Jern

Jern is a terminal-based journaling tool that provides basic encryption for your personal entries. It uses AES-128 encryption with a random initialization vector (IV) to protect your journal entries from casual discovery.

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Security Notice

The encryption implementation in Jern is designed for basic privacy and should not be considered cryptographically secure. It provides a deterrent against casual snooping but should not be relied upon for highly sensitive information.

Features

• Terminal-based interface for distraction-free writing
• Basic encryption using AES-128
• Automatic date-based file naming
• Simple key file management
• Minimal setup required

Installation

Simply place Jern in a folder or the root of a USB drive, and run the application. It will create an entries folder automatically, where auto-generated entries (ones based on the current date) will appear. Your directory structure will look like this after first run:

/
├── jern (executable)
├── key file (.k)
└── entries/

Usage

Creating a New Entry

To create a new entry with today's date:

./jern

To create an entry with a specific name:

./jern entries/my-entry.se

Opening Existing Entries

To open a previous entry:

./jern entries/previous-entry.se

Key File Management

• Your encryption key is the filename of a .k file
• Use unique keys that are not passwords you use elsewhere
• For additional security, delete, move, or rename the key file after finishing your entry

Navigation and Editing

• Use mouse for text selction
• Right-click to access the context menu with additional functions
• Navigate between entries using the buttons on the bottom
• Please note: Common terminal keyboard shortcuts may not work as expected

Exiting

Press Esc to safely exit Jern. It will prompt you to save any unsaved changes before exiting.

File Types

• .se: Encrypted journal entries (Secure Entry)
• .k: Key files used for encryption

Best Practices

1. Keep backups of your entries directory
2. Never share or reuse key file names that you use for other purposes
3. Consider moving completed entries and their key files to secure storage

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and pull requests! I'm open to new ideas or features. But please keep in mind, I'd like to keep Jern portable.

License

GPL-3.0