Use the new command line (console) tool htmlval to check HTML, CSS, and JSON documents on Linux, and try using it with your favorite Linux editor (see integration with Linux editors).
htmlval is based on the core validation engine in CSS HTML Validator for Windows, which has been ported to Linux.
Note that some features like link checking, spell checking, PHP syntax checking, JavaScript checking, and some other features are currently not available in the Linux port. This is a command line tool for Linux; there is no GUI like in the Windows version.
FREE limited version: htmlval for Linux Free Limited (v26.0020)
Download htmlval for Linux FREE Limited Version • How to Install
The FREE limited version of htmlval is fully functional (with no time limit) except for the maximum number of errors and warnings being locked (limited) to 10 each. The FREE limited version is also considered to be the trial version (but it has no time limit).
This is a port of CSS HTML Validator Pro for Windows. It is included at no additional cost to users licensed for CSS HTML Validator Pro. It can also be used by users who have an htmlval-only license.
The program (htmlval) is is a command line (console) tool that is expected to run on all or most 64-bit PC (AMD64) Linux systems, and has been successfully tested to run on various installations of (or derived from) Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Slackware, Ubuntu, and Arch Linux.
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To install, download htmlval for Linux FREE limited version or download htmlval for Linux Paid Version and then extract the files using tar (see below). The 'xxxxxx' represents "free" (for the free limited version) or the actual version number (for the paid version). After extraction you'll see a new htmlval directory with the needed files inside.
$ tar -xvf htmlval-linux-xxxxxx.tgz
Next, run the install script as root to copy the files into the proper location. htmlval is copied to /usr/local/bin and htmlvalV260.cfg is copied to /etc/htmlval. See the README file if you want to do a manual install.
$ cd htmlval $ sudo ./install-htmlval [sudo] password for (username): (enter user* password) Congratulations! htmlval is installed; use 'htmlval --help' for usage
~$ tar -xvf htmlval-linux-free.tgz htmlval/ htmlval/uninstall-htmlval htmlval/README htmlval/htmlvalV260.cfg htmlval/htmlval htmlval/install-htmlval ~$ cd htmlval ~/htmlval$ sudo ./install-htmlval [sudo] password for (username): Congratulations! htmlval is installed; use 'htmlval --help' for usage
If the above worked then htmlval is installed and you're done! If not then see below.
If you get a message like '(username) is not in the sudoers file' then use su to temporarily change to root:
$ su Password: (enter root password) # (now you have root access; be careful!)
Now with root access, you can run the installation script and install htmlval:
# cd htmlval (if not in htmlval already) # ./install-htmlval Congratulations! htmlval is installed; use 'htmlval --help' for usage
If you used su to change to root then type exit to exit root after the installation is complete:
# exit exit $ (now you have exited root)
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The main documentation for htmlval for Linux and htmlval for Mac has been combined into a single htmlval Documentation page.
To uninstall, you can run the uninstall-htmlval script (in the htmlval directory) as root to remove htmlval and htmlvalVXXX.cfg. Then you can manually delete any remaining htmlval directory and htmlval*.tgz file.
# ./htmlval/uninstall-htmlval
or (when not root)
$ sudo ./htmlval/uninstall-htmlval
$ sudo ./htmlval/uninstall-htmlval
[sudo] password for (username):
htmlval is uninstalled
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If you like what you see and would like to buy a license and support continued development of htmlval, then you can buy a license for CSS HTML Validator Pro for Windows. The Pro edition includes htmlval (but not the Home edition).
You can also buy an htmlval-only license for $79 which includes only the command line (console) tool for both Mac and Linux. IMPORTANT: This htmlval-only license does not include the Windows GUI app.
Buy htmlval-only license ($79)
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Below you will find helpful information on using htmlval with various Linux editors. This is a new list and we are adding editors as needed and requested. Is your favorite Linux HTML editor missing or do you have a suggestion for an improvement? If so then please contact us and request that it be added.
Sublime Text: Go to Tools > Build System > New Build System. A default build document should open. Replace it with the following:
{ "shell_cmd": "htmlval -lhs --format \"%file%(%linenum%:%charnum%): %Type% - %msgtext%\" \"${file}\"", "file_regex": "^\\s*(\\S[^:]*)\\((\\d+):(\\d+)\\):\\s+([^\\n]+)" }
Go to File > Save (or press Ctrl+S) and save it as htmlval.sublime-build in Sublime Text's User directory (something like /home/(username)/.config/sublime-text/Packages/User/htmlval.sublime-build).
With the "htmlval" build system selected in Tools > Build System > htmlval, you can use Tools > Build (or Ctrl+B) to perform a build, which will save the current document (which must have a filename) and then validate it with htmlval. The validation messages should appear in Sublime Text's window. You can use F4 to scroll through the validator messages (Shift+F4 goes backwards).
Visual Studio Code: Close all projects and file. Go to Terminal > Configure Tasks. Choose Create tasks.json file from template then (if needed) choose Others. Copy and paste this htmlval task into the tasks.json file and save it. When editing an HTML or CSS files, you can run this task by choosing Terminal > Run Task and the "htmlval" task. Use F8 when the editor has focus to go to the next problem (i.e. validator message).
OPTIONAL: To more easily run the "htmlval" task, go to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts and assign F6 as a keyboard shortcut to Tasks: Run Task (optionally setting 'When' to editorFocus by right-clicking and choosing Change When Expression). You can then press F6 and then ENTER to select the top task (assuming the top task is "htmlval").
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