pdfedit

pdfedit [filename]

filename
    The name of the PDF file to open for editing. If not specified, pdfedit starts with a blank document.

-v
    Displays the version information.

-h
    Displays help/usage information.

pdfedit is a free and open-source PDF editor for Unix-like operating systems, including Linux. It allows users to modify PDF documents in various ways, such as changing text, inserting images, deleting pages, and merging PDF files. Unlike many other PDF tools that are primarily viewers or annotators, pdfedit provides more advanced editing capabilities, giving users greater control over their PDF documents. It uses a GUI, making editing PDFs more intuitive compared to command-line tools.
pdfedit is particularly useful for making small to medium changes to PDF documents without relying on expensive proprietary software. It's important to note that while it can handle many common PDF editing tasks, it may not be suitable for highly complex or graphically intensive editing. The tool is actively developed and improved by the community, meaning new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements are regularly incorporated.
Because it's an older software it can be unstable.

pdfedit development has been slow, and the software may contain bugs or lack some features found in commercial PDF editors. Be aware of possible crashes and save your work frequently. Compatibility with some complex PDF formats is not guaranteed.

The installation process usually involves downloading the source code, compiling it, and installing the resulting binaries. The specific steps may vary depending on the Linux distribution. It's often available through package managers on some distributions, but it might be an older version.
For example for debian: sudo apt-get install pdfedit

pdfedit provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for editing PDF files. The interface allows users to select and modify objects, insert text, images, and shapes, and perform other common editing tasks.

pdfedit was developed as a free and open-source alternative to proprietary PDF editing software. Its aim was to provide users with a means to modify PDF documents on Linux and other Unix-like systems without needing to purchase expensive licenses. While it has evolved over time with contributions from many developers, development activity has slowed down. It filled a gap in the Linux ecosystem for many years, providing basic editing capabilities.
Originally, it required X libraries but can be compiled with QT.

pdftk(1), qpdf(1), pdfgrep(1)