http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux March 2020 LXF260 61Joplin notes TUTORIALS
Joplin may just be a fancy Markdown editor, but it’s sufficiently configurable to serve as a web
archive too.Using the web clipper to save material in your notebooks. Sadly, you
can’t make comments as you’re saving.GOODIES IN THE CONFIG PANEL
graphic is important to you and isn’t at the original URL
anymore, consider searching https://archive.org to
find the page and its graphic.The web clipper
Let’s get the web clippers going. You may use Evernote
as a personal web archive to store interesting stories
and reference material. You’ll be happy to know that
Joplin has web clipper add-ons for both Firefox and
Chromium. They work much like Evernote’s web clipper.
Go to Tools > Options to open Joplin’s settings
dialog. There are many things you can do (see Goodies
in the Config Panel below), but for now click the web
clipper tab to activate this tool. This page lets you start
the web clipper service on the desktop. The browser
extensions can now find the desktop app. This tab also
gives you handy links to install the web clipper through
your favourite browser (provided it’s compatible with
the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons).
When you see something during your web travels
that’s worth saving, click the Joplin icon. Your web-
clipping choices include:
Simplified Page: If you just want to save the article
without the ads and other material on the page, choose
this. Joplin will save the text and create a link to each
graphic in the note.
Complete Page: Choose this to get any sidebars and
other material outside of the main article. Yes, you’ll get
the ads too.
Selection: If you just want a portion of the article/page
(like that great quote you want to create a meme of),
select the portion before you tap/click the clipper.
Screenshot: Maybe you don’t want to interact with
text but just got inspiration for your own website. Just
take a screenshot, and the page will become a graphic.
URL: Do you simply want to find this page later? Clip
the URL and it’s done!
Once you click the clipping type, the preview window
will display what it will do with the page. You have to
assign the clipping to an existing notebook. Bear in
mind that you cannot create a new notebook with the
web clipper. Add tags you may find useful, especially if
you want to search for the clipping later.
At the bottom of the web clipper window, you’ll
see the service status. If you have the clipper service
installed, the port number should be listed there. As
a decentralised app, the web clipper only works on
a desktop machine that has the app installed.
Unfortunately there’s no mobile web clipper.
Click Confirm to save your selection to Joplin.
Sometimes it will take a little while to arrive on your
system, but you can easily move on to your next web
task without waiting for the clipping to finish copying to
your desktop.On the move
The problem with ideas is that they can happen
anywhere. You aren’t always in front of your laptop when
inspiration strikes. Cozic and his team know this, so they
made Joplin for iOS and Android. You can install them
from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or visit https://
joplinapp.org to find download links.
The mobile apps conform to the standard processes
of their mobile operating system. The inline help is also
quite good. More importantly, it doesn’t matter where
you create and edit your notes. When you connect each
application to your cloud server of choice, everything
will synchronise.Cross devices
The ideal solution is to have a single storage spot for all
your notes, so that no matter when a new idea strikes
you, it winds up in that same spot. Proprietary apps like
Evernote buy a lot of servers to store its users’ notes,
and charge those users a monthly or annual fee toVisit Tools > Options to set up more Joplin features.
Note History: did you ever create a note and see something change
in it? When Note History is activated, Joplin will note any change and
enable you to view changes to that note. Click the Info icon to review
earlier versions. Down the road, you should be able to use Joplin to
prepare and update social media posts.
External Text Editor: would you rather use your favourite editor
(text or Markdown) in Joplin? Point to the location of the editor in the
General settings.
Geo-Location: if you want to know where you were when you made
your note, check Save Geo-location with notes in the Application
panel. Don’t check the box if you’d prefer to keep those details private.
Plugins: there are many options here, from maths expressions to
tables of contents to table construction. Check the appropriate box.
Custom Styles: if you know CSS, you can style how Joplin will
render Markdown and how Joplin looks. Click the Edit buttons in the
Appearance tab, and your default editor will pull up userstyle.css for
the Markdown, and userchrome.css for the app. Set the font size for
the editor, and opt for a variety of light and dark themes on this tab.If you’re running
an Arch-based
distro like
Manjaro or
KaOS, use yay or
a similar utility
to grab the
Joplin package
from the Arch
User Repository.6660March 2 h0rmovehmvsyuEn March 2020 LXF260 61
Joplin notes TUTORIALS
Joplinmayjustbea fancyMarkdowneditor,butit’ssufficientlyconfigurabletoserve as a web
archivetoo.Usingthewebclippertosavematerialinyournotebooks.Sadly,you
can’tmakecommentsasyou’resaving.GOODIESINTHE CONFIGPANEL
graphic is important to you and isn’t at the original URL
anymore, consider searching https://archive.org to
find the page and its graphic.
The web clipper
Let’s get the web clippers going. You may use Evernote
as a personal web archive to store interesting stories
and reference material. You’ll be happy to know that
Joplin has web clipper add-ons for both Firefox and
Chromium. They work much like Evernote’s web clipper.
Go to Tools > Options to open Joplin’s settings
dialog. There are many things you can do (see Goodies
in the Config Panel below), but for now click the web
clipper tab to activate this tool. This page lets you start
the web clipper service on the desktop. The browser
extensions can now find the desktop app. This tab also
gives you handy links to install the web clipper through
your favourite browser (provided it’s compatible with
theChromeWebStoreorFirefoxAdd-ons).
Whenyouseesomethingduringyourwebtravels
that’sworthsaving,clicktheJoplinicon.Yourweb-
clippingchoicesinclude:
SimplifiedPage:Ifyoujustwanttosavethearticle
withouttheadsandothermaterialonthepage,choose
this.Joplinwillsavethetextandcreatealinktoeach
graphicinthenote.
CompletePage:Choosethistogetanysidebarsand
othermaterialoutsideofthemainarticle.Yes,you’llget
theadstoo.
Selection:Ifyoujustwantaportionofthearticle/page
(likethatgreatquoteyouwanttocreateamemeof),
selecttheportionbeforeyoutap/clicktheclipper.
Screenshot:Maybeyoudon’twanttointeractwith
textbutjustgotinspirationforyourownwebsite.Just
takeascreenshot,andthepagewillbecomeagraphic.
URL: Do you simply want to find this page later? Clip
the URL and it’s done!
Once you click the clipping type, the preview window
will display what it will do with the page. You have to
assign the clipping to an existing notebook. Bear in
mind that you cannot create a new notebook with the
web clipper. Add tags you may find useful, especially if
you want to search for the clipping later.
At the bottom of the web clipper window, you’ll
see the service status. If you have the clipper service
installed, the port number should be listed there. As
a decentralised app, the web clipper only works on
a desktop machine that has the app installed.
Unfortunately there’s no mobile web clipper.
Click Confirm to save your selection to Joplin.
Sometimes it will take a little while to arrive on your
system, but you can easily move on to your next web
task without waiting for the clipping to finish copying to
your desktop.
On the move
The problem with ideas is that they can happen
anywhere. You aren’t always in front of your laptop when
inspiration strikes. Cozic and his team know this, so they
made Joplin for iOS and Android. You can install them
from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or visit https://
joplinapp.org to find download links.
The mobile apps conform to the standard processes
of their mobile operating system. The inline help is also
quite good. More importantly, it doesn’t matter where
you create and edit your notes. When you connect each
application to your cloud server of choice, everything
will synchronise.Cross devices
The ideal solution is to have a single storage spot for all
your notes, so that no matter when a new idea strikes
you, it winds up in that same spot. Proprietary apps like
Evernote buy a lot of servers to store its users’ notes,
and charge those users a monthly or annual fee toVisit Tools > Options to set up more Joplin features.
Note History: did you ever create a note and see something change
in it? When Note History is activated, Joplin will note any change and
enable you to view changes to that note. Click the Info icon to review
earlier versions. Down the road, you should be able to use Joplin to
prepare and update social media posts.
External Text Editor: would you rather use your favourite editor
(text or Markdown) in Joplin? Point to the location of the editor in the
General settings.
Geo-Location: if you want to know where you were when you made
your note, check Save Geo-location with notes in the Application
panel. Don’t check the box if you’d prefer to keep those details private.
Plugins: there are many options here, from maths expressions to
tables of contents to table construction. Check the appropriate box.
Custom Styles: if you know CSS, you can style how Joplin will
render Markdown and how Joplin looks. Click the Edit buttons in the
Appearance tab, and your default editor will pull up userstyle.css for
the Markdown, and userchrome.css for the app. Set the font size for
the editor, and opt for a variety of light and dark themes on this tab.If you’rerunning
anArch-based
distrolike
Manjaroor
KaOS,useyayor
a similarutility
tograbthe
Joplinpackage
fromtheArch
UserRepository.