Content

Overall description

Flameshot is simple but in the same time very powerful tool with many additional features for taking and editing images. With the help of a graphical user interface it offers you many options for adding text, drawing arrows, lines, rectangles, circles, and other interactive elements. Moreover, cropping, pinning, highlighting as far as a blurring text parts and manually creating different shapes are also available in Flameshot. Screenshots can be easily saved to a local file or copied to clipboard for pasting in other programs. It also includes features to customize appearance, has support for both CLI and GUI, and provides integration with Imgur via Flameshot Dbus interface. Many additional configuration options like hiding icons or changing the colors will make your images more interactive. Capturing of website pages and software menus are also available in Flameshot.

Flameshot is a lightweight free open source software that means that skilled developers can enhance the program. It works on many Linux distros such as Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Linux Mint, Debian GNU/Linux, Bodhi Linux, Gentoo, Mandriva, Mageia, openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Slackware and more.

Key features that stand flameshot from the other programs are possibility to highlight elements and add text to just created screenshot with no need to save and open it in image editor. These features were implemented in the sixth edition of the program and therefore the choice of this particular version seems most relevant to use.

Flameshot features:

  • Free, no need to pay money;
  • Easy to use;
  • Just created images can be edited and pasted without saving;
  • Wide options for screenshot editing;
  • Uploading images to Imgur;
  • Many customization options;
  • Support for Dbus interface;
  • Keyboard shortcuts.

Building .deb packet from source

To build from source, certain utilities are needed. Before starting work, install the minimum set that will be necessary for building process. These are the packages: debhelper, dh-make, devscripts, fakeroot, build-essential, automake, gnupg, lintia. Dev versions of libraries will be required for bundling specific software additional compliers. It is probably better to install them when needed.

After installing the software, everything is ready to build Flameshot .deb packet.

  1. Prepare the directory to work in:
    mkdir -p /tmp/dev/deb/flameshot
                        cd !!:2
                        user@user-desktop:/tmp/dev/deb/flameshot$
  2. Go to the package page and find a link to the dsc-file in the column on the right:flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.dsc
    Download the package source code using dget command:
    dget
                        http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/f/flameshot/flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.dsc
  3. As a result, three files with source codes will be downloaded:
    flameshot-0.6.0+git20190714-1.dsc
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714.orig.tar.gz
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.debian.tar.xz
    Unpack .dsc file with the command:
    dpkg-source -x flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.dsc
  4. Move to the new catalog:
    cd flameshot-0.6.0+git20190714/
  5. Begin the package building procedure:
    dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot

    Most likely, a package cannot be built right away due to the some missing libraries. Libraries that are needed for building: libqt5dbus5, libqt5network5, libqt5core5a, libqt5widgets5, libqt5gui5. Install them via apt and try to build the package again. Package will be built and configured if all the necessary packets are successfully installed. The make-file will be processed and the program itself will be compiled.

  6. Check got files:
    cd ..
                        ls
                        flameshot-0.6.0+git20190714
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1_amd64.buildinfo
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1_amd64.changes
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1_amd64.deb
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.debian.tar.xz
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1.dsc
                        flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714.orig.tar.gz
                        flameshot-dbgsym_0.6.0+git20190714-1_amd64.ddeb
                        
  7. Install the received package: flameshot_0.6.0+git20190714-1_amd64.deb

Flameshot installation process

sudo dpkg -i flameshot_0.6.0+git20191001-2_arm64.deb
  • Resolve needed dependencies:
sudo apt install -f
  • or install it with all the needed dependencies automatically with apt command:
sudo apt install ./flameshot_0.6.0+git20191001-2_arm64.deb

Flameshot keyboard shortcuts

Keys
Description
PrtScr
Shortcut to activate Flameshot tool
← ↓ ↑ →
Arrow keys to increase the selection size by 1px
Shift + ← ↓ ↑ →
With Shift button resize selection by 1px
Esc
Press the Esc button to exit the capture window
Ctrl + C, Ctrl + S, Ctrl + Z
For copy, paste and undo
Spacebar
To get an option of other tools such as color picker and history menu
Shift + drag
To move objects or elements like annotations
Ctrl + PrtScr
It will start the Flameshot but after 3 seconds
Shift + PrtScr
Take a full Desktop screenshot and save it immediately
Ctrl + Shift + PrtScr
It also capture full desktop but instead saving will copy to clipboard to use ion some other software or application
Mouse Wheel
Change the tool's thickness