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Xournalpp++ – closs-platform, open source note taking software
- m8rl 4y agoI'm using Xournal++ regularly on a Thinkpad X390 with one of the better Wacom stylus, mostly for note-taking and sketching of diagrams. Functionality is totally great and smooth, though I'd wish the user interface be more minimal without loosing features.
- sudhirkhanger 4y agoWhich Wacom tablet should I get? Would an iPad be a better choice for note taking? How do Wacom and iPad compare hardware wise?
- infinityio 4y agoI can try and help, although I'm assuming you are talking about drawing tablets without screens: > Which Wacom tablet should I get? It doesn't have to be wacom, there are lots of options - Huion and XP-Pen come to mind as two low cost ($20+) examples, to get your feet wet in the wordle of tablets, although there are lots of other companies as well > Would an iPad be a better choice for note taking? Depends on how you like your notes - an iPad is about as portable as a graphics tablet, so it's mostly personal preference and cost here > How do Wacom and iPad compare hardware wise? In terms of horizontal/vertical resolution: you probably don't need to worry about it, it'll be fine as long as your tablet is well matched in size to your screen (I quite like 8" diagonal or similar for a 24" screen, scaling up and down from there? personal preference though) Both will do the basics of pressure sensitivity (any number of levels of sensitivity above 1024 is probably indistinguishable unless you are serious about it, ignore the marketing) and tablets will support tilt from a fairly low price. The main difference is that graphics tablets support 'hovering' the pen above the tablet to show the cursor on the screen, although this is not necessary on an iPad where the image is directly underneath.
- uvtc 4y agoThe "pen display" is the type where it's a monitor with the transparent trackpad overlaid on it. That, I think, is what you want. I tried the other type, where you write on the tablet but you look at the screen elsewhere, and it was not fun. The Wacom One is a fine choice (its their smallest and least expensive model). Maybe artists would need a larger one, but the Wacom One is, IMO, large enough to take notes on. Haven't tried an iPad, but that Wacom is a really excellent writing/drawing experience.
- JohnKemeny 4y agoI've used this a lot with a Walcom trackpad, mostly for teaching under lockdowns. Note that this is a rewrite of Xournal (a GTK application), and there are still some things Xournal get better, but many things xournalpp do better. It's worth it to try both.
- hkt 4y agoI haven't seen this before and am frankly delighted that it isn't an electron app. It looks fantastic and I'll be giving it a try today.
- orasiscore 4y agoSame here
- treyfitty 4y agoPretty cool. But all these different note taking software suffer from the same thing: it’s not so much about the actual taking of notes that’s the problem, but organizing all the notes when one needs it. I’m reading a book called “How to Take Smart Notes” which espouses the Zettelkatsen method, and I spent all weekend going down the EMacs + Org-roam rabbit hole to implement what the book espouses. However, it became too complex, and became too burdensome. The real user pain point here is “it’s difficult to remember what I write down,” and “associating thoughts, and notes from disparate sources is too time consuming.” No software has solved these two pain points, I’m afraid.
- awesomelvin 4y agoI believe you may like Obsidian.
- 8fingerlouie 4y agoI'm in the same boat, and have more or less settled on simply writing plain text (markdown format) files in a plain directory structure maintained by me. I then use Obsidian to "organize" the notes. I'm also guilty of just jotting quick notes into iOS Notes. It's always there, and "good enough" for most quick note taking tasks. I prefer plain text for longer notes (which i assume has a longer shelf life), but if i'm just jotting down a quick list of things i need to get done today, iOS notes is more than enough.
- lhoff 4y agoYou might want to give "Joplin" a try. Straight forward OpenSource notetaking app with Markdown, sync Backends for your prefered cloud service (incl. WebDAV/Nextcloud) and smartphone apps. https://joplinapp.org/ https://joplinapp.org/
- 8fingerlouie 4y agoSadly, Joplin doesn't support synchronizing files with iCloud, and i'm not about to go out and purchase yet another cloud synchronization option just for notes :)
- jacek 4y agoAlternative with a modern interface: Rnote (https://github.com/flxzt/rnote https://github.com/flxzt/rnote)
- codethief 4y agoWow, never heard of rnote before! Looks surprisingly slick! Now if only it supported my Supernote's .note files…
- bachmeier 4y agoThat comes with a massive disclaimer: "This is my first Rust and GTK project and I am learning as I go along. Expect some bugs and crashes. Also: The file format is still unstable. It might change and break compatibility between versions."
- cozzyd 4y agoYeah the breaking compatibility is probably a showstopper. I don't know why it can't support import of older file formats...
- kkfx 4y agoI use rarely Xournal, but not for notes, just to compile pdfs someone have made without form, demand a signature (handwritten) in etc. Since adding text or images on a pdf is hyper-fast. Not tried other use, nor I have not much idea of the differences with this fork...
- riidom 4y agoWhile some sections are TODO, the docs help getting an idea about it without having to install first, which I do like. I wonder though, what if I don't have a pen? I imagine using it with keyboard for typing, and making some drawings/sketches etc. with mouse. Is that a first-class workflow? Also, plugins written in Lua, I like that. Whether one is a fan of Lua or not, at least it is an low-entry bar to writing plugins, which generally is nice. One more question, since the "Config"-part of the docs are very todo - is there some kind of dark mode? All screenshots are light mode, so I wouldn't take that for granted. Mostly I am curious about the audio-record feature, I can imagine well, writing a brief summary and just talk a few additional remarks into my headset instead of typing that down.
- IceWreck 4y agoI dont use this for general notetaking or anything, but Xournal++ is excellent for editing PDFs. I mean its not exactly a PDF editor but you can use it to add stuff to your PDF like textboxes, drawings, images, etc.
- wngr 4y agoYes, it's pretty decent for that.
- thecleaner 4y agoAfter I started using Ubuntu, the predecessor xournal was my go-to reader. I never understood how the xoj files ended up being much smaller than the PDFs created by regular editors like Foxit once you drew something on the PDFs.
- ohthehugemanate 4y agoI use it as a music score reader/annotator. Unbeatable on Linux, at least. The stylus support is excellent.
- wiz21c 4y agoI'm usually using Krita to share notes when in videoconference calls... But that's a bit heavyweight :-) Will try this one asap !
- wiz21c 4y agoa few minutes of testing tell me that it's the tool I've been waiting for :-) the shape recognition is a bit rough... I need to make an almost perfect circle so that the tool recognizes it...
- gspr 4y agoTypo: cross-platform
- runald 4y agoa typo that only users of dvorak layout could make
- gspr 4y agoI don't mean to generalize, but aren't r-l-mixups also typical of native speakers of some East Asian languages?
- runald 4y agoYou mean japanese? They do mix up r-l on pronunciations, but I rarely see a written r-l typo. Plus, it looks the HN title was manually typed, so it's unlikely you would mix up r-l with a reference text. Most importantly, the submitter is already too fluent to make that mistake, regardless of his native language is.
- _emacsomancer_ 4y agoMaybe it's a portmanteau of "crossplatform" and "FLOSS".
- cseleborg 4y agoI used to use OneNote with the Microsoft Pen (or is it Stylus? I forget...) to take notes in this fashion. Eventually, though, there are only a few cases, like large diagrams that you need to evolve over time, where a digital solution beats a paper notebook. The need to start and unlock the computer/tablet if it's not already on, to dismiss or ignore notifications, to launch the app, to select the right color or tool and the occasional glitch when writing (pen sometimes not writing, or suddenly jumping to a completely different place, even deleting old lines when drawing new ones, I feel like I've seen it all) add up to more friction than a paper notebook. My notebook, which I use like a Bullet Journal, has no batteries that need recharging, no screen that can crack, no notifications, the pen has an ink capacity of over 2 years of daily writing, with a new recharge costing ~6€, no software updates. There's no search, and occasionally I do flip through the pages longer than I'd like, but it's rare. Nowadays I mostly write in my paper notebook, and if there's something in there worth keeping, I upload a photograph of it in Notion.
- lr1970 4y ago> My notebook, which I use like a Bullet Journal, has no batteries that need recharging, no screen that can crack,... And also no backup of any kind. So if and when your precious dead-tree notebook is lost or stolen what are you going to do?
- psyc 4y agoWhy is this an inevitability? I'm almost 50 and I have every such notebook I've ever had since I was ~12. After approximately 20 moves. Know what I don't have? Most of my digital files going back that far. Who steals people's used notebooks? Or new ones?
- zimpenfish 4y agoI don't think it's "this is inevitable" as much as "losing small items like notebooks happens not infrequently to many people and is therefore statistically something to consider as a risk factor".
- solarkraft 4y agoI wish it wasn't so buggy and glitchy. I tried to use it for notes for a semester and it kind of worked ... With lots and lots of hiccups.
- broses 4y agoWhat os are you using? I found it extremely glitchy on windows, but pretty good on Linux. (It still crashes sometimes when I leave it open for a long time on Linux, but still the best handwriting app I've used on windows or Linux.)
- solarkraft 4y agoLinux (KDE Wayland/GNOME Wayland, Gnome was a bit better for touch use in general but the glitches were the same, IIRC) on a tablet with a Wacom digitizer.
- bionade24 4y agoThe problem sadly is Wayland. While wayland generally improves touch input, Xournalpp has those hiccups & glitches, for the ones are know are actually GTK bugs. I'm still sticking with Wayland though. I used Xournalpp one year before I switched on Xorg.
- rwalle 4y agoWhen I looked at toolbar, I was reminded of GIMP, the UI of which is such a nightmare that I would not use it even if someone pays me to do so. It's just TOO crowded. And the contrast is terrible in the dark mode. Please, launch OneNote or any popular note-taking app on iPad, and just copy whatever they are doing. It's going to be much cleaner and more accessible.
- sys_64738 4y agoCross-platform is usually a synonym for Electron or Java based. Is it either do we know?
- dsr_ 4y agoFrom the note at the top of their github repo: Written in C++ with GTK3, supporting Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, SUSE), macOS and Windows 10.
- ale42 4y agoNot necessarily, although unfortunately for GUI applications that's often the case.
- yuuta 4y agoNo. It's based on Gtk, but unfortunately it's Windows version does not have the Windows look and feel, so it feels a little bit wired.
- srott 4y agoAnyone have any recommendations for a nice Linux tablet with a decent stylus support ?
- blagie 4y agoI recommend a basic drawing tablet connected to your normal desktop computer, and having a decent mount. They're $50-ish for decent models. XP Pen Deco Mini 7 is very decent. On one of my computers, it pivots out from under my desk (kind of like a keyboard tray). On another one, it's mounted on the desk. They're all plug-and-play under Linux, Windows, and Mac. Some come with extra drivers for Windows and Mac, but you don't want those. It's like mouse and keyboard drivers -- they add a layer of obnoxiousness for normal users, and unless you're doing something specialized, worthless. For whiteboarding, 6"x4" to 8"x5" is sort of ideal. Bigger than that, and it's too cumbersome. Bigger has upsides for e.g. artists doing Photoshop, but it's not really for business use. I like these a lot better than screen tablets or similar. Your hand and eyes are both at comfortable heights. You can also have multiple views open -- I can share a large full-screen view of a whiteboard over Zoom, and on a different screen, zoom in on what I'm specifically drawing. Working this way, I have perfect handwriting, and uncanny artistic ability. You also don't have alignment issues. Major issue is having lag-free software. Very low latency makes a huge difference.
- wono_ 4y agoI'd go for the ones with wacom stylus hardware. I didn't test any more recent setups unfortunately, but Fujitsu's T901/Xubuntu/Xournal++ are just perfect.
- 0des 4y agoHorrible name. Say it out loud.
- _emacsomancer_ 4y agoThey have the pronunciation written as one of the first things in the linked article: /ˌzɚnl̟ˌplʌsˈplʌs/.
- 0des 4y agoNobody is going to carry a pronunciation guide on the off chance they might want to recommend a tool to a friend.
- DeathMetal3000 4y agoWhile I fully agree that the name is terrible (maybe we should start open sourcing product names?), the name is “Xournal++”, not “Xournalpp++”. The title here is wrong.
- uvtc 4y agoLooks like the name is "Xournal++", but the github repo name is "xournalpp".
- einpoklum 4y agoOtherwise known as "That app I can use on Linux to fill PDF forms with, but isn't a PDF editor". Very useful. I would really like it if it had better snapping to lines/boundaries on the underlying PDF.
- rossdavidh 4y agoI think the title should say "...cross-platform". That is all.
- codethief 4y agoI bought a Supernote A5X last year, which is a fantastic e-ink tablet with a stylus. The company behind is very actively developing and enhancing the Supernote's (Android-based) OS and software and people (including myself) love them for it (see /r/supernote). However, I really wish their note file format was also supported by desktop software like Xournal++. Basically, I'm hoping that one day we'll have a standard file format for hand-written notes but of course I'm aware of the usual XKCD…
- _448 4y agoI use Xournal++ for explaining concepts online via discord/jitsi using app sharing. Simple and works well.
- 29athrowaway 4y agoIf it had a more standard Gnome UI it would be perfect.
- WhyNotHugo 4y agoThen again, software with a standard Gnome UI is pretty buggy on any desktop that's _not_ GNOME.
- chrisweekly 4y agoHas anyone tried installing it on a ReMarkable tablet yet?
- jopsen 4y agoI've never used it for note taking.. but it's my go-to tool for annotating PDFs. Mostly when I have to fill out a stupid form and sign it. I've been doing this with xournal for years :)
- VoidWhisperer 4y agoI hope this fixes something that ended up being a huge pet peeve of mine when trying to use the original versions of xournal: It would autosave on the main thread so the program would just abruptly freeze sometimes.
- jpeanuts2 4y agoAnother user report: I'm a lecturer and used Xournal extensively during COVID to write on slides while lecturing. I had a Wacom on my desk, and switching from slides to handwriting was completely seamless. I think it made the lectures much more engaging. So thanks to the Xournal team! I used the older Xournal, since - if I recall correctly - the rewrite is missing full-screen support.
- anyfactor 4y agoI have tested many pdf software but nothing comes close to xournal when you want to annotate and draw on a pdf.
- jldugger 4y agoI use Xournal regularly for solving puzzles -- what's the motivation for the rewrite / fork? Why use the name? I tried looking on the website but didn't see any obvious answer
- yuuta 4y agoI had been using Xournal++ for several months, and it was amazing. The only problem is that it cannot select and copy texts from the PDF, but this is scheduled in the next release. Looking forward to it. For hardware, I'm using Wacom 672. It has pretty good Linux drivers.