Vector graphics on Linux?

[sampoodle]

Many years of working with vector graphics on Macs and Windows, technical illustrations and such.

Yet, I am struggling to find good software for that in the Linux world.
It would not need to be as comprehensive as, say, an Adobe illustrator, by still offer multilayers and Bezier/anchor drawing tools. No need to have advanced color, just good lineart ones, and "fluid" tools.

Suggestions?

[Coggy]

Inkscape might fit your needs. Possibly Blender, though that may be too much.

[rossdv8]

As Coggy suggests Inkscape is probably the most useful.
Do a YouTube search on Inkscape Tutorials to get an idea of just what it is capable of.
I used to do graphic design years ago using things like Corel Draw, then Xara for one of my businesses and for a number of websites I was building and maintaining since around 1990, and after I went Linux only in 1998, I had a similar problem to you.
Inkscape came in very handy once I found it. It looks really basic, but like getting used to GIMP for raster stuff, it should surprise you once you understand it.

Another little surprise most people aren't aware of is that LibreOffice 'Draw' is also quite a comprehensive Vector Graphics tool that comes with more or less every Linux distro these days including Mint.
There's a Full MANUAL here:
https://documentation.libreoffice.org/a ... hDraw.html

And again, lots of Tutorials will be available in a YouTube search.
I often used LibreOffice Draw for logo design and for layout when I had a Dye Sublimation business that used ONLY Linux to do all the Graphics design and printing.

The other tool I used a lot was ImageMagick, but that's not really svg stuff.

[huge bug]

The best i know, the one and only

- Inkscape (sure sometimes it crashes, but i working so much in it that i like the auto save function and over all functionallity)
- krita (huge, more a pen graphic or draw application but pretty cool, i dont use or need it but it can vectorize)
- draw.io (i love it, especially for schematics or diagrams etc... i just saw the scetch function what looks really cool, and you can export as .svg as well)

some more:
- https://itsfoss.com/vector-graphics-editors-linux/

[sampoodle]

Thanks. I may have to keep looking, maybe with the link provided above.
The great suggestions made are either about laying pixels (making pretty pictures) or diagramming with pre-canned shapes (flowcharts, etc.).

I am hoping to find a tool that can do editable "organic" shapes, the Bezier curve concept.
EDIT: early reading of Krita tutorial, there is such a thing, there?
As an example, one of my past gigs was tech illustration for lab equipment, lots of tubing, install steps, etc. which required the flexibility of editable curves.

[Coggy]

I am hoping to find a tool that can do editable "organic" shapes, the Bezier curve concept.
EDIT: early reading of Krita tutorial, there is such a thing, there?

You didn't try Inkscape then? Like the Bezier Curve tool? If I wanted to draw lab equipment like you describe, I would go straight for Inkscape.
Krita is probably available, but will pull in many megabytes of KDE graphical libraries. I've never tried that one.

[rossdv8]

Agreed Coggy. Inkscape is by far the best.
LibreOffice Draw will do pretty well all the things Inkscape does, including Bezier curves - but you have to use the bezier Curves Tool in LibreOffice to get Bezier Curves.

Fro someone who wants to draw organic Bezier shapes - the YouTube tutorials for Inkscape and LibreOffice Draw all teach the process step by step in either steps a 5 year old could follow - or methods a graphics artist is used to.
It's not all that difficult to follow a video tutorial or even a step by step guide on one of the many websites that teach these tools.

Krita can be used but I use Mint KDE which includes Krita - and I would not recommend installing it on a Cinnamon system that already has Inkscape and LibreOffice. It would be superfluous.

[rossdv8]

Here's an example where the Youtuber uses LibreOffice Draw to create some Bezier curves. Just adding this as one example of somethnig LibreOffice 'can do' - not suggesting it is the ideal tool for the Job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1orlVkgGRU

Inkscape is still probably the best 'simple' Linux tool that is full featured enough to compete with some commercial programs.

For someone coming from a Windows or Mac environment where they are used to using Corel Draw, this might be useful as a list of Apples vs Other Fruit . .
https://www.educba.com/inkscape-vs-coreldraw/

And this one for people who use Adobe Illustrator comparing it to Inkscape:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQeTGBiie4A

A L S O:
Mint 21 ships with Inkscape 1.1

However Inkscape is in version 1.3 at the moment.
It is easy enough to upgrade to Inkscape 1.3 by following this guide:
https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/20 ... -released/

HOWEVER - You need to use Synaptic and select Inkscape (in the Search Icon - the magnifying glass icon on the top right corner) then choose Mark for complete removal,
BEFORE you install the new version.
If you didn;t realise, and already did add the PPA, but Inkscape is still at v1.1 - it is ok, just remove it, and do the sudo apt update.

After you enter the line to add the Inkscape PPA, and do sudo apt update,
Just do the usual
sudo apt install inkscape

When you open Inkscape, you can open Help in the menu and choose About - you should see Inksape is at Version 1.3

The Youtube Link above is from this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/@LogosByNick

and there are lots of Inkscape basic tutorials in his channel.

[BenTrabetere]

If you want to avoid adding the PPA u/rossdv8 mentioned, Inkscape is available as an AppImage. I started using the AppImage with 0.92.3, and it has worked well for me.

[wwblm]

FWIW, on my 21.2 Inkscape is not installed. Software Manager has it as a system package at 1.1 so would need to add the PPA however, it also lists a flatpak version 1.3 so a person could just install the flatpak from Software Manager. Not sure about the pros/cons of doing Appimage vs the flatpak in Software Manager vs just adding the PPA.

[rossdv8]

Ben's suggestion about the AppImage is a better idea !

I completely forgot about the Appimage, because I already had v1.1 from the Mint repos leftover from previous installs.
Just remember to make AppIimage 'Executable' so you can run it.

I have a whole Folder in ~/home dedicated to AppImages - So I can easily find them in one place.
Basically click on the AppIimage Folder Icon - then Click on the AppImage.

[billyswong]

I use the existing Inkscape 1.1 in default repository.

Personally I see no hurry for using the latest and greatest for my own need, so I don't bother adding PPA or using the Flatpak version.

[BenTrabetere]

Personally I see no hurry for using the latest and greatest for my own need, so I don't bother adding PPA or using the Flatpak version.

That is one of the really nice things about the AppImage packaging format - it will not interfere with your installed version or a different version of the AppImage. When the 1.3 branch was still in beta I used the stable AppImage and the (even older) installed version for stability and compatibility, and I used the beta to help with the testing and to use the new features. I frequently used the stable versions concurrently, but never on the same file, with the beta versions.

Since an AppImage is not installed to your system, if does not meet your needs simply delete the file and it is gone.

[huge bug]

Just found this one:

Penpot Desktop on flathub

[rick gen]

The very reason why I was able to transition from Windows to Linux is because the apps I needed have alternatives in Linux.
Gimp, Inkscape, LibreOffice, Blender3d, Krita, etc.

I use to have legit proprietary apps like Illustrator, CorelDraw, Serif DrawPlus, but I really don't need many features,
so Inkscape is just enough for my vector graphics occasional needs.

LibreOffice Draw has interesting potential. It can open and edit PDF files, albeit clunky, and can also open CMX files, which are remnants of CorelDraw files. Meaning, I don't have to have CorelDraw to open them. Inkscape won't recognize CMX files.

Years ago I bought CorelDraw CDs(compact discs) with tons of CMX Cliparts featuring symbols or figures in various categories like people posing in sports, offices, in uniform, etc. Flags of various countries, all kinds of decorative borders, banners, animals, logos, fonts, you name it. So if you have CMX files stored somewhere, you can open them in LibreOffice Draw.

[sampoodle]

Inkscape it is!
I even installed it on a Win 10 machine nearby!

My old dude eyesight greatly benefits from the highly configurable UI. Well done.
Using the wiki, I can check how to slim down to eliminate seldom-used tools, privileging main ones, perhaps, and learn more about the export formats.