS: /usr/local/lib/libeToken.dylib
  6. Enter your token PIN when prompted

PKCS#12/PFX File Setup

  1. Obtain your .pfx or .p12 certificate file
  2. In eMark, go to Settings → Keystore
  3. Select "PKCS#12" as the keystore type
  4. Browse and select your certificate file
  5. Enter the certificate password when signing

Windows Certificate Store (Windows Only)

  1. Import your certificate to Windows Certificate Store
  2. In eMark, go to Settings → Keystore
  3. Select "Windows-MY" as the keystore type
  4. Your certificates will be automatically detected

First Run & Configuration

Quick guide to get started with eMark after installation.

1️⃣

Launch eMark

Open eMark from your application menu or run command

2️⃣

Configure Certificate

Go to Settings → Keystore and configure your certificate source

3️⃣

Open PDF

Click File → Open and select a PDF document to sign

4️⃣

Sign Document

Click "Begin Sign", draw signature area, customize appearance, and sign

You're all set! Start signing PDFs with eMark.

Troubleshooting

❌ Java Version Error

Problem: "Unsupported major.minor version" or "Java version error"

Solution:

  • Verify you have Java 8 installed: java -version
  • If using Java 9+, uninstall and install Java 8
  • Set JAVA_HOME to point to Java 8 installation

❌ Certificate Not Detected

Problem: USB token or certificate not showing up

Solution:

  • Install manufacturer's driver software for your USB token
  • Verify PKCS#11 library path is correct in Settings
  • Check that certificate is valid and not expired
  • Try unplugging and replugging the USB token

❌ Application Won't Start

Problem: eMark doesn't launch or crashes immediately

Solution:

  • Ensure Java 8 is properly installed
  • Check system meets minimum requirements (2GB RAM)
  • Run from terminal to see error messages
  • Try reinstalling eMark

❌ PDF Loading Issues

Problem: PDF won't open or displays incorrectly

Solution:

  • Verify PDF is not corrupted
  • Check if PDF is password-protected (enter password)
  • Ensure file permissions allow reading
  • Try with a different PDF to isolate the issue

❌ Signature Verification Failed

Problem: Signed PDF shows as invalid in Adobe Reader

Solution:

  • Add CA certificate to Adobe Reader's trust store
  • Check internet connection for OCSP/CRL validation
  • Verify certificate chain is complete
  • Ensure certificate was valid at time of signing

Need More Help?

Visit our GitHub Issues for support or to report bugs. Check the Wiki for detailed documentation.

Need Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our community is here to help!

Report an Issue Join Discussion