2

I really like using Notepad++ to write HTML and such. After I started using Ubuntu I looked around for an alternative to Notepad++. I found a thread which lead me to try Geany and a few others, but I really miss Notepad++.

Is there anyway I could compile it from the source code to use on Ubuntu? I know it's written in C++. Could I just open it in Code::Blocks and compile it?

You can get the source here.

I wouldn't mind hearing about other alternatives, but really want to know if compiling it is possible.

2
  • Gedit is basicly the same thing, and is installed with Ubuntu.
    – Dr_Bunsen
    Feb 18, 2013 at 19:50
  • 5
    @Dr_Bunsen: Gedit is so not the same thing. Gedit lacks essential features such as multi-select, regex-find/replace, macros, smart tabbing, etc.
    – Robin
    Sep 25, 2014 at 0:30

5 Answers 5

9

One of the main features of Notepad++ is that it "uses pure Win32 API". This makes it very Windows-specific- it's using builtin Windows functions for a lot of its user interface and general functioning. Getting it to run on any other platform (without Windows API-imitators like Wine) would require a pretty major rewrite.

1
  • 2
    +1, This is the only answer that adresses the point of the question. Feb 18, 2013 at 19:50
3

It's an alternative, not a way to compile, but I would probably see if it's possible to run it with WINE.

Install via the software center

4
  • Oh yeah, I forgot to say I heard about that... Is WINE stable for running serious applications?
    – Seth
    Mar 29, 2012 at 2:52
  • 3
    What do you mean by serious applications? If by that you mean notepad++ then yes. Mar 29, 2012 at 2:56
  • 1
    Yes, WINE is stable—I don't do anything big like gaming, but I've never really had problems even with the beta releases.
    – zpletan
    Mar 29, 2012 at 2:56
  • OK. I'll probably try it in WINE then.
    – Seth
    Mar 29, 2012 at 3:00
3

Notepadqq is similar to Notepad++ and runs natively on Ubuntu.

I recommend Notepadqq for Ubuntu users who like Notepad++.

The stable version is provided by this official PPA and you can install it by running:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:notepadqq-team/notepadqq
sudo apt update
sudo apt install notepadqq

Then you can run it from Programming → Notepadqq in your menu, or use the notepadqq command. (It should also appear in your Open with menu when you right-click a file in your file browser, though this may depend on your setup.)

Notepadqq is a Qt-based GPLv3-licensed FOSS text editor. Aside from running Notepad++ with Wine (which is pretty easy) or undertaking the work of porting it to GNU/Linux with Winelib (which is hard), Notepadqq is probably the most similar editor to Notepad++ that can be run on Ubuntu. It feels much like a port of Notepad++, even though it does not actually contain any Notepad++ code. As the FAQ explains:

Is this project affiliated with Notepad++?

No. This project is independent from Notepad++ and doesn’t use any of its code. Notepadqq is inspired by Notepad++: this means that we try to reproduce its best traits, while not being afraid to make different choices on what we think can be improved.

On my Lubuntu 16.04 LTS system, I have both Notepadqq and Notepad++ installed. (Notepad++ runs with Wine.) I had no problems installing either and they both work reasonably well, though Notepad++ is sometimes slow when I use it to edit very large source code files. I haven't had this problem with Notepadqq, nor with Notepad++ in Windows. Note that I haven't benchmarked them, nor have I extensively used both on the same system, so please take my remarks about performance with skepticism.

The two editors do look somewhat different, but you can see that they are largely similar. I find the actual experience of interacting with them to be almost the same.

Screenshot showing Notepadqq (left) and Notepad++ (right) side-by-side
Notepadqq (left) and Notepad++ (right) on Lubuntu 16.04 LTS, viewing sqlite3.c.

You can further adjust their appearance with themes (they are both theme-able) and by adjusting your desktop environment's settings. They may not look exactly like this on your Ubuntu system. I use the LXDE desktop environment. If you use another desktop environment, such as GNOME, the window borders and title bars will be styled differently.

As an example of how Notepadqq differs from Notepad++ but not by all that much, and of how it is easy to use if you already know your away around Notepad++, here's how they both look when you search an open file using a regular expression:

Screenshot showing regex search in Notepadqq (left) and in Notepad++ (right)
Regex search in Notepadqq (left) and in Notepad++ (right).

Notice that they support the same three kinds of search patterns (named differently).

If you want to look at Notepadqq's source code, or compile the latest development version, see Notepadqq on Github. For instructions on how to build it from source or install official pre-built binaries on other OSes, see the README file. You may also be interested in the guidelines for contributing.

1
  • It lacks the macro function which is a total gamechanger.
    – runlevel0
    Oct 9, 2019 at 9:59
2

I will suggest you to install playonlinux. Playonlinux is a GUI front end to wine. You can choose install option from the toolbar or from file menu. Then you can click on install a unlisted program link given below. play on linux

Now follow the simple procedure.

note: You will need the notepad++ binary you know the link you can simply download them.

Alternatives to notepad++:

  1. bluefish
  2. gedit(comes with default
  3. geany
  4. emacs
  5. and many more
2
  • Does PlayOnLinux have any advantages over WINE?
    – Seth
    Apr 4, 2012 at 2:27
  • 2
    playonlinux is a gui frontend for wine so its more easy to use and more options can be explored easily.you cannot compare win with playonlinux beacuse wine is base and playonlinux is gui playonlinux is recommened @user44179
    – user49557
    Apr 5, 2012 at 8:58
2

Well, I am also a notepad++ fan as you are. Switched to Linux, Searched for alternatives - Looked in Google , blogs , forums and finally came up with an awesome editor - http://www.sublimetext.com/

And then finally I stopped thinking about Notepad++ :)

Though it asks you to buy, You can use the trail version for ever.

1
  • Looks pretty cool. Will try it out!
    – Seth
    Apr 4, 2012 at 2:27

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .