Zotero
Close matchFree with paid extrasFree and open source, with a proper LibreOffice Writer plugin for citations. Usually the better long term home on Linux.
Your files: Imports a Mendeley library, bringing references and attached PDFs across.
Does Mendeley Reference Manager run on Linux?
Verdict: Yes
Yes. Elsevier offers Mendeley Reference Manager for Linux as an AppImage, which is a single file you download and run, and your library syncs down from your Mendeley account.
Mendeley's download page has a Linux option alongside Windows and Mac. It comes as an AppImage, a single file that runs on its own without being installed the usual way. You download it, allow it to run, and double click it.
Once you sign in, your library, folders, tags, annotations and PDFs come down from your account, so nothing needs rescuing from the Windows machine. The Mendeley Web Importer works as a browser add-on in Firefox or Chrome on Linux, same as before.
The citation plugin is the part to check before you commit. Mendeley Cite is built for Microsoft Word, and there is no Word on Linux, so if you write in LibreOffice you will need a different route for citations. Many people in this position move to Zotero, which plugs into LibreOffice Writer directly and can import a Mendeley library.
Because an AppImage is not installed through your app store, it will not update itself. You download a newer file when you want one.
Mendeley Reference Manager on Linux, and alternatives
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