Rnote FOR LINUX - Free Vector-based Drawing App

Rnote is a free and open-source note-taking app written in Rust and GTK4. While most note-taking apps tend to stick to the same formula in terms of workflow, Rnote is a bit different. In short, Rnote is a vector-based drawing app that can be used for taking handwritten notes, sketching, and also for annotating documents and pictures. Even though it was mainly designed to work on drawing tablets (with stylus and touch-screens), it also works on basic computers and laptops (with the mouse being the primary input device) and almost all Linux distributions.

Key Features:

• Vector-based drawing app


• Handwritten notes, sketching, and annotating


• Infinite canvas with modern UI


• Pressure-sensitive stylus input


• Customizable stroke styles for brushes


• Various shapes drawing tools


• Basic drawing tools (pen, shapes, eraser)


• Drag and drop and clipboard support


• Save and load in .rnote format, export to SVG and PDF

Technical Specifications:

• Application: Rnote FOR LINUX


• Platform: Linux


• Language: Rust


• UI Library: GTK4


• Developer: Felix Zwettler


• Price: FREE

Review:

Rnote is a GTK4 application that looks and generally feels pretty good. Despite some UI glitches, the app is user-friendly and provides various useful features, such as the brush configuration tool. While the developer acknowledges potential bugs and crashes due to it being his first Rust and GTK project, Rnote shows great potential as a stable, top-tier alternative to other freehand writing apps.

Conclusion:

Although Rnote is still in development and may not be fully stable, its amazing UI and useful features make it worth trying out. Don't let its early stage deter you from experiencing the creativity and functionality it offers.