How to Install Notepad++ on Ubuntu 20.04

Notepad++ is a source code editor which supports several programming languages. It’s also a lightweight replacement of Notepad.

The default Notepad application that comes bundled with Windows is functional, but not adequate for more advanced users. While Notepad++ is positioned primarily as a source code editor, its extensive features mean that it makes an excellent text editor to replace the Notepad.

The supported languages by Notepad++ are C, C++, Java, C#, XML, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, RC file, makefile, NFO, doxygen, INI file, batch file, ASP, VB/VBS, SQL, Objective-C, CSS, Pascal, Perl, Python, Lua, Unix Shell Script, Fortran, NSIS and Flash action script.

Key Features of Notepad++ are:

• Open Source: I suppose nothing beats having a notepad replacement that is completely free. In addition, its open nature means that changes can be made in order to facilitate one’s development efforts.
• Line Numbering: I’m not sure why this was left out of the default Notepad application in Windows. Well Notepad++ has line numbering, which is always useful to have when editing source code or configuration files.
• Zoom in and Out: Ever had to squint at text that is too small? Rather than having to change the size of the font just so that you can see them better, zooming in and out is trivial with Notepad++.
• Detection of Modified Files: Like most advanced text editors on the market, Notepad++ knows when files have been modified in the background. When detected, the software will prompt whether the user would like to reload the source file, or overwrite the changes.
• Search and Replace: The value of this feature is often overlooked. I’ve personally found it to be very useful when editing configuration files, which required a search and replace of multiple items.
• Syntax Highlighting: Syntax highlighting is always a useful feature to have, whether doing a quick edit or viewing of source code.
• Regular expression search
• WYSIWYG (If you have a color printer, print your source code in color)
• Unicode support, full drag-and-drop supported
• Brace and Indent guideline highlighting
• Two edits and synchronized view of the same document
• User language define system.
• Tabbed interface for working with multiple files

Advantages and Disadvantages

Every application has some advantages and disadvantages. Here we have listed our observations on Notepad ++.

Pros:

• Notepad++ is a great stepping stone to allow you to progress into the wonderful world of syntax highlighted coding. It’s feature rich, and free to boot.
• The fact that it is free has been a win for me. If you are starting to learn to code then this is good.
• I like the fact that it is easy to install and use, has great plugins that work very well, and provides a great overall level of functionality.
• Great for use on your desktop or server as a replacement to notepad or as a basic code editor. I love the compare plug-in that helps you detect differences between two files.

Cons:

• It is difficult for newbies who make mistakes often as there are not many external aids when writing code. Its name precisely comes from the similarity it has with the native Windows notebook.
• The interface is not convincing, the code that is written often is not very visible and very confusing at first sight.
• The most disadvantage of Notepad++ is that it is NOT multiplatform. There is no Linux version of Notepad.
• The only thing that we miss is the integration of notepad++ with T24 i.e. there is no option to compile code in notepad.

Most Popular Developer Environments:

Since the launch of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, the code editor wars have really been heating up.

With so many options available, many of them free and open source, it’s an incredibly competitive product space. Over the last three years, however, Visual Studio Code has rapidly grown its user base, built out a powerful developer ecosystem, and upended the code editor status quo.

According to the Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey other code editors have also gained sizable followings as well. Notepad++, Sublime Text, Vim, and Atom are popular with developers. Here is the Data.

Linux has powerful command line editors like vim and nano, which also have several advantages to use. But if you still want to use GUI based editor, Notepad++ can be a good choice for you.

Notepad++ is a Windows application and officially its not available for Linux.

It’s long been possible to install and run Notepad++ on Linux distributions like Ubuntu using Wine, a ‘Windows’ compatibility layer.

While Wine is great software, the hurdles and effort required to configure and set it up correctly is often more effort than many folks are willing to spend.

This article explains How to Install Notepad++ on Ubuntu 20.04 via snap package.

Installing Notepad++ as a Snap Package

A snap package is a type of universal Linux package that you can enjoy irrespective of the distro. Its an self-contained software packages that include the binary all dependencies needed to run the application.

All you need is the snap service pre-configured, In the case of Ubuntu 20.04, it comes with snap pre-installed.

If snapd package is not already installed then you can install it by running following command.

$ sudo apt install snapd

Note: Snap packages can be installed from either the command-line or via the Ubuntu Software application.

This is actually the Snap version of the Notepad++. It can be used on any Linux distribution that has Snap support.

Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type the following command to install the Notepad++.

$ sudo snap install notepad-plus-plus

That’s It. Now you can open the Notepad++ application with the help of Activities search bar.

If you are not comfortable with the command line, open Ubuntu Software, search for “Notepad” and install the application.

Starting Notepad++ Application

In the Activities search bar type “Notepad” and click on the icon to launch the application.

Notepad++ Welcome Screen:

How to Uninstall Notepad++ from Ubuntu 20.04

For some reason, If you want to uninstall Notepad++ application, type the following command.

$ sudo snap remove notepad-plus-plus

Or If you installed via Ubuntu Software, open Ubuntu Software, look for the app in the installed category, and click on remove.

Bottom line:

Personally, I consider Notepad++ to be a “must have” application for company-wide deployment.

While some administrators might consider it a hassle to install an additional software that might not be appreciated by all users, the existence of system management tools and cloning software essentially means that Notepad++ can be included into a default image file or pushed out automatically with little hassle.

Ultimately, the productivity benefits of the various features in Notepad++ are real, and the software free. Certainly, it is worth giving it a spin if you’ve not done so yet.

Conclusion

I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to Install Notepad++ on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.

If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.