# Install jrnl with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Command-line note taker. Version 4.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#jrnl.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:jrnl
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install jrnl
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install jrnl
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: office/jrnl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install jrnl
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: jrnl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#jrnl
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jr/jrnl/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S jrnl
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: jrnl from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install jrnl
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jrnl from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:jrnl
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 4.3
- **Source summary:** Command-line note taker
- **Homepage:** <https://jrnl.sh/en/stable/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- jrnl (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 4.3
## Project history and usage

jrnl is a long-running command-line journal and note-taking application. It emphasizes natural-language entry, plain-text storage, search, tagging, multiple journals, and optional AES encryption.

### Project history

The README copyright header identifies jrnl contributors from 2012 through 2023, and PyPI records a jrnl 0.3.0 upload on 2012-05-24. The project later moved under the jrnl-org GitHub organization, with maintainers and contributors called out in the README and funding routed through Open Collective.

### Adoption history

jrnl has unusually broad distribution for a personal productivity CLI. The input batch records Homebrew, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE packaging, while PyPI is the Python registry source. Homebrew analytics for the formula showed 1,482 installs over the 365-day window reported by the formula API on 2026-07-01.

### How it is used

A jrnl entry can be written directly on the command line with natural-language dates such as 'yesterday', or composed interactively or through an external editor. The project site emphasizes human-friendly input, future-proof plain-text journals, AES encryption, syncing with external tools, multiple journals, and exports such as JSON.

### Why package nerds care

jrnl is a classic example of a Unix-style personal data tool: the core data remains readable text, while the CLI adds indexing, parsing, encryption, search, and export. Its longevity since 2012 and packaging across Python and OS package managers make it more culturally established than most small note-taking CLIs.

### Timeline

- 2012: PyPI recorded jrnl 0.3.0 on 2012-05-24.
- 2013: PyPI recorded jrnl 1.0.0 on 2013-03-04.
- 2023: The changelog recorded jrnl 4.0 on 2023-05-20 with breaking changes around Python support and encryption internals.
- 2024: The changelog recorded jrnl 4.2 on 2024-11-17, including a calendar heatmap display format and Python 3.13 support.
- 2026: The changelog recorded jrnl 4.3 on 2026-02-24 with Python 3.14 support and project build modernization.

### Related projects

- jrnl is related to plain-text journaling, todo.txt-style personal data workflows, editor-driven note taking, encrypted local journals, and Python packaging through PyPI and pipx.

### Sources

- <https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/jrnl.json>
- <https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl>
- <https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md>
- <https://jrnl.sh/en/stable>
- <https://opencollective.com/jrnl>
- <https://pypi.org/project/jrnl/>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: ~/.config/jrnl/jrnl.yaml, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/jrnl/jrnl.yaml
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.config\jrnl\jrnl.yaml
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - jrnl: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jr/jrnl/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- dnf - jrnl - 4.3-6.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: jrnl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Collect your thoughts and notes without leaving the command line | https://jrnl.sh
- pacman - jrnl - 4.3-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: jrnl from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Collect your thoughts and notes without leaving the command line | https://jrnl.sh/
- zypper - jrnl - 4.2.1-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jrnl from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Collect your thoughts and notes without leaving the command line | https://jrnl.sh
- MacPorts - jrnl: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: office/jrnl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/jrnl.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/jrnl.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph