Visual Studio Code
Close matchFreeFree, official Linux version, installs in one click. Bigger than Notepad++ but covers the same jobs and far more.
Your files: Opens any text, code or config file. Shows and converts Windows line endings.
Does Notepad++ run on Linux?
Verdict: Not directly
Not directly. Notepad++ is built with Windows-only code and has no Linux version, but it is one of the programs that runs well through Wine, and Linux has good text editors of its own.
The Notepad++ project describes itself as running in the Windows environment using pure Win32 code, which is Microsoft's own programming toolkit. There is no Linux release and there is unlikely ever to be one, because the whole program is built on that foundation.
It is, however, a well-behaved program under Wine, the tool that lets some Windows software run on Linux. Bottles is the friendly way to do that: install Bottles from your app store, let it set up a container, and install Notepad++ into it the same way you would on Windows. Your plug-ins mostly work. It is a few extra steps and it is not something you would recommend before trying the alternatives.
Most people find they do not need it. Every Linux desktop ships with a capable text editor that handles syntax highlighting, search across files and multiple tabs. If you want more, Visual Studio Code has an official Linux version, installs in one click and does everything Notepad++ does and considerably more.
Your files are plain text and open anywhere. The one thing to watch is line endings, the invisible characters that mark the end of each line, which differ between Windows and Linux. Any decent editor shows and converts them, so it is a settings toggle rather than a problem.
What to use instead of Notepad++
Bottles
Different way of workingFreeOnly if you truly want Notepad++ itself. It installs the real Windows program into a self-contained container on Linux.
Your files: Runs the original program, so nothing changes about your files.
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