CLI version doens't work for local files and the document link is broken

[SongshGeo]

Hi, thanks for your work. It looks pretty like what I'm trying to find. I installed the CLI tool via brew to use it locally, but found that all attempts on local files returned "LLM returned an empty summary."

I tried looking for the CLI in the documentation, but the link "https://summarize.sh/summarize/docs/cli.html" is broken.

[steipete]

Thanks for the report! Two quick checks:\n\n1) Which version? Please run 0.9.0 (41a9f99). (Homebrew may be on an older build.)\n2) Repro with verbose output: and paste stderr/stdout. That will show whether the provider returned an empty string or we mis-detected content.\n\nFYI the CLI docs live at https://summarize.sh/docs/cli.html (the /summarize/docs/... path is stale).\n\nOn current main, local files flow through markitdown ➝ summary; empty summary only surfaces if the model returns no text. Happy to reopen if the verbose trace shows a bug.

[steipete]

Thanks for the report! Two quick checks:

1. Which version? Please run: summarize --version (paste output).
2. Repro with verbose output: summarize --verbose --plain --model openai/gpt-5-mini --json /path/to/file and paste stderr/stdout. That shows whether the provider returned an empty string or we mis-detected content.

FYI the CLI docs live at https://summarize.sh/docs/cli.html (the /summarize/docs/... path is stale).

On current main, local files flow through markitdown -> summary; empty summary only surfaces if the model returns no text. Happy to reopen if the verbose trace shows a bug.

[SongshGeo]

Hey, thanks for your feedback.

I think I have the correct version:

summarize --version
0.9.0

I just tried:

summarize --verbose --plain --model openai/gpt-5-mini --json WASIE_2026-01-10.pdf 

Error: Model openai/gpt-5-mini does not support attaching files of type application/pdf. Try a different --model.
    at onFixedModelError (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4025:3378)
    at O41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4009:531)
    at async r41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4025:2874)
    at async SS0 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4073:1377)
    at async Cu1 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4082:1102)
    at async dS0 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4082:3996)
    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)
Caused by: UnsupportedFunctionalityError: Functionality not supported: Document attachments require api.openai.com; got your-api-endpoint.com
    at r_ (/$bunfs/root/summarize:554:53462)
    at iO1 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:554:65394)
    at iO1 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:554:66204)
    at AH (/$bunfs/root/summarize:554:68317)
    at AH (/$bunfs/root/summarize:554:71549)
    at o41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4040:1428)
    at o41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4040:1764)
    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4040:5354)
    at async O41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4009:383)
    at async r41 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4025:2874)
    at async SS0 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4073:1377)
    at async Cu1 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4082:1102)
    at async dS0 (/$bunfs/root/summarize:4082:3996)
    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)

(I think GPT should support .pdf, right?)

So I tried to make a test with .md:

summarize --verbose --plain --model openai/gpt-4o --json WASIE_manuscript.md
[summarize] cache miss summary

It got stuck forever.