Scribble: Rust-based handwriting canvas app launches for Linux note-taking

Scribble is a new free and open source handwriting application for Linux developed by Peter Sonntag, designed primarily for students and educators to take notes, complete homework, and annotate documents using pen or stylus input. The software provides a flexible digital canvas with support for freehand writing, PDF import and annotation, hand-drawn shape recognition, mathematical function plotting, and integrated audio recording for lectures.

The application is written in Rust and released under the GNU General Public License v3.0, with source code hosted on Codeberg. It accommodates both touchscreen and conventional desktop input methods, making it usable on a range of hardware including tablets, laptops with styluses, and standard desktop setups with graphics tablets or mice.

Core features and technical implementation

• Input versatility: Scribble supports freehand input via stylus, graphics tablet, touchscreen, touchpad, or mouse, with pen, highlighter, and eraser tools featuring adjustable colors and sizes.
• Document and media handling: The application imports PDF worksheets for direct annotation, exports completed documents to PDF, records and plays back audio with speed controls, and allows insertion of images from clipboard with cropping and text-enhancing filters.
• Object manipulation: Users can select, move, resize, and rotate drawings using alignment guides, with lasso and rectangular selection tools; hand-drawn shapes, arrows, and diagrams are recognized when the pen is held still after drawing.
• Educational tooling: Built-in features include ruled, squared, music, and coordinate grid page backgrounds, mathematical function plotting on coordinate systems, and presentation mode with thumbnail navigation and animation controls.
• Architecture: Scribble is implemented in Rust, supports multiple reorderable pages per document, allows multiple documents in separate windows, and includes built-in gesture help for drawing, selection, and navigation.

Why it matters

Scribble fills a gap in the Linux application ecosystem for purpose-built educational handwriting software, offering an alternative to established tools like Xournal++ and Rnote with distinctive features such as integrated audio recording and shape recognition. Its Rust implementation and GPLv3 licensing align with contemporary open-source development practices, while its accommodation of diverse input methods from styluses to standard mice broadens accessibility across the heterogeneous Linux hardware landscape including convertible laptops, graphics tablets, and traditional desktops.