QR, stands for ‘Quick Response’ are the types of hyperlinks that can be physically distributed and users can easily access the url/text that is behind that QR Code. The QR code can encode upto 4,296 characters. QR codes can easily be created as a .png image on Linux machines with the program called QR Code Creator.

Posters, catalogs, magazines, business cards, and even television screens display the small squares, offering additional information or URLs for microsites.

The information encoded in the QR Codes can easily be accessed from the smartphones with the available free apps.

How to Create QR Codes in Linux?

In Ubuntu/Linux Mint, QR Codes can easily be created as a .png image file. Install QR Code Encoder into PNG from software center.

After you have installed QR Code encoder, You can create QR Code from the terminal command line or you can also create with easy to interact user interface. For user interface install the .deb file @ launchpad.net/qr-code-creator/

Simply input the text/url and Pixel Size to create the QR Code.

Creating QR Code from the Command line using the following format –

qrencode -o [filename.png] ‘[text/url/information to encode]’

For example, Create a QR code image file that has URL encoded ‘www.linuxandubuntu.com’.

$ qrencode -o linuxandubuntu.png 'http://www.linuxandubuntu.com'

You can also play with size. Increase pixel to increase size or vice-versa.

$ qrencode -o linuxandubuntu.png -s 6 'http://www.linuxandubuntu.com'