Get quick access to Evernote in Ubuntu. Whether you want to quickly pull up your latest note from the system tray, search every note in your archive from the dash or browse your notes from a lightweight, simple interface, Everpad is the closest thing to an official Evernote client for Ubuntu we're likely to see. And that's not necessarily a bad thing – Everpad is fantastic and fits in perfectly with the Ubuntu desktop.

Evernote has been around for years, but Linux users are for the most part left out – we called it one of the apps that desperately need to be ported to Linux. Sure, there's always the web version and NixNote, but there's never been a tool for those wanting quick access to their Evernote notebooks.

Until now. With Everpad you can access and edit all of your notes, and there's even a drop-down menu of recent notebooks right in the system tray – something no official client offers (but should).

Using Everpad

Install Everpad and sign in to get started. Once you do you'll see this familar icon in your system tray:

The drop-down menu includes all of your recently created notes, perfect if you want to quickly read or edit a note. You can also quickly create a new note from this menu, meaning a way to record your thoughts is always a couple of clicks away.

Open a note and you can edit it. This simple window is easy to use, albeit without a few of the features Evernote enthusiasts love (such as to-do lists).

You can also, from the system tray, open a window with all of your notes, arranged by notebook. Note that nested notebooks aren't supported, but beyond that everything should feel familiar.

From here you can quickly find and open any one of your own notes.

Unity Integration

If you're an avid user of Ubuntu's dash you're in luck. Everpad makes all of your Evernote notes searchable from the dash.

This means you can quickly find that article you clipped 3 months ago by opening your dash and typing a few words from it. The dash seems useless at times, but this is extremely useful if you're a dedicated Evernote user.

Installation

Ready to set this software up? You'll need to open the Terminal and type these commands, one at a time:

        sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nvbn-rm/ppa
    
        sudo apt-get update
    
        sudo apt-get install everpad
    

The first adds the Everpad PPA; the second updates your package list; the third installs Everpad.

Conclusion

Evernote's branding team will almost certainly ask Everpad to change their name and their icon, but that won't change the fact that this great program brings Evernote's best features to the Ubuntu desktop. The Evernote team should thank them for that, because it removes a serious barrier to entry that previously stopped many from using the notetaking service.

Not sure how to use Evernote? Check out How to user Evernote: The Missing Manual, which goes over the application and its many features. Everpad isn't commented on, but an awful lot is, so check it out to become familar with the service.

Do you want to share some Everpad tips? Leave them in the comments below, along with any questions. We love hearing from you.