Can't Recall the Syntax? Try These WYSIWYG Markdown Editors on Linux

From GitHub repositories to technical documentation, Markdown is an extremely popular lightweight markup language.

Basically, markdown files are plain text, but they follow certain syntax and when they are rendered, you see a beautiful document with headings, bullet points, code boxes and more.

There are many Markdown editors available for Linux users but mostly they are two paned editors where you write in Markdown syntax in left and it gets rendered on the other side.

Though lightweight and easy to begin with, you still have to get yourself familiar with Markdown syntax. That might be out of the comfort zone for many.

This is why I have compiled a list of markdown editors with WYSIWYG feature.

WYSIWYG sounds like one of those 2000s terms that didn't succeed, but actually is an acronym for an extremely convenient category of editing software. WYSIWYG stands for "What You See is What You Get" and these editors render the Markdown code in real time and shows the output immediately as the code is typed in. Best of all, you get a toolbar that you can use to easily create formatted text.

WYSIWYG editors come with toolbar and you don't need to remember syntax, although you can still use them

This makes things a lot easier, especially for people who have to work with Markdown once in a while. Let's see what WYSIWYG Markdown editors you can use on Linux.

✋

Non-FOSS Warning! Some of the applications mentioned here are not open source. They have been included in the context of Linux usage.

1. MarkText

MarkText is an Electron based modern-looking editor that offers a simple and clean working environment. The features are:

• Interface: Custom, minimal, desktop-environment-independent single-pane interface.
• Highlight features: Several writing modes (such as Focus mode, Typewriter mode, Source Code mode, each with a different emphasis), options for formatting and block options on the menu.
• Navigation: Sidebar for file tree and table of contents, tab bar for open files; all optional.
• Exports to: HTML, PDF
• Customizability: 6 inbuilt themes
• Misc.: A searchable Command Palette for easy access to keyboard shortcuts for all possible commands that can be given to the editor and the text blocks.

MarkText is your ideal choice if what you need is a no-fuss editor that gets the job done. Another advantage is that the DE-independent Electron interface works consistently in any OS, leaving you not to worry about visual inconsistencies.

Install MarkText on Linux

MarkText is easy to install because it comes in both AppImage and Flatpak formats, which makes it available straight from the software store in certain distributions. AUR contains the package for direct installation, too. If none of these option are suitable, the binary file is available on the GitHub page as well.

2. Marknote

A part of the KDE software ensemble, Marknote is a great option if you're on a KDE distribution. It comes with a structure where you can create multiple notebooks and notes within them for better organization.

• Interface: Qt graphic kit, KDE style.
• Highlight features: Easily accessible bottom panel for quickly formatting text and adding blocks.
• Navigation: The notes are organized in notebooks, which shows on a sidebar. Focus Mode that hides all navigation options except for the note being edited, for a cleaner view.
• Exports to: HTML, ODT, PDF
• Customizability: Inbuilt Qt Breeze themes
• Misc.: A Command Bar that gives easy access to some general operations such as making/deleting notes, etc.

🚧

Marknote seems to support a limited set of Markdown code, such as headings, italics, bold, lists etc. There is a lack of support for code-blocks and quotations and so on. Some inspection is required to check if it might fit your needs or not.

Marknote should be your go-to option if you want to get straight to work with all options within very easy grasp. It is worth noting that it is not as customizable as KDE software usually is. Another important reminder is that it might not look great or very native on a DE like GNOME or Cinnamon.

Install Marknote on Linux

Installing Marknote is easier through either Flatpak or the Snapstore. There are binaries available, too, which can be found on the product page under releases.

3. MarkFlowy

MarkFlowy is a modern, rising Markdown editor that flaunts a slick interface and AI capabilities.

• Interface: Custom independent design with a very clean look.
• Highlight features: There is an easy access toolbar on top for various formatting and code-block options. There are Source Code and WYSIWYG modes both available, and an AI input feature in the side panel.
• Navigation: Optional, toggle-able file tree on the left and table of contents on the right.
• Exports to: HTML, JPG
• Customizability: A bright and a dark inbuilt theme with the option for custom CSS themes.
• Misc.: There are customizable keybindings, and the AI interface settings can be configured as well. There is an optional autosave feature, that might come in handy for a lot of users.

While MarkFlowy is still in the beta stage at the time of writing this, the application shows a lot of promise and is quite stable and lightweight as it is.

Install MarkFlowy on Linux

MarkFlowy is available in DEB, RPM and AppImage formats, available on the release page. I had some issues with AppImage but the RPM package worked flawlessly on Fedora.

4. Notesnook

Notesnook is foremost a note-taking app that looks more like a document editor than a note-making app, which might be more comfortable for certain users. It is great in terms of organization of ideas.

• Interface: The interface is designed like a notebook with all formatting and code-block options on the menu on top.
• Highlight features: Multiple notebooks can be made, with the possibility to make an account and syncing them across devices. There is a Focus mode that hides the everything apart from the active note.
• Navigation: There is a categorical notebook panel on the left, with notes within it in the panel in the middle. The notes can be opened in multiple tabs like a browser.
• Exports to: HTML, Text, but only all notes at once.
• Customizability: There are light and dark modes built in for multiple theme styles by default, and more can be added over that.
• Misc.: End-to-end encryption of notes is available for synced notes, with bidirectional note linking, and an app lock is available as well.

There are paid tiers available as well for the app which provide more features and storage for the online storage, such as an unlimited amount of notebooks as opposed to the free tier's 20 limit.

Install Notesnook on Linux

Notesnook is available as Flatpak, AppImage as well as on the Snapstore on the official website.

✋

Non-FOSS Warning! Some of the applications mentioned here are not open source. They have been included in the context of Linux usage.

5. Znote (not FOSS)

Znote is another up-and-coming freemium-type model Markdown note making app that puts emphasis on AI and organization. WYSIWYG is one of the available options with a Source Code Mode, or a panned view as well. I liked it for the fact that is the effort of a lone developer.

• Interface: The interface is modern and peppy with important options well within the view of the note itself. It is easily accessible and editable, with the AI asking option on the bottom of the window.
• Highlight features: Apart from the usual note-making, there is a unique option of audio recording. The notes can be synced with an internal Znote account across devices. Keybinding menu can be accessed very easily using a button on the bottom.
• Navigation: A collapsible menu on the left shows a file tree as well as bookmarks. The notes appear in a tabbed view.
• Exports to: HTML, PDF, TXT
• Customizability: There are several options for the light and dark themes separately within the application.
• Misc.: AI features like copying responses and summarizing notes is available. You can even run code for certain languages within the app itself. Many of these features come with the paid version, though.

While there are paid versions that provide more features, the free plan gets the job done as well, and that too, quite smoothly.

Install Znote on Linux

The app is only available as an AppImage on Linux, right on the official website.

6. Typora (not FOSS)

Typora, albeit not FOSS, is one of the most popular Markdown editors that has been around for a while. It is designed to be very simple, elegant and feature-rich. That's one of the reasons why I included in this list.

• Interface: Fairly streamlined interface with a top menu and a status bar.
• Highlight features: There are Focus and Typewriter modes for more efficient workflow.
• Navigation: Optional, toggle-able side bar with a file tree and outline menu.
• Exports to: HTML, ODT, PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, ePub, etc.
• Customizability: 5 inbuilt themes, all with very different looks, fonts and feel. Other than that, a plethora of themes are available on the website.
• Misc.:

Typora has a free trial of 15 days, after which a license needs to be bought, which is a major drawback.

Install Typora on Linux

There is a Flatpak available, which is the simplest option. Other than that, the install page provides an option to add a repository on Debain based distributions, a DEB file for direct installation, as well as binary files.

7. Octarine (not FOSS)

Another non-FOSS entry but Octarine is a really loaded Markdown editor with interesting features left and right. It has a free tier plan that has most of the necessary features.

• Interface: Clean interface but with all the extra options within easy reach for the users.
• Highlight features: Multiple workspaces, easily searchable keyboard shortcuts.
• Navigation: The file is opened in a tabbed view, with a file tree on a panel on the left, with collapsible code blocks in the file itself.
• Exports to: No export options, the text remains within the app.
• Customizability: 3 inbuilt themes for the free version, with 4 more with the paid one.
• Misc.: There are a lot of extra features, such as syncing with a Git repository, a Graph View (similar to Obsidian), Writing Assistant, Calendar Planner, Command Bar as well as tagging to stitch notes together, but many of these features are for paid versions only.

The free tier of Octarine is enough to get a lot of work done but not being able to export them is a big drawback, except when you only have to make personal notes in which case, you can sync them across with Git. There are many more features available with the app that can be explored on the website.

Install Octarine on Linux

Octarine provides an AppImage and also DEB, RPM as well as binary files to install on Linux on their [official website](Download Octarine).

Embeddable WYSIWYG Markdown Editors for Web Developers

In place of a desktop application to write Markdown documents, if you're looking for something you can embed within a web-based project to easily upload and manage formatted text, or even demonstrate the usage of Markdown, you can utilize one of these applications:

• Toast UI Editor: Toast UI Editor is a ready-to-use JavaScript Markdown editor that can be embedded as a React/Vue wrapper. It boasts a simple workflow with both source code and WYSIWYG options. TUI focuses on an extensible approach with a lot of plugins to access different kinds of features such as UML rendering, colored syntax highlighting etc.
• Milkdown: Milkdown is an editor engine built on ProseMirror which lets you build your own Markdown editor, with bindings for React and Vue. It is inspired by Typora, and is also very plugin-driven, for things like modifying the syntax, UI, themes, embedding math, etc.
• MDXEditor: MDXEditor is a React component that works on simplicity and consistent output across all use cases and devices. The code blocks have syntax highlighting and autocomplete among other practical features listed on the website.

Conclusion

The ease of usage of Markdown has brought about several options in the market, each offering something that it does better than the others. While I hope that this post has helped you narrow down the choices, I would still encourage trying the applications out yourself.

Which one do you think is the best contender on the list? Did we miss the one that you favor? Let us know in the comments below. Cheers!

I also feel a little guilty for including some non-open source apps here but those are popular and good and I could not find more open source WYSIWYG Markdown editors. Perhaps you can help me out by suggesting a few? Please mind the WYSIWYG feature. That's what we are looking for here.

Article submitted by community member Pulkit Chandak.

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How I am Using Git and Obsidian for Note Version Management

Git is a powerful tool that helps you keep track of changes in your files over time. While it is highly popular among the developer community, you can use Git as a note storage vault.

In this case, the source files are Obsidian markdown files.

When you use Obsidian for note-taking, Git can be very useful to manage different versions of your notes. You can easily go back to previous versions, undo mistakes, and even collaborate with others.

In this tutorial, I'll share how I set up Git with Obsidian on a Linux system, connect it with GitHub or GitLab, and use the Obsidian Git plugin to make version control simple and accessible right inside your notes app.

This is all at the beginner level, where all you are doing is setting up Git for your knowledge base version management.

🚧

I am assuming you are taking simpler markdown notes, where individual note and file sizes are less. If you are using large notes, you may want to try GitHub Large File Storage, which is out of scope of this article.

Step 1: Create a remote repository

📋

I am going to use GitHub in the examples here. If you use a GitHub alternative repository like GitLab, similar steps should also be valid.

Go to the GitHub official webpage and log in to your account. Now, on the profiles page, click on the "Create repository" button.

Create a new repository

Provide all the details. Make sure you have set the repository to private. Once you've entered the necessary details, click on the Create Repository button.

Enter Details and Create

That's it. You have a new private repository, which only you can access.

Step 2: Create a simple README

You need to create a simple README file in the newly created repo. For this, click on the Create a new file button.

Create a new file

On the next page, enter the name of the file and add placeholder text.

Enter file contents

Click on Commit changes and add a message when asked. Done! You have added a simple README to your repo.

Step 3: Install Git in your system

Now, let's install Git on your system. I also suggest installing the GitHub or GitLab CLI plugin. Since you are into version control, these CLI tools can greatly improve your experience.

💡

With the GitHub or GitLab CLI tool, you can commit and push changes to GitHub/GitLab from the terminal also, in case there is a failure in the Obsidian GUI.

In Ubuntu, you can install both Git and the GitHub CLI using the command:

sudo apt install git gh

For Fedora, use:

sudo dnf install git gh

For Arch Linux, the package name is a bit different.

sudo pacman -S git github-cli

If you are using GitLab instead of GitHub, instead of the gh/github-cli package, install glab package. The name is the same on all three of the above Linux distributions.

Step 4: Authenticate GitHub

Once you have Git and the GitHub tool installed, you need to authenticate it with user credentials.

First, you need to make sure the GitHub credentials are properly saved. For this, you can use libsecret.

git config --global credential.helper libsecret

Now, let's set the username and email so that Git can understand who is committing changes. Open a terminal and run:

git config --global user.name "your username"
git config --global user.email "your email"

Add username and email

Run the GitHub CLI:

gh auth login

If you are using GitLab, use:

glab auth login

🚧

For the rest, I am using GitHub. So. GitLab users should follow their on-screen instructions.

It will ask some questions, and you can select a choice and press enter. This is shown in the screenshot below:

Initial choices

When you press enter, it will open in the browser. You will be prompted to continue as the logged in account.

Continue website login

On the next page, enter the code you are provided in the terminal.

Enter the code

This will ask you to verify the details before proceeding. Check once again and press Authorize github.

Confirm login

That's it. Your device is connected. Close the browser. You can view the terminal got updated with the successful login message.

Device connection success

Step 5: Clone the repository

Now that you have set up GitHub, it's time to clone the private notes repo to somewhere convenient for you. I am cloning the repo on my ~/Documents directory.

cd ~/Documents
git clone git clone https://your-git-remote-repo-link.git

You will get a message that you have cloned into an empty repo. This is what we need.

Cloned the repository

You can open it in file manager to see that the only content in the cloned directory is a .git directory and a README file.

Step 6: Copy contents

Now, you have to copy your markdown notes from the earlier location to this new vault location. You can do this using your file manager.

While copying, make sure that you copy the .obsidian folder as well. Because your rest of plugins and settings are in the .obsidian directory.

The folder is hidden, so use CTRL+H to enable the hidden items and then select all.

Copy all contents from existing vault

Step 7: Create a .gitignore

Once you copy all the contents to the new section, you will notice that you have a .obsidian folder that contains all the plugins and cache files.

Usually, this does not need to be pushed to GitHub. So, we will create a .gitignore file in the root vault location.

Inside this file, add the content:

# to exclude Obsidian's settings (including plugin and hotkey configurations)
.obsidian/

# to only exclude plugin configuration. Might be useful to prevent some plugin from exposing sensitive data
.obsidian/plugins

# OR only to exclude workspace cache
.obsidian/workspace.json

# to exclude workspace cache specific to mobile devices
.obsidian/workspace-mobile.json

# Add below lines to exclude OS settings and caches
.trash/
.DS_Store

📋

The above gitignore code is directly taken from the git plugin documentation.

Step 8: Open a new vault in Obsidian

Open Obsidian and click on your vault name in the bottom and select Manage Vaults.

Select Manage

From the new window, select the open button adjacent to "Open a folder as vault".

Open an existing vault

In the file chooser, select the directory you have cloned recently. A new Obsidian is opened with notes in the new location, which is empty as of now.

You will be asked to trust the author. This is because you have copied all the contents, including plugins, from previous notes. So, in order for the plugin to work, you need to enable the community plugins, and that needs user permission.

Accept that you trust the plugins and continue.

Trust author

Step 9: Install the Obsidian Git Plugin

We need to get plugins in Obsidian for Git version control. Click on the settings button in Obsidian.

Click on the settings button.

Go to Community plugins. Click on browse. Here, search for the Git plugin and install it.

Search and Install Git

Once installed, enable it.

Enable Git Plugin

You have set the basics of Git with Obsidian. Click on the Git button in Obsidian to see the Git status.

Obsidian Git Status

As you can see, there is a .gitignore file under changes.

Step 10: Stage changes

I suggest you stage changes in batches and commit. To stage a file, you can either press the + button adjacent to that file or use the + button on the top menu to stage all.

Stage Changes

Everything is under staged now for me:

Stage everything

Step 11: Commit and Push

🚧

I am assuming you are the only one managing the notes, and there is no other collaborator.

If you are a solo user of your personal notes, then you can commit the changes and push them to the remote repository. For this, once all changes are staged, use the commit button.

Commit all staged changes

When commit is finished, use the Push button.

Push Changes

Step 12: Pull Changes

Let's say you have edited the notes in another system and pushed the changes to GitHub from there. In this case, when you start on the original system, you should pull the item first from GitHub.

Use the Pull button in the Obsidian Git control panel.

Pulled files from remote

Now that your local copy is in sync with the main, you can work effortlessly.

Wrapping Up

The Git plugin also allows you to automatically commit/pull/push at pre-defined times. But I prefer keeping things under my control and thus prefer following the manual method of handpicking my files.

But it's up to you how you want to go about it. Integrating Git with Obsidian is a great way of syncing your notes in the cloud without additional cost.

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FOSS Weekly #25.40: Fedora 43 Features, Kernel 6.17, Zorin OS 18, Retro Gaming Setup and More Linux Stuff

Last month, Austria's armed forces ditched Microsoft Office for LibreOffice. This is surely positive news, but it also makes us think about something crucial. The move to switch to open source is often driven by monetary benefits. Since these organizations often save a hefty amount, should they not contribute some part of their savings back to the open source project they are relying on? What do you think?

Austria’s Armed Forces Gets Rid of Microsoft Office (Mostly) for LibreOffice

The Austrian military prioritizes independence over convenience.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• ZimaOS adding a paid tier.
• A new Linux kernel release.
• GUI apps in terminal.
• Fedora floating a proposal on AI.
• Revamped Proton Mail mobile apps.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• Calibre eBook reader has introduced its first AI feature.
• Kali Linux 2025.3 is a packed release with many new tools.
• The mobile apps for Proton Mail have received a major revamp.
• Austria's armed forces have moved away from Microsoft Office.
• Linux 6.17 has landed with many performance and reliability buffs.
• Homelab focused ZimaOS 1.5 adds a paid tier while keeping the core features untouched.
• The Fedora Project is looking for feedback on its policy for AI-assisted contributions.

Fedora 43 is due soon. Here are the new features arriving with it:

Fedora 43 Release Date and New Features

A close look at the new features coming in Fedora 43.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

FOSS is an important consideration for creatives in 2025.

From Disillusionment to Freedom: Why Creatives Need FOSS Now More Than Ever

More than ever, creative professionals need to exert control over their digital footprint. Big tech will not give us control—we have to take it. Free and Open Source (FOSS) software gives us a path forward. The path isn’t easy, but I argue nothing worthwhile is.

It's FOSS NewsTheena Kumaragurunathan

Ruby's ecosystem is under threat from corporations.

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Explore terminal shortcuts to enhance your efficiency. I have shared it in the past too but it's worth a reshare.

Speaking of enhancing efficiency, here are a few tips Linux users can use to be more productive.

I understand that not everyone is a keyboard shortcut maestro, so here are a few tips to master the finger swipe gesture in GNOME desktop environment.

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

These 3D-printed cases for the Raspberry Pi will not disappoint.

13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across

So what if I don’t have a 3D printer to print these cases. I can at least appreciate the creativity.

It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar

Raspberry Pi has quietly launched the 500+, a blingy, faster version of the original 500 model.

WebScreen is a crowdfunded secondary display for gamers and creators.

The Raspberry Pi can be used for retro gaming, you know. The other Abhishek shows it with his latest work.

✨ Project Highlights

I recently discovered Sync-in, an open source platform that facilitates file sharing, sync, and collaboration.

Sync-in

The secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, collaboration, and syncing. - Sync-in

GitHub

Another interesting tool I discovered is term.everything which allows you to run 'any' GUI app in the terminal. I am still exploring it and will be doing a full review soon.

GitHub - mmulet/term.everything: Run any GUI app in the terminal❗

Run any GUI app in the terminal❗. Contribute to mmulet/term.everything development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubmmulet

🛍️ Deal worth a look

This ebook bundle from No Starch is a curated collection of titles to help you explore embedded electronics with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. Plus, your purchase supports the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Humble Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious by No Starch

Pay what you want to deepen your knowledge of video games and technology with our latest Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious.

Humble Bundle

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Zorin OS 18 is coming up with new features specially planned for new Linux users who are migrating from Windows 10. I discuss those features in the latest video.

Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel

Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content.

If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $24 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community.

Join It's FOSS Plus

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In Firefox, you can forget about one site, by erasing its browsing history, download history, cookies, login, etc. First, go to Menu → History → Manage History.

Here, locate the website you want to forget about (one of those spicy ones, perhaps?), right-click on the website, and then select "Forget About This Site..." When asked, click on "Clear data" to clear any data related to that website.

Following this method means that the website will be gone forever from your history, unless you visit it again.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Seeing Halloween is close, are you in the mood to hunt a Daemon in our latest crossword?

Daemon Hunter: Crossword Edition

Background processes, foreground fun! Can you summon all the daemons and solve this Linux crossword?

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: One of the worst crimes in the world of Linux.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 2, 1955, the ENIAC, the world’s first general-purpose electronic computer, was retired. Built by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, it could perform 5,000 operations per second.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Pro FOSSer Neville asked a really important question in the forum a few days ago, and the replies on that so far have been wonderful.

Why do people come to this forum? Feedback please

Lets see if we can find out what aspects of this forum are most appreciated by our members. I will start it off. What I mostly appreciate from this forum is some mental challenge helping to solve computing issues inspiration… the flow of new ideas Can each of you attempt to summarize what you see as important or rewarding in our forum.?

It's FOSS Communitynevj

Fellow Pro FOSSer Xander started a thread, asking for ideas to make the most unusable desktop environment.

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