Manage bookmarks outside of the browser on Linux
Most modern browsers on Linux support the ability to track bookmarks. However, they’re not cross-browser. So, if you bookmark something in Firefox on Linux, but you also use Google Chrome, you will need to open up Firefox to access it, and vice versa.
That’s where SiteMarker comes in. It’s an open-source, out-of-browser app that you can use to track your favorite websites. Here’s how to get SiteMarker working on your Linux system.
How to install SiteMarker on Linux
Before you can use the SiteMarker app on your Linux PC to track your bookmarks, you’ll need to install the program. SiteMarker is primarily a Flatpak application, and so most Linux users will be able to download and install the software through the Flathub app store.
However, you’ll first need to enable the Flatpak runtime on your system before you install SiteMarker. To enable the Flatpak runtime, open up a terminal window on the Linux desktop. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard, or by searching for “Terminal” in the app menu. Once the terminal app is installed, set up the “flatpak” package using your distribution’s package manager.
Ubuntu
To install the Flatpak runtime on Ubuntu, use the apt install command.
sudo apt install flatpak
Debian
To install Flatpak apps on Debian, run the following apt install command.
sudo apt install flatpak
Arch Linux
To install Flatpak apps on your Arch Linux system, run the following pacman command.
sudo pacman -S flatpak
Fedora
To install Flatpaks on Fedora, use the following dnf install command.
sudo dnf install flatpak
OpenSUSE
To get Flatpaks working on OpenSUSE, run the following zypper command.
sudo zypper in flatpak
With the Flatpak runtime installed on your Linux computer, you’ll now be able to install the SiteMarker app on your system. To install, first, use the flatpak remote-add command to add the Flathub app store.
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
Now that the Flathub app store is enabled on your Linux computer, all that is left to do is install the SiteMarker program. Using the flatpak install command below, set up the tool on your Linux computer.
flatpak install flathub io.github.aerocyber.sitemarker
After setting up the SiteMarker app on your Linux computer, you can run it by searching for “SiteMarker” in your app menu. Alternatively, you can launch it directly from the terminal via the following command.
flatpak run io.github.aerocyber.sitemarker
How to use SiteMarker on Linux
The SiteMarker application is quite simple. To use it, start by finding a website you wish to bookmark in your web browser. Once you’ve found the site you wish to bookmark, highlight it in the address bar and right-click on it. Click “Copy” to save it to the clipboard.
Once the site you wish to save is in your Linux desktop’s clipboard, open up the SiteMarker application. You can launch the app by searching for “SiteMarker” in the app menu. Alternatively, run the following command to launch it.
flatpak run io.github.aerocyber.sitemarker
Once the SiteMarker application is open on the Linux desktop, find the “Add record” button, and click on it with the mouse. When you select the “Add record” button, the “Add Record” window will appear.
Inside the “Add Record” window, find the “URL” box, and paste in your URL. You can paste by pressing Ctrl + V on the keyboard. Then, after adding the URL, find the “Name” box, and type in the name of your bookmark.
After you’ve named your bookmark by typing the name in the “Name” box, you’ll be asked to add tags to your bookmark. Find the box underneath “Tags. Separate them with comma(s).” Then, enter tags to help identify your bookmark.
When you’ve finished adding your bookmark to the SiteMarker app, find the “Add record” button, and click on it with the mouse. Once this button is selected, it’ll be added to SiteMarker. Repeat this process to add your favorite bookmarks.
How to view your SiteMarker bookmarks
To view your saved bookmarks in SiteMarker, do the following. First, ensure you have the SiteMarker app open on your Linux desktop. If you don’t, you can launch it via the app menu.
Once open, find the “View records in database” button, and click on it with the mouse. You’ll then be able to browse your saved bookmarks. Click the “Open in Default Browser” button to launch the bookmark in your browser.
