Markitdown
ImCa0/just-laws
Convert files and office documents to Markdown. An agent skill from ImCa0/just-laws.
Extract text from PDFs using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
Install PDF Read File Fallback
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallback --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .claude/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .claude/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallbackType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallback --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .agents/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .agents/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallback --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .cursor/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .cursor/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git --path benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallback --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .gemini/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .gemini/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallbackInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .github/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .github/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-read-file-fallback --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback .opencode/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "pdf-read-file-fallback" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback into .opencode/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-read-file-fallback", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
pdf-read-file-fallback- GitHub stars
- 7.8k
- Token cost
- ~675 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 137 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 199
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Extract text from PDFs using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
- Works in 4 steps: Attempt Primary Extraction → Detect Binary/Image Data → Use pdftotext via run_shell → …
- Tasks that involve PDF
- SKILL.md covers When to Use, Steps, Complete Example and Notes
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
PDF Read File Fallback is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Extract text from PDFs using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
Its SKILL.md is about 680 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.
It sits in Documents & Office, covering PDF. The repository describes itself as: "OpenSpace: The Skill Management Layer for AI Agents" -- https://open-space.cloud/. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Tasks that involve PDF
Example prompts
- “/pdf-read-file-fallback”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3827781. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
PDF Read File Fallback loads about 675 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 24 tokens; SKILL.md has 137 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from HKUDS/OpenSpace at commit 3827781, republished under its MIT licence (© HKUDS). 137 words, ~675 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- pdf-read-file-fallback
- description
- Extract text from PDFs using pdftotext when read_file returns binary data
PDF Text Extraction Fallback
When to Use
Use this pattern when read_file with filetype="pdf" returns binary image data instead of extractable text content. This commonly occurs with PDFs that contain scanned images or complex formatting.
Steps
1. Attempt Primary Extraction
First, try using read_file:
result = read_file(file_path="document.pdf", filetype="pdf")Important: Use filetype (not file_type) - incorrect parameter naming will cause execution failures.
2. Detect Binary/Image Data
Check if the result contains unusable content:
# Indicators of binary/image data:
# - Contains null bytes: '\x00'
# - Very short or empty
# - Contains image markers (PNG/JPEG headers)
# - Unreadable character sequences
if not result or len(result) < 50 or '\x00' in str(result):
# Proceed to fallback3. Use pdftotext via run_shell
Extract text using the pdftotext command-line tool:
shell_result = run_shell(command="pdftotext -layout document.pdf -")
text_content = shell_result.stdoutThe - flag outputs to stdout for easy capture. The -layout flag preserves original formatting.
4. Handle pdftotext Unavailable
If pdftotext is not installed, try Python-based extraction:
result = execute_code_sandbox(code="""
import pdfplumber
text = ''
with pdfplumber.open('document.pdf') as pdf:
for page in pdf.pages:
extracted = page.extract_text()
if extracted:
text += extracted + '\\n'
print(text)
""")Complete Example
file_path = "report.pdf"
# Primary attempt
result = read_file(file_path=file_path, filetype="pdf")
# Validate and fallback if needed
if not result or len(str(result)) < 100 or '\x00' in str(result):
# Fallback to pdftotext
shell_result = run_shell(command=f"pdftotext -layout {file_path} -")
text_content = shell_result.stdout
# If pdftotext fails, try Python extraction
if not text_content or len(text_content) < 50:
code_result = execute_code_sandbox(code=f"""
import pdfplumber
text = ''
with pdfplumber.open('{file_path}') as pdf:
for page in pdf.pages:
extracted = page.extract_text()
if extracted:
text += extracted + '\\n'
print(text)
""")
text_content = code_resultNotes
pdftotextis part of thepoppler-utilspackage on most Linux systems- For scanned/image-only PDFs, consider OCR tools (tesseract) instead
- Always validate parameter names against tool documentation (
filetypevsfile_type)
© HKUDS, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file in benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback of HKUDS/OpenSpace.
- SKILL.md
- .skill_id
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781
Compare with similar skills
PDF Read File Fallback next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDF Read File Fallback this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace | 7.8k | — | ~675 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MarkitdownImCa0/just-laws | 782 | 14 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Gzh Designisjiamu/gzh-design-skill | 3.9k | 1 repos | ~2.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 | |
| GenOffice Document CLIgenspark-ai/genoffice | 9k | — | ~19k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Harness Book Best Practicewquguru/harness-books | 3.2k | — | ~4.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Bookforge Korean Ebook PDF Makergongnyang/bookforge | 315 | 1 repos | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Related
Categories
Questions about PDF Read File Fallback
What does PDF Read File Fallback do?
Extract text from PDFs using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data. PDF Read File Fallback is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.
When should I use PDF Read File Fallback?
PDF Read File Fallback fits situations like: tasks that involve PDF.
How do I install PDF Read File Fallback in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install PDF Read File Fallback in Codex?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use PDF Read File Fallback in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-read-file-fallback -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback, .gemini/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback, .github/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback and .opencode/skills/pdf-read-file-fallback in your project.
What does PDF Read File Fallback need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: PDF Read File Fallback is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does PDF Read File Fallback access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is PDF Read File Fallback safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does PDF Read File Fallback use?
PDF Read File Fallback is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does PDF Read File Fallback use?
About 675 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to PDF Read File Fallback?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with PDF Read File Fallback: Markitdown (ImCa0/just-laws, 782 stars), Gzh Design (isjiamu/gzh-design-skill, 3.9k stars), GenOffice Document CLI (genspark-ai/genoffice, 9k stars) and Harness Book Best Practice (wquguru/harness-books, 3.2k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains PDF Read File Fallback?
HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/OpenSpace, which has 7,750 GitHub stars. The repository holds 199 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 12, 2026.
Source: HKUDS/OpenSpace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.