Does Gentoo have a Free pdf editor?

danielittlewood · n00b Joined: 13 Apr 2020 Posts: 60

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missing because it's not included in the binary package, or I'm missing a USE flag, or that the version in portage is out of date.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?
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CaptainBlood · Advocate Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 3830

AJM · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:05 pm Post subject:

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

Banana · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:42 am Post subject:

There is also https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/app-text/pdfarranger
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pcmaster · Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:32 am Post subject:

Try with Inkscape.
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szatox · Advocate Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Posts: 3407

Etal · Veteran Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 1932

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 · Advocate Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 3412 Location: Canada

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 · Apprentice Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 259

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 · n00b Joined: 13 Apr 2020 Posts: 60

szatox · Advocate Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Posts: 3407

szatox · Advocate Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Posts: 3407

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 · Guru Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 467 Location: New Mexico

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

samiaaly · n00b Joined: 07 Jan 2024 Posts: 1

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.