How to create QR Codes easily in Gentoo Linux

QR Codes are two-dimensional bar codes that can store a surprising amount of information. CuterCode and Qreator are two applications that are easy to install and use to produce QR Codes that can be saved as image files for use on labels, posters, Web sites, business cards, documents, etc. You can read QR Codes using the Android app Barcode Scanner by ZXing Team and several other Android apps, and also using a Linux app (see my post on ZBar). Here is how to install CuterCode and Qreator in Gentoo Linux.

A QR Code created using Qreator.

CuterCode

This is a Python script and simple GUI.

https://github.com/mnagel/cutercode

First download the script itself:

$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mnagel/cutercode/master/cutercode
$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mnagel/cutercode/master/cutercode.ui

Make the Python script exectuable:

$ chmod +x cutercode

Then install the package media-gfx/qrencode-python (it will pull-in the package media-gfx/qrencode) on which it depends:

# emerge qrencode-python

To launch the application:

$ ./cutercode

Use the Print Scrn key on your keyboard to launch KSnapshot (or whatever screen capture tool it is you use) and capture the QR Code to a JPG or PNG file for use in you documents. That’s it!

Qreator

The UI of Qreator is more polished than CuterCode, and you have the options to save the QR Code as a PNG file, copy it to the clipboard, print it or edit its appearance.

https://launchpad.net/qreator

Either merge it from Portage overlay dev-zero using layman:

# layman -S
# layman -a dev-zero
# emerge qreator

or download the dev-zero files into your local overlay and install it from there:

# mkdir -p /usr/local/portage/app-office/qreator/files
# cd /usr/local/portage/app-office/qreator
# wget http://data.gpo.zugaina.org/dev-zero/app-office/qreator/qreator-13.05.3.ebuild
# cd files
# wget http://data.gpo.zugaina.org/dev-zero/app-office/qreator/files/13.05.3-python-imaging.patch
# cd ..
# ebuild qreator-13.05.3.ebuild manifest
# emerge qreator

If you happen to be a KDE user, you will find a menu entry for Qreator is installed under ‘Applications’ > ‘Graphics’ in the KDE launcher, or you can launch it from the command line:

$ qreator

Background reading

QR Code – Wikipedia
QRcode.com – Answers to your questions about the QR Code