OneNote for Linux

Moshe Hollander 81

Are there any plans to make a Linux installation of OneNote?

I love the app and it would be great if I could integrate it into my Linux system for better notetaking across all of my work activities.

TT 40 Reputation points

2023-05-02T22:04:46.13+00:00

It will be great when the full desktop version is ported over. For now, shout out to the OneNote Desktop snap. It just wraps the OneNote web app version into its own browser instance making it appear as a separate app:

https://snapcraft.io/install/onenote-desktop/ubuntu
Cleiton Moya de Almeida 55 Reputation points

2023-05-11T01:19:50.8233333+00:00

Microsoft should consider customer request and release Onenote and Onedrive for Linux.
Dan Taller 25 Reputation points

2023-05-14T15:00:06.7+00:00

Cleiton,

Do you get any feeling lately that they’re trying to implement what users request? Get that sense ever? They don’t care, it would only condone using Linux over Windows, like a savage monster. /s
Oliver Kopp 11 Reputation points

2024-01-17T09:03:14.5666667+00:00

There was also a MacOS port implemented. Thus, a port to Linux should not be that hard? There are also technologies such as AppImage (https://appimage.org/) or FlatPak (https://flatpak.org/).
Sayem Saad Khan 20 Reputation points

2024-04-26T16:10:12.9733333+00:00

I wish they do make an official app for Linux soon even though its almost been 2 years since this questions was asked, I can still hope.

8 answers

Marius 66 Reputation points

2022-11-28T08:52:22.87+00:00

The OneNote app for Linux would make me purchase the Windows license.
I don't understand how Microsoft staff in 2022 still think like in the Stone Age?

I'm a Linux fan, I've tried the Evernote app for Linux (Private Beta) as well as other note apps but the OneNote app is the best designed from a UX point of view.
Linux fans don't trade their operating system for an app, but would purchase a Windows license if it would give them access to that app for Linux.
Too bad Microsoft is still limited in its thinking, in its market strategy.
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13 people found this answer helpful.
Albert Pindes 0 Reputation points

2024-01-30T13:00:35.61+00:00

I don´t know if you have already found a good application for note taking. But Joplin is https://joplinapp.org/ a piece of diamond. It works on every device. Intuitive easye to use and has all the features that anyone needs for note taking and sharing the notes.

Moshe Hollander 81 Reputation points

2024-01-30T17:08:13.6+00:00

@Albert I have been checking out Joplin. It's a great open-source alternative to Evernote but doesn't quite offer all of the same functionality as OneNote. Most notably, it doesn't support both handwriting (via tablet) and typed content simultaneously. This is something that I really want given the nature of the kinds of [engineering] notes that I take.
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Evgen sdf 11 Reputation points

2022-11-19T01:46:04.097+00:00

I think this is due GPL license. They don't want to make OneNote code public and open source. But web version really sucks in terms of synchronization. A lot of times it doesn't save my writings. Such moments I don't want to switch to Windows but to MacOs.
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Liam Jones 20 Reputation points

2023-02-15T02:46:50.0433333+00:00

You don't need to open source something for it to run on Linux. That's never been a requirement.

MS Teams, which is proprietary, runs on Linux as a desktop app.

BurningPho3nix 0 Reputation points

2023-08-08T08:28:54.3833333+00:00

They don't need to license it under GPL

sergio garcia 0 Reputation points

2023-10-13T01:06:10.1266667+00:00

No, you can run propietary software on linux based operating systems. Linux itself is GPL but that doesnt mean that you cant run software licensed differently
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Reza-Ameri 17,011 Reputation points

2022-09-01T17:06:28.18+00:00

Even though the app is not available in Linux, but you may use OneNote online and access it from supported browser on the web inside Linux or any other operating systems.
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Moshe Hollander 81 Reputation points

2022-09-01T20:04:22.443+00:00

The web version lacks a good deal of features that the desktop version has. I was hoping for a more 'fully featured' OneNote for desktop application for Linux...

Reza-Ameri 17,011 Reputation points

2022-09-02T16:08:32.257+00:00

True, this is just a workaround.
But remember Microsoft Apps work the best on Microsoft Operating systems.

Sam of Simple Samples 5,546 Reputation points

2022-09-02T19:17:35.933+00:00

Are you saying that Microsoft cannot write good multi-platform applications?

Reza-Ameri 17,011 Reputation points

2022-09-03T16:13:39.937+00:00

There are already multi-platform applications, for example Microsoft Edge is one of them.
However, this is not planned at the moment.

Dan Taller 25 Reputation points

2023-05-16T17:29:48.8966667+00:00

I could also run it in WINE, that’s not the issue. Unless I go back to an older version, onenote tries to always store data on OneDrive, which I have stopped using and emptied my data. They recently started holding people’s files hostage and set ridiculous limitations on free use. They want subscriptions like everyone in the world at the moment, but I cannot justify spending any money on it, given that I have a dozen free cloud drives.

so I would either go to an old version like 2010, or I’d have to always deal with it trying to move my data to OneDrive. Sooner or later MS will make all their software only use OneDrive and they will make it not able to store data locally lol.

Ian Lang 0 Reputation points

2023-05-28T00:33:36.8166667+00:00

I have an Office 365 subscription and - because I bought it first - a OneNote licence. Yet I still have to use OneNote on the web. I could just about put up with that if it worked well. But the search functionality, in particular, is rubbish. And that's by far the best way of finding your notes.

Ian Lang 0 Reputation points

2023-09-05T21:33:03.98+00:00

I use it all the time in the browser on Linux. But frankly, it's rubbish. Search in particular is hopeless. And if you have a lot of stuff in OneNote, that's the thing you need the most. It's a real pity. And I speak as someone who has purchased a stand alone licence AND a 365 licence.
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Sam of Simple Samples 5,546 Reputation points

2022-09-01T19:50:09.81+00:00

Perhaps OneNote API overview - Microsoft Graph is something you are looking for. The OneNote REST API can be used by any system that has the internet, right? There is a sample at Build your first OneNote task pane add-in - Office Add-ins.

See Search · xamarin sample user:microsoftgraph. Since that works in Xamarin you should be able to use MAUI if you want to develop an application for multiple environments.
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Moshe Hollander 81 Reputation points

2022-09-01T20:05:17.573+00:00

I'm not really looking to develop an app, I'm looking to simply install a OneNote desktop application on my linux machine.

Sam of Simple Samples 5,546 Reputation points

2022-09-01T20:16:40.27+00:00

I could not be sure. You said integrate and that implies modifying something, it was not clear what. For non-developer questions I think there are other forums that would provide better responses.
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Ceasar Chen_MSFT 4,481 Reputation points

2022-09-02T01:45:09.857+00:00

Hi, @Moshe Hollander
Microsoft officially has no plans to launch OneNote for Linux yet, maybe you can try some unofficial OneNote software.

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Ceasar Chen_MSFT 4,481 Reputation points

2022-09-06T06:01:05.207+00:00

Hi, @Moshe Hollander
Have your doubts been solved?

Moshe Hollander 81 Reputation points

2022-09-06T15:05:35.703+00:00

For now, sure. A bit disappointing that there is no near term plan to develop a Linux install, especially given Evernote's plans to do so...

Ceasar Chen_MSFT 4,481 Reputation points

2022-09-07T01:25:35.937+00:00

Don't be sad, maybe there will be in the future.

Dan Taller 25 Reputation points

2023-05-16T17:30:48.56+00:00

Caesar, what unofficial onenote software?
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OneNote for Linux

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