Markitdown
ImCa0/just-laws
Convert files and office documents to Markdown. An agent skill from ImCa0/just-laws.
Extract text from PDF files using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
Install PDF Text Extraction 9424c5
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 --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-text-extraction-9424c5 .claude/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .claude/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5Type 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-text-extraction-9424c5 -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 --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-text-extraction-9424c5 .agents/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .agents/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5 -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 --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-text-extraction-9424c5 .cursor/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .cursor/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5--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-text-extraction-9424c5 -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 --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-text-extraction-9424c5 .gemini/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .gemini/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5Installs 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-text-extraction-9424c5 -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-text-extraction-9424c5 .github/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .github/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5 -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-text-extraction-9424c5 --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-text-extraction-9424c5 .opencode/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 && 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-text-extraction-9424c5" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 into .opencode/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pdf-text-extraction-9424c5", 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-text-extraction-9424c5- GitHub stars
- 7.8k
- Token cost
- ~699 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 186 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 199
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Extract text from PDF files using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
- Works in 3 steps: Verify PDF file exists → Extract text using pdftotext → Handle parameter naming carefully
- Tasks that involve PDF
- SKILL.md covers Problem, Solution, Steps and Common pdftotext Options, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Extract text from PDF files using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data
Its SKILL.md is about 700 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-text-extraction-9424c5”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
3 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 Text Extraction 9424c5 loads about 699 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 26 tokens; SKILL.md has 186 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). 186 words, ~699 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- pdf-text-extraction-9424c5
- description
- Extract text from PDF files using pdftotext when read_file returns binary data
PDF Text Extraction via pdftotext
Problem
When using read_file on PDF documents, the function may return binary image data or garbled content instead of readable text. This occurs because PDFs can contain scanned images or complex binary structures that read_file cannot properly parse as text.
Solution
Use the pdftotext command-line utility via run_shell to extract clean text content from PDF files.
Steps
1. Verify PDF file exists
import os
pdf_path = "path/to/document.pdf"
if not os.path.exists(pdf_path):
raise FileNotFoundError(f"PDF not found: {pdf_path}")2. Extract text using pdftotext
from tools import run_shell
# Extract text to stdout
result = run_shell(command=f"pdftotext '{pdf_path}' -", timeout=60)
pdf_text = result.stdout
# Alternative: extract to a temporary file
temp_txt = "/tmp/extracted.txt"
run_shell(command=f"pdftotext '{pdf_path}' '{temp_txt}'", timeout=60)
with open(temp_txt, 'r') as f:
pdf_text = f.read()3. Handle parameter naming carefully
When calling read_file, be aware of the parameter name:
- Use
filetype="pdf"(notfile_type) - Some tool implementations may use different parameter names
# Correct parameter usage
content = read_file(file_path="doc.pdf", filetype="pdf")
# If this returns binary/garbled data, fall back to pdftotextCommon pdftotext Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
- | Output to stdout |
-layout | Maintain original layout |
-f <n> | Start from page n |
-l <n> | End at page n |
-q | Quiet mode |
Example with options:
result = run_shell(command=f"pdftotext -layout -q '{pdf_path}' -", timeout=60)Error Handling
from tools import run_shell
def extract_pdf_text(pdf_path):
"""Extract text from PDF using pdftotext with error handling."""
import os
if not os.path.exists(pdf_path):
raise FileNotFoundError(f"PDF not found: {pdf_path}")
result = run_shell(command=f"pdftotext '{pdf_path}' -", timeout=60)
if result.returncode != 0:
raise RuntimeError(f"pdftotext failed: {result.stderr}")
return result.stdout.strip()When to Use This Pattern
read_filereturns binary data, garbled text, or image content for a PDF- You need searchable/processable text from PDF documents
- The PDF contains text (not just scanned images - for those, consider OCR tools)
Prerequisites
pdftotextmust be installed (part ofpoppler-utilson Debian/Ubuntu,poppleron macOS via Homebrew)- Verify availability:
run_shell(command="which pdftotext")
© 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-text-extraction-9424c5 of HKUDS/OpenSpace.
- SKILL.md
- .skill_id
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781
Compare with similar skills
PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 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 Text Extraction 9424c5 this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace | 7.8k | — | ~699 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MarkitdownImCa0/just-laws | 781 | 14 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Gzh Designisjiamu/gzh-design-skill | 4k | — | ~2.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 | |
| GenOffice Document CLIgenspark-ai/genoffice | 9.2k | — | ~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 | 316 | 1 repos | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Related
Categories
Questions about PDF Text Extraction 9424c5
What does PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 do?
Extract text from PDF files using pdftotext when readfile returns binary data. PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.
When should I use PDF Text Extraction 9424c5?
PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 fits situations like: tasks that involve PDF.
How do I install PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 in Codex?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 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-text-extraction-9424c5 -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-text-extraction-9424c5, .gemini/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5, .github/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 and .opencode/skills/pdf-text-extraction-9424c5 in your project.
What does PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 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 Text Extraction 9424c5 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 Text Extraction 9424c5 use?
PDF Text Extraction 9424c5 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 Text Extraction 9424c5 use?
About 699 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.8k 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 Text Extraction 9424c5?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with PDF Text Extraction 9424c5: Markitdown (ImCa0/just-laws, 781 stars), Gzh Design (isjiamu/gzh-design-skill, 4k stars), GenOffice Document CLI (genspark-ai/genoffice, 9.2k 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 Text Extraction 9424c5?
HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/OpenSpace, which has 7,754 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.