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Use WeasyPrint first. On a Debian-based 32-bit ARM system, verify whether the userspace is armhf or armel, install the distribution’s weasyprint package, and run weasyprint input.html output.pdf. WeasyPrint is designed for paged HTML/CSS and works well for invoices, reports, receipts, and other documents whose content is already present in the HTML. If the page depends on JavaScript to build its content, use a Chromium/Chrome headless binary that is actually available for your ARM32 image instead.
1. Check which ARM32 userspace you have
“ARM32” does not identify one universal binary target. Debian’s armhf port is 32-bit hard-float ARMv7 with VFPv3, while armel targets older 32-bit ARM processors. A package built for ARM64 (arm64 or aarch64) is not an ARM32 package, and an armhf package should not be assumed to run on armel.
- Check the kernel architecture:
uname -m - Check the Debian package architecture:
dpkg --print-architecture - Record the release and CPU details when diagnosing a package failure:
cat /etc/os-release lscpu
For this procedure, the useful result is normally armhf or armel. If the operating system reports arm64, you are not running an ARM32 userspace and should follow the package instructions for that architecture instead.
2. Convert static or print-oriented HTML with WeasyPrint
Install the packaged version
On Debian and Debian-derived distributions, the simplest route is the native package:
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install weasyprintThe package pulls in the native text and graphics components WeasyPrint uses, including Pango, HarfBuzz, image libraries, and libffi. Installing only a Python wheel with pip does not replace those operating-system libraries.
Run a conversion from the shell
weasyprint input.html output.pdfThe command reads the local HTML file, resolves its permitted resources, lays it out as paged media, and writes the PDF. Use an absolute output path when a service runs from an unexpected working directory:
weasyprint /srv/reports/invoice.html /srv/reports/out/invoice.pdfCall WeasyPrint from Python
from weasyprint import HTML
HTML("input.html").write_pdf("output.pdf")For a URL or a file whose relative links matter, provide a base URL:
from weasyprint import HTML
HTML(filename="input.html", base_url="/srv/reports/").write_pdf("output.pdf")A base URL helps the renderer find relative stylesheets, images, and fonts. In a web service, validate and constrain any user-controlled path or URL before rendering.
Use a virtual environment only after installing native libraries
If your application needs an isolated Python environment, install the distribution libraries first, then create the environment and install WeasyPrint in it. The exact package names vary by Debian release, so use the current WeasyPrint installation documentation and your distribution’s package index for the Pango, HarfBuzz, image, and libffi development/runtime packages. A virtual environment isolates Python packages; it cannot supply missing C libraries by itself.
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python3 -m venv .venv
. .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install weasyprint
python -c "from weasyprint import HTML; HTML('input.html').write_pdf('output.pdf')"3. Prepare HTML that prints predictably
Declare a page size and margins
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<style>
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 18mm 15mm 20mm;
}
body { font-family: sans-serif; color: #222; }
h1, h2 { break-after: avoid; }
table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }
th, td { border: 1px solid #bbb; padding: 6px; }
thead { display: table-header-group; }
tr { break-inside: avoid; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Invoice 1042</h1>
<table>...</table>
</body>
</html>Print CSS controls page dimensions, margins, breaks, repeating table headers, and color treatment. Test long tables and images, not just a one-page sample.
Make resources available to the renderer
- Use a correct
base_urlfor relative paths. - Prefer local, deterministic assets for unattended jobs.
- Use image formats and dimensions suitable for the available memory.
- Embed or install fonts when the exact typeface matters; otherwise the fallback font can change line wrapping and page count.
Understand JavaScript boundaries
WeasyPrint is an HTML/CSS/SVG paged-media renderer, not a general browser. It does not execute application JavaScript to fetch data, click controls, or construct the final DOM. Render the data into the HTML before calling WeasyPrint. If the page is blank until JavaScript runs, choose a browser engine instead.
WeasyPrint’s own documentation cautions that valid output is not guaranteed when the selected HTML, CSS, or PDF features exceed the limits of the relevant specifications. Unsupported or partially supported CSS can therefore produce a PDF that opens successfully but does not match the browser layout.
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4. When a headless browser is the right fallback
A browser engine is the conceptual fit for JavaScript-heavy applications, client-side charts, authenticated single-page apps, and pages that depend on browser APIs. Chrome’s headless interface can print a URL directly:
chrome --headless --print-to-pdf=output.pdf https://example.com
chrome --headless --print-to-pdf --no-pdf-header-footer https://example.comThese commands require a usable Chrome or Chromium executable compiled for the exact ARM32 distribution. Do not assume that an x86, ARM64, or unrelated vendor build will run. Verify the binary independently:
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command -v google-chrome chromium chromium-browser
chromium --versionIf no compatible browser exists for your image, return to the server-side HTML approach: fetch the data, render a complete document, and pass that document to WeasyPrint.
Browser-specific failure points
- Missing executable: install a repository package for the target architecture or use a different renderer.
- Sandbox restrictions: a service account may need a correctly configured sandbox; avoid disabling security casually.
- Incomplete output: client-side requests may still be pending when printing starts. A browser automation wrapper must wait for a reliable application-ready signal.
- Network access: private pages need the right cookies, headers, certificates, and DNS access from the conversion host.
5. Why wkhtmltopdf is not the default answer
wkhtmltopdf is a headless Qt WebKit HTML-to-PDF converter, but its project lists 0.12.6 as the stable series released on June 11, 2020. Its download guidance also carries a serious warning: do not use it with untrusted HTML unless user-supplied HTML and JavaScript are sanitized, because unsafe input can lead to complete server takeover.
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6. Choose the renderer by capability, not by brand
| Requirement | WeasyPrint | Headless Chrome/Chromium | wkhtmltopdf |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARM32 package availability | Use the Debian package for the detected armhf or armel userspace. |
Must be verified for the exact ARM32 image; do not assume an ARM64 build works. | Check the exact architecture package or build; the stable series is 0.12.6 from 2020. |
| JavaScript fidelity | Not a browser; prepare the final HTML first. | Best fit when JavaScript creates the content. | Legacy WebKit behavior; test modern pages carefully. |
| Paged-media and print CSS | Designed for HTML/CSS/SVG documents and print layouts. | Uses browser print layout and browser-specific behavior. | Uses its Qt WebKit rendering path. |
| Operational considerations | Usually the simplest small ARM32 deployment for static documents; no benchmark claim is implied. | Higher browser startup and memory requirements are common considerations; measure your workload. | Legacy security and compatibility concerns require extra review. |
7. Troubleshoot common ARM32 conversion errors
Unable to locate package weasyprint
Confirm the distribution release, enabled repositories, and package architecture. Run dpkg --print-architecture and sudo apt update. If the release does not publish WeasyPrint for that userspace, use a supported repository build or a controlled source/virtual-environment installation with all native dependencies.
ImportError for Pango, HarfBuzz, cairo, or libffi
The Python package can be present while a shared library is missing. Install the distribution runtime/development packages named by the current WeasyPrint documentation, then retry in the same environment. Check linkage with your distribution’s package tools rather than copying random libraries from another architecture.
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Images or CSS are missing
Relative URLs are being resolved against the wrong directory, or the renderer cannot access a remote resource. Supply base_url, use absolute paths where appropriate, and verify permissions and network policy. A successful PDF does not prove every asset loaded.
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Install the intended fonts, check font fallback, and simplify unsupported CSS. Inspect @page margins, table widths, explicit breaks, and oversized images. Keep a minimal HTML fixture so you can identify which rule changes pagination.
The page is empty because data is loaded in JavaScript
Use a browser engine with a verified ARM32 binary, or render the data server-side before invoking WeasyPrint. Waiting longer in a non-browser renderer will not execute JavaScript.
Conversion is killed on a small board
This usually indicates memory pressure, especially with large images, many pages, or a browser process. Reduce image dimensions, process documents one at a time, close unused workers, and observe memory while converting. There is no published ARM32 performance or success-rate benchmark to use as a universal sizing rule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo provides a website capture API and MCP server. It can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one request, while handling browser setup on its service. Before capture it accepts cookie/consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
For an API integration, start with the documented request format:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o page.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for selecting PDF output and the other capture parameters. The same endpoint supports full-page capture, device and viewport settings, custom CSS and JavaScript, waits, cookies, headers, geolocation, caching, and asynchronous jobs.
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import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("page.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`ScreenshotNeo failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
await import('node:fs/promises').then(fs => fs.writeFile('page.webp', data));ScreenshotNeo also exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf through its MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up for the free ScreenshotNeo plan to try it.
9. A practical deployment checklist
- Confirm
armhfversusarmelbefore installing binaries. - Install WeasyPrint and its native libraries from packages appropriate to the image.
- Render JavaScript data before WeasyPrint, or verify an ARM32 browser for dynamic pages.
- Set
@pagedimensions, margins, breaks, fonts, and asset paths explicitly. - Test long tables, remote assets, missing fonts, and failure handling.
- Sandbox any renderer that processes untrusted HTML and restrict its filesystem and network access.
- Record the command, package architecture, and input fixture used for reproducible conversions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can WeasyPrint run on a 32-bit Raspberry Pi?
It can run when the Raspberry Pi’s Debian userspace has a compatible WeasyPrint package and the required native libraries. Check whether the system is armhf or armel rather than relying on the board name alone.
Will an ARM64 Chrome package work on ARM32?
No. You need a Chrome or Chromium executable built for the target ARM32 userspace, and availability must be verified on that specific distribution image.
Does WeasyPrint support every CSS property?
No. Its output follows the HTML, CSS, and PDF features it supports; unsupported or partially supported features can change layout or pagination.
Is wkhtmltopdf completely unusable?
Not necessarily. A legacy application may still require it, but you must obtain an exact architecture build, account for its older 0.12.6 stable series, and follow its warning about untrusted HTML and JavaScript.
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