How to convert PDF to DOCX on linux

Question

I try to convert pdf file to word, excel and powerpoint. I already tried a lot of command like these:

soffice -env:UserInstallation=file:///$HOME/.libreoffice-headless/ --convert-to docx:"Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013 XML" file.pdf
/usr/bin/soffice --headless --invisible --convert-to docx file.pdf
soffice --infilter="writer_pdf_import" --convert-to doc file.pdf

/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --invisible --convert-to doc file.pdf
/usr/bin/soffice --headless --convert-to docx:"Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013 XML" file.pdf

abiword --to=doc file.pdf
unoconv -f doc file.pdf
lowriter --invisible --convert-to doc 'file.pdf'

Always got this error message from soffice/libreoffice/unoconv:

:1: parser error : Document is empty
%PDF-1.7

And this one for abiword

Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused

** (abiword:6477): WARNING **: clutter failed 0, get a life.
Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused

With every command but abiword. I got a doc file with bad character inside. But never get a proper file.

I try to create a file converter so I only want command line method. Don't want to use someone API.

Thank you

Solution

Managed to do it with soffice. I had to install this package: libreoffice-pdfimport And don't forget to use --infilter="writer_pdf_import"

Comments

[Tom G.]

Thanks, I was looking for a long time for the correct infilter option to PDFs. May I ask how you knew it?

[Splinteer]

@TomG. can't remember now but I did a lot of searches

[Ankur Thakur]

Thanks a lot. It worked like charm. I used: libreoffice --invisible --infilter="writer_pdf_import" --convert-to docx:"MS Word 2007 XML" input_file.pdf

[Tony Tan]

It converts PDF into tons of text box in order to keep the layout. Any way to improve upon this?

[Csaba Tenkes]

My problem is the same: the tons of textboxes Why it is not possible to convert to real doc, docx, odf in 2021 ? Or Libre Office open in writer with normal formatting instead of draw ?