How to create your own QR Codes in Ubuntu

A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.

Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

The technology has seen a large uptake in Japan and South Korea. However, in the west there has been a considerably slower adoption of QR Codes.

How can I create a QR code in Linux?

The creation of QR codes in Ubuntu is simple, albeit command-line based. You will need to install ‘qrencode‘ from the Ubuntu Software Center - you can click here to install it or search for ‘qrencode’ manually.

Once Qrencode has been successfully installed you can create QR codes using the Terminal and the following command :

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

To create a link to the Google homepage with the output file called ‘google.png’ and made in your homefolder  you would run : 

• qrencode -o blogcupu-newbie.png 'http://blogcupu-newbie.blogspot.com'

This outputs the following: -

You can make the ‘pixels’ used in the code bigger by using the ‘-s‘ argument. Let’s make the same QR code but with the square pixels increased to 6×6 and have the .png saved to our desktop- or any other directory :

• qrencode -o ~/Desktop/blogcupu-newbie.png -s 8 'http://blogcupu-newbie.blogspot.com'

  
  source from OMG! Ubuntu! and Wikipedia