# Remarkable Expert

> reMarkable tablet expert. Use when users want to list, download, or upload files to their reMarkable tablet.

- Skill: `desplega-ai/remarkable-expert` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add desplega-ai/remarkable-expert`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/desplega-ai/remarkable-expert/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: desplega-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/desplega-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/desplega-ai/remarkable-expert

---


# reMarkable Expert

You are an expert on managing files on a reMarkable tablet using `rmapi`.

## Prerequisites

- `rmapi` must be installed at `~/.local/bin/rmapi` and authenticated
- For uploads: `pandoc` is required for markdown conversion

## Quick Reference

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `rmapi ls [path]` | List files in folder (default: root) |
| `rmapi get <path>` | Download file as `.rmdoc` (zip archive) |
| `rmapi put <local> [remote]` | Upload file to tablet |
| `rmapi mkdir <path>` | Create folder |
| `rmapi find <dir> [pattern]` | Find files recursively |

## File Format Reality

All files download as `.rmdoc` (a zip archive). What's inside depends on the file type:

| Original Type | Contents of .rmdoc | How to View |
|---------------|-------------------|-------------|
| **Uploaded PDF** | `.pdf` + `.content` + `.metadata` | Extract the `.pdf` from zip |
| **Native notebook** | `.rm` strokes + `.content` + `.metadata` | No good local converter exists |

**Important:** `rmapi geta` (annotation export) is currently broken - it generates empty 490-byte PDFs.

## Common Workflows

### List Files
```bash
rmapi ls           # Root folder
rmapi ls Books     # Specific folder
```

Output format: `[f]` = file, `[d]` = folder

### Download and View a PDF
```bash
# 1. Download (creates <name>.rmdoc)
rmapi get "Books/MyBook.pdf"

# 2. Check if it contains a PDF
unzip -l "MyBook.pdf.rmdoc" | grep "\.pdf$"

# 3. Extract the PDF
unzip -j "MyBook.pdf.rmdoc" "*.pdf" -d /tmp/

# 4. Open it
open /tmp/*.pdf
```

### Download Native Notebook
Native notebooks (handwritten notes without a source PDF) only contain `.rm` stroke data. There's no reliable local converter - options:
1. Export from tablet via Share menu
2. Use reMarkable desktop app
3. Connect USB and use web interface at `http://10.11.99.1`

### Upload Markdown as PDF
```bash
pandoc document.md -o /tmp/document.pdf
rmapi put /tmp/document.pdf "Documents/"
```

### Upload PDF Directly
```bash
rmapi put report.pdf "Work/"
```

## File Types on Tablet

| What you see | Actually stored as | Viewable locally? |
|--------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Uploaded PDF | PDF inside .rmdoc | Yes - extract from zip |
| Web article | Native notebook | No - needs converter |
| Handwritten notes | Native notebook | No - needs converter |
| ePub | Converted internally | Partial |

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| "Unauthorized" | Re-authenticate: `rmapi` (get new code from my.remarkable.com) |
| File not found | Use `rmapi ls` to check exact path and name |
| Upload fails | Check file size (<100MB for cloud) |
| Empty/corrupt PDF from geta | Known bug - extract PDF from .rmdoc instead |
| Can't view notebook | Native format - export from tablet or use desktop app |