Does Gentoo have a Free pdf editor?

Message

danielittlewood · Post by **danielittlewood** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:10 pm

I am trying to find a program to insert images into a pdf file. In Ubuntu I would use LibreOffice Draw for this, but I installed libreoffice-bin from the tree and when I try to open a pdf it opens some garbled text in Writer. I'm not sure whether this feature is missing because it's not included in the binary package, or I'm missing a USE flag, or that the version in portage is out of date. In any case, it doesn't look like I can edit pdfs using LibreOffice in Gentoo.

I looked around for a different tool, but the only thing I found was master-pdf-editor, which is proprietary (the free version does not include editing pdfs). Does anyone know a free tool that can do this?

CaptainBlood · Post by **CaptainBlood** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:52 pm

Code: Select all

app-office/libreoffice
     Installed versions:  6.4.6.2^t(18:02:47 22/08/2020)(dbus gtk pdfimport -accessibility -base -bluetooth -branding -coinmp -cups -debug -eds -firebird -googledrive -gstreamer -java -kde -ldap -mariadb -odk -postgres -test ELIBC="-FreeBSD" LIBREOFFICE_EXTENSIONS="-nlpsolver -scripting-beanshell -scripting-javascript -wiki-publisher" PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python3_7 -python3_6 -python3_8 -python3_9")

I don't edit pdf files anymore.
But opening pdf with Libreoffice Draw via context menu seems to provide a fairly adequate editing environment.

IIRC years old trials, final size wasn't optimal, e.g. testing opening, exporting to pdf without any changes then compare size.
I don't recall diff %, though it wasn't excessive.

Libreoffice has evolved since, so things may have changed.

Thks 4 ur attention, interest & support.

AJM · Post by **AJM** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:05 pm

I use xournal for adding (usually signature) images to PDFs. I can't say it's a perfect solution but it does work...

Post by **Banana** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:42 am

There is also https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/ap ... dfarranger

pcmaster · Post by **pcmaster** » Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:32 am

Try with Inkscape.

szatox · Post by **szatox** » Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:24 pm

. In Ubuntu I would use LibreOffice Draw for this, but I installed libreoffice-bin from the tree and when I try to open a pdf it opens some garbled text in Writer.

+1 for libreoffice draw.
Just make sure you have installed it with USE="pdfimport", otherwise it will open some garbled text in Writer.

Etal · Post by **Etal** » Sun Sep 27, 2020 2:30 pm

Another thing that can cause text to be garbled is if you don't have the right fonts installed (e.g. corefonts), at least in inkscape. I haven't tried USE="pdfimport" with libreoffice yet.

dmpogo · Post by **dmpogo** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:46 pm

I use my wife

She has full Adobe Acrobat on her laptop. So I just forward anything I get for signature to her, and usually in 10 min it comes back

More seriously, I am looking for the solution as well. Even on my tablet somehow free tools from Adobe itself do not work properly. And I have a feeling that master-pdf-editor had more free features
in its earlier incarnation (I may be mistaken). Now there is not much useful left in the free version relative to, say, okular. Except better rendering of forms.

msst · Post by **msst** » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:32 pm

I have been looking for this as well and never found any open source editor for pdf. There is Acrobat Professional, which is neither free nor open-source. And lots of free tools who mainly just render pdf, link pdfs together, split them and so on. Inkscape, libreoffice etc. all seem to import pdf either as image or in a super clumsy way that is not usable.

Of course one can render pdf as an image, overlay another image and print again to pdf, but that is hardly something that resembles editing pdf. You can also open a pdf in gimp and overlay text and print again.
It seems that format is just useless as editable format unless it is a pdf formular. There are a few pdf readers who can fill out a pdf form. Okular from kde can do that. Other than that it is a drama.

danielittlewood · Post by **danielittlewood** » Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:09 am

szatox wrote:
. In Ubuntu I would use LibreOffice Draw for this, but I installed libreoffice-bin from the tree and when I try to open a pdf it opens some garbled text in Writer.
+1 for libreoffice draw.
Just make sure you have installed it with USE="pdfimport", otherwise it will open some garbled text in Writer.

Does this imply having to compile libreoffice?

Code: Select all

daniel@gentoo:~
$ equery uses libreoffice | grep pdfimport
-pdfimport
daniel@gentoo:~
$ equery uses libreoffice-bin | grep pdfimport
# nothing

szatox · Post by **szatox** » Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:32 am

danielittlewood

Well, you have already tested pre-compiled binary package and it didn't work.
I have built it myself with pdfimport disabled and enabled and flipping this one really made a difference, so yes, it seems to be the way to go

szatox · Post by **szatox** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:09 am

I just wanted to say I've been looking for a handwritten notes app, and I found something capable of:
* opening PDF files (even those that mupdf and xpdf fail to read)
* adding annotations (both, typed text and handwritten/scribbled stuff). For tablet users: it senses pressure and switches tools to match input device used to perform an action
* exporting to PDF

Unfortunately scrolling is a bit clunky and it is not capable of removing or rearranging stuff from a PDF, but I still found it useful, so perhaps someone else out there will like it too.
I give it 4/5 stars. Have fun!
The name is Xournal

wuzzerd · Post by **wuzzerd** » Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:46 am

Look at Abiword. I've exported text as PDF with it.

samiaaly · Post by **samiaaly** » Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:07 pm

In Linux, there are several free and open-source tools available for manipulating PDFs, including inserting images. Here are a few options you can explore:

PDF Arranger: It's a simple GTK-based application that allows you to merge, split, rotate, and rearrange PDF pages. While it might not have a dedicated image insertion feature, you can often add images by creating a new PDF page with an image and then merging it with your existing PDF.

PDF-Shuffler: Similar to PDF Arranger, this tool lets you merge, split, and rearrange PDF pages. You can add images by creating a new page and inserting an image into it.

Inkscape: Though primarily a vector graphics editor, Inkscape can import PDFs and allow you to edit them. You can add images or manipulate existing elements. It might require converting the PDF to an editable format (like SVG) and then exporting it back to PDF after inserting the images.

GIMP: Another versatile tool, GIMP, can handle image manipulation and editing. While it doesn't directly edit PDFs, you can import PDF pages as images, add other images on top, and export the combined result as a new PDF

[Moderator edit: Removed a link which is not useful and contains links to commercial providers -- pietinger]

Remember, these tools might not have the same direct functionality as LibreOffice Draw for inserting images into PDFs. You might need to use a workaround or a combination of tools to achieve the desired result. Always make sure to back up your original PDF before attempting any edits.

Additionally, exploring community forums or package repositories specific to Gentoo might offer insights into any updates, patches, or alternative packages that provide the functionality you need within LibreOffice Draw or other software options.