Better Alternatives to SCREENSHOT

Hiya,

I'm looking for a very specific set of features in my screen capturing. I do it all the time and I want the app to get out of the way. This means --

  1. You can trigger a screencap with a simple key command instead of opening an app
  2. You can choose what format you wish to save in as default instead of being asked each time.
  3. You can choose a default location for the file instead of being asked each time.

The best app I've seen between all 3 platforms is GREENSHOT. I hit one button (PRNT SCRN), I draw a square where I want the cap, let go, and the image is on my desktop.

Does Linux offer the like?

This seems interesting but this is an 8 year old article. And I don't know if it plays nice with Mate.

1 Like

I found Deepin Screenshot via the 'Software' app. Methinks it's the one I was wondering about with a less scrotal name.

It does save a step or two. When you click the app it JUMPS into three modes: window that the mouse is under, entire desktop, or click and drag a square. That's actually kinda cool.

The problem is creates a 'what are you going to do now before I save it' pause... which I'd rather ask it to skip in preferences. It's hard to get to those and 'autosave' doesn't seem to react to a click.

But not bad.

In Ubuntu MATE 20.04, which is what I use, provides the screenshot tool in the menus and, yes, it only saves in .png, but these are some of the default keyboard shortcuts you might find useful:

  • PrtScr Takes a screenshot of the entire screen.
  • Alt+PrtScr Takes a screenshot of the window which is active.
  • Shift+PrtScr Takes a screenshot of the rectangular area you select.

You can use the Keyboard Shortcuts Preferences tool to modify the default shortcut keys if you would like to use different shortcuts.

By the way, SCROT has been obsolete for years. It's successor is a package called Shutter, which I used for years. It's last bug fix release was in 2018, but that doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, you might consider installing it from the snap repository. https://snapcraft.io/shutter If you want to install it from a terminal, you can use the command
sudo snap install shutter

For more information on different ways to find and install software packages, see this: https://guide.ubuntu-mate.org/#applications-software

3 Likes

Hi :slight_smile:

For me the best one is flameshot :slight_smile: :
https://flameshot.js.org/#/

Strongly advising to install from the external ppa :

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sicklylife/flameshot
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install flameshot

You can configure shortcuts to open its functionality like flameshot gui to start a regular screenshot.

Another one you could try is ksnip.
https://github.com/ksnip/ksnip/releases
Available as Appimage if you want to try.
Has many options for type of screen area captures and does annotations such as arrows, text, highlighting, lines and boxes. Plus it can open and annotate existing images. If you try would recommend the continuous build as it has recently added scrollwheel zoom. Just another option you have to try many to find one that you like.

Wow peeps! Very impressive list of options. Thank you.

I wanted to give y'all a look at the Deepin Screenshot option I found. It does something very unique that has to be seen to be understood.

When you push the app -- it immediately jumps into 3 modes. If you hover over the desktop it prepares to take a picture of the entire screen. But if you move the pointer over an app, it prepares to take a picture of the app. But if you click anywhere (?) and drag -- it generates the box method of capture, my favorite.

It would actually be perfect if after the pic it simply dropped the pic on the desktop in the format I wanted. Still haven't figured that one out yet.

BY THE BY -- SimpleScreenRecorder on a Celeron chip working this well? Wow.

@ olek

I found FLAMESHOT in the 'Software' app. Easy install. It was rather slick but it offered many options instead of the ones I want.

Activate app (somehow) > draw a square > auto save as a .jpg and leave on desktop. (That's two steps with a result.)

My Deepin solution is three steps. I believe Flameshot was the same. (I know this is being picky but Mac OS is 3 finger salute and you're done. Greenshot on Windows is one button, draw a shape, done.

I'll try to contact the Deepin Screenshot developers.

1 Like

Hello DaltWisney

You may, or may not, find this post to be of use (even if only for launching ideas):

Hope you get things set up the way you want to. :slightly_smiling_face:

You can do less steps with MATE screenshot as well.

Just open mate-keybinding-properties and create a new shorcut.
Paste mate-screenshot -a as a command and assign whatever keyboard shortcut you like.

Then shortcut > draw area > press Return to save the screenshot.

Thanks so much everyone.

Because I've been known to break Linux distros in the past I'm kinda conservative about apps that are not in the software centers or using the terminal to alter them.

It turns out that Deepin app is good enough all things considered.