Any recommendations for FOSS alternatives to notability? (for intel mac)

The main features I want are:

  • Import PDFs and annotate them in the app’s native format (so that I’ll still be able to remove previous changes after I save and re-open it)
  • Quickly add text boxes anywhere on the PDF
  • Draw some basic shapes and lines with different colors (can either be notability-style “draw and hold to make shape” or just a classic “insert shapes” option from the toolbar)
  • Have a page thumbnail option and can search text in the PDF file and quickly go there
28 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world

18 Comments

gratux@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Xournal++

first_ad4972@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y (4 replies)

I tried this app before, but on Mac this app has a weird layout and I can’t even find the toolbar that is in the screenshot on the official site. How do I make the toolbar show?

gratux@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2y (3 replies)

I don't know, I use it on Linux and it works fine there. What exactly do you mean by "weird layout?"

first_ad4972@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I don’t have the tool selection menu on top of the document, instead there’s a menu called “tools” that I have to click in, and the tools are listed by names instead of icons which is confusing and hard to find.

Screenshot on my computer (after I clicked open the "tools" menu):

Screenshot on the official site (note that there's a tool selection menu on the top, inside the red rectangle, which is missing on my computer):

gratux@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

You can toggle the toolbars with F9. Alternatively, View->Show Toolbars

first_ad4972@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

Thanks, that worked

anzo@programming.dev · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Zotero.org has a pdf reader, but it's a reference manager to use in more academic world

janguv@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 2y

This was gonna be my recommendation also.

ipacialsection@startrek.website · 2 pts · 2y (3 replies)

I know Okular can do at least most of that. Don't think it's available for Mac OS X, though.

anzo@programming.dev · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Not long ago, I installed Okular on Windows for a friend. I was surprised that the version available officially was pretty old.

It would be great if Mac and Windows could have access to flathub.org daydreaming

nicman24@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y

there are nightlies bins in their ftp - they are a bit hidden

janguv@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 2y

Think it's possible if you can install via KDE/Macports

heartlessevil@lemmy.one · 1 pts · 2y (2 replies)
first_ad4972@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

But which of these is available for Mac OS?

heartlessevil@lemmy.one · -4 pts · 2y
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PuppyOSAndCoffee@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Doesn’t MacOS do this natively?

first_ad4972@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

But MacOS's pdf editor saves the file as PDF, which means I can't change a text box or drawing I already did once I save the file and delete previous versions. And I'm planning to switch to linux in the future so I want something open source.

PuppyOSAndCoffee@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y

Doesn’t it let you do that? Have you tried?

Works for me iirc, but haven’t gone crazy with it.

pexavc@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

Honestly, building a Notion level FOSS alternative, probably in the lines of Obsidian as well, would be a fun project. Especially with the features you mentioned.