Linux Users are unlucky when it comes to cool note taking applications. All the good ones like OneNote and Evernote are not supported natively on the Linux. I although managed to run Evernote with the help of Wine but it looks pretty ugly.
There is however no dearth when you want simple note-taking applications. There are scores of simple desktop applications for Linux. Some of the popular ones are:
TomBoy Notes is any easy solution if you want take some notes which you can retrieve later. The written text is save automatically. It lets you link other notes while you do get the option to change the style and font size of text.
KNotes is another note-taking application which comes by default with KDE. It is an utterly simple post-it-note kind of application but it does manage to squeeze in enough to suffice basic requirements. There are hardly any features but you can customize the Knotes by changing the color, setting an alarm, mailing the note etc.
Sticky Notes is one small software as some of you call to take notes. It is a similar to KNotes but the difference lies in the fact that it is made for GNOME while KNotes would work well on KDE. It is one nifty GNOME applet which comes pre-installed with Ubuntu. The best thing about it is that it doesn’t distract you sitting their on your desktop because it hides automatically when you click your mouse away on the desktop.
Zim was designed to replicate the wiki structure on to your computers and not internet. Zim is relatively a better note-taking application merely because the notes are saved in text files in directories and sub directories which means you can still access it even if application fails to start for whatever reason. Zim can be used for writing blog entries as well and you may even insert images in it while you may also link to other notes which are opened in new tabs. There are few plugins for Zim like Spell Check and Equation Editor. The notes can easily be exported to HTML and published on the web.
Basket Notepads is perhaps the best alternative for Microsoft OneNote and Evernote in Linux. It is feature rich and lot more powerful than the ones mentioned above. It is not just about taking notes because you may even do research and prepare for some blog with it. The features of Basket are aplenty as it allows tags, custom tags, global shortcuts, export to HTML etc. You may even import files from KNotes, KJots, KnowIt, TuxCards, Sticky Notes, Tomboy or simple text files so that would make for quick transition as well. Basket has turned out to be the best note-taking application for me and it does manage to make you forget about the non-availability of OneNote on Linux.
Just a quick note to say many thanks for this posting: I’ve been looking for a onenote replacement since moving to Linux months ago. This is just the job
Many thanks, I just installed this on ubuntu 8.04 and it is really useful
I like having quick access to a set of plain text files I have in a directory.
I use these for copy-paste of actions, for commands, editing, URL’s, mailed notifications, phonebook, etc etc. most importantally the file must remain PLAIN TEXT, with some type of simple a menu control to pop up individual notes when needed.
I originally used xpostit notes (a VERY anchiet application) works well but has a window with a ‘plaid’ on it from which to popup a menu to creat new notes. However the notes are always persent in multiple windows, though can be all hidden or individually iconized. I kept them well organised using a CTwm (and TWM) icon manager. However after moving away from this to Gnome and trialing other window managers I have been having major problems.
gnome sticky notes seemed okay at first, but you could not pop down individul notes, making them difficult to organise and control. No good.
I used ‘tomboy’ notes for awhile and it worked well. note were keep in a ‘dot’ sub-directory, and with some tweeks to make sure the font was ‘mono-spaced’, and a nightly application to remove most of the automatic ‘links’ it creates on editing, the text was kept mostly ‘plain text’.
Links make it HARD to cut and paste part of a link, without it poping up other things! if I want to see a URL I would select it and press a macro to look at it with my browser. I DONT want it doing it, as I more often than not just copy-pasting it!
The problem is some things like ‘ambersands’ and greater-than less-than symbols were not stored as plain text making access to the notes either from text consoles or remote machines difficult.
When in the latest OS upgrade tomboy died, I gave up on it.
Zim seems ideal. Notes can be marked verbatim, which surrounds the notes with a special (ultra rare) sequence of characters, and keeps them PLAIN TEXT. I has a index control to select the notes to look up, and new note files apprear automatically. GREAT!!!!!
The problem is again control. It has ONE window, with one note, and a side index. Making it less than ideal control wise. still seems my best choice so far!
What I want in a “note” system.
* PLAIN TEXT NOTES.. say any “.txt” file (or other formats) in some directory
* The files are easy to handle and edit as plain text. headers and footers ok.
* Note content remains plain text both on screen AND in the file!
* a simple ‘panel’ control, with a menu popup to quickly select just the one
note needed at that moment (usually only for a second or so).
Note that this is a bare minimum requirement. I don’t mind if it allows other things. Linux and UNIX runs on plain text. I am a Linux/UNIX expert. If I can’t get plain text, I can’t see the point of it!
PS: I also edit HTML as PLAIN TEXT!!!! Just as it was originally designed to allow. It works and does the job!
Anthony,
try Xpad. Lightweight, and you can use multiple notes.
Xpad is good… thanks Robbie
I have tried free quick notes software Pinoteo (www.pinoteo.com). Right now it has only Windows version, but developers are planning to release version for Linux as well.
There is a LINUX version of Evernote – it’s called Nevernote and you can find it here:
http://nevernote.sourceforge.net/
There’s just a few requirements to get it running… follow the instructions and visit their forum!
You can choose between 32 bit or 64.
I got it working fine and it runs well…!
After that, you can add the evernote webclipper to your browser…