Are there any good + free + Lightweight+ Linux UML Design tools?

I am looking for a UML design tool (just for design, no need for code generation).

Key features

1. Free
2. For Linux
3. Easy to use
4. Lightweight

Most of the UML tools for Linux look really bad, but you could use these:

• ArgoUML (Java based, I had some glitches with diagrams)
• Umbrello
• Violet UML Editor (Java required)
• UMLet (Java required)
• Dia
• StarUML

Experimental/alternatives:

• ASCII flow - you can not always include images in documentation but simple text looks everywhere same, good to use in code for quick overview.

• Cloudcraft - Draw AWS diagrams with Cloudcraft. Good for quick architecture diagrams.

For quick drawings and who does not scare to "code" some diagrams I also suggest to take look at this product http://yuml.me/diagram/scruffy/class/samples.

i like UMLet: http://www.umlet.com/. It's very light weight

Did you mean a tool to draw the diagram? Try Dia Diagram Editor.

I just discovered Violet UML. Easy to use, lightweight, diagrams look ok for me: I picked it for my use!

See here : http://alexdp.free.fr/violetumleditor/page.php

I use gaphor which is GTK2 based and draws nice diagrams using cairo. It's Python based and can analyze and display Python code in UML.

Best install from PyPI: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/gaphor

Github: https://github.com/gaphor/gaphor

Website: https://gaphor.org/

You can find a metalist of lists of UML open source tools here: http://modeling-languages.com/uml-tools/#open

I use the Obeo UML Designer that you can find in the Eclipse Marketplace.

It goes very well together with the Acceleo toolkit for MDSD.

I think the major selling point for any modeling tool is that it has to be able to produce an output that can be fed into your toolchain.

I have never seen models that just exist for pure documentary purposes survive more than two or three cycles in a project. That sort of stuff usually never works, because the changes in the project are executed first and then the model is adapted. This kind of work is rightfully regarded as either braindead or luxury (depending on who you ask).

The correct way is that changes in the project must be driven by changes in the model.

I liked BOUML but now the free version is no longer available... there is a fork named DOUML, check it out