keepnote

keepnote [options] [notebook_path]
The command primarily launches the KeepNote graphical user interface (GUI).

--help
    Displays a help message outlining available command-line options and then exits.

--version
    Shows the KeepNote application version number and then exits.

notebook_path
    An optional argument specifying the file system path to a KeepNote notebook directory (e.g., ~/MyNotes.nb) to open directly upon launching the application. If omitted, KeepNote will typically open the last used notebook or prompt the user to select or create one.

KeepNote is a desktop note-taking application designed for organizing notes in a hierarchical tree structure. It supports rich-text formatting, allowing users to customize fonts, colors, and styles, and to embed images directly into notes. The application also facilitates attaching files and creating hyperlinks between notes or to external resources. Users can create multiple notebooks, each serving as a separate knowledge base.

Key features include a built-in screenshot tool, a robust full-text search capability across all notes within a notebook, automatic saving, and an incremental backup system. Notes are stored in a simple, open file format, typically as HTML or XML files within a directory structure, making them easily accessible, manageable, and portable without the KeepNote application itself. Its design emphasizes simplicity and offline usability, making it suitable for personal knowledge management.

KeepNote's development has largely stalled since the early 2010s, meaning it is not actively maintained or receiving updates for new features or security vulnerabilities. This lack of ongoing development can lead to compatibility issues with newer Python or GTK versions on modern Linux distributions, and users might find it difficult to install it from official package repositories. Due to its unmaintained status, users seeking a actively developed and supported note-taking solution are generally advised to consider more modern alternatives.

KeepNote stores its notes in a user-readable and open format. Each note is typically saved as an HTML or XML file, and any attached files are stored directly alongside them within a simple directory structure. This structure mirrors the hierarchical organization seen in the GUI. This design choice makes notes extremely portable, easy to back up, synchronize, and even accessible or parsable using standard file tools or web browsers without the need for the KeepNote application itself.

One of KeepNote's notable features is its integrated incremental backup system. The application automatically saves previous versions of notes, allowing users to revert to earlier states. This robust feature provides a safeguard against accidental deletions, modifications, or data corruption, ensuring that note history is preserved.

KeepNote was initially developed by Matt Rasmussen, with its first public releases emerging around 2008-2009. It was conceived as a lightweight, cross-platform (though most commonly used on Linux) tool for hierarchical note organization, prioritizing simplicity and robustness. Active development continued for several years, during which features such as rich-text editing, full-text search, and a robust incremental backup system were implemented. However, updates and active development significantly slowed down and effectively ceased around 2011-2012, leaving the project largely unmaintained in the subsequent years. Despite its unmaintained status, its simple and open file format allowed for continued usability for some time, though it has since been largely superseded by more contemporary note-taking solutions.

cherrytree(1): A hierarchical note-taking application with rich text, code highlighting, and support for various data types., zim(1): A desktop wiki for note-taking, supporting multiple markups and extensibility via plugins., xournal(1): For handwritten notes, sketching, and annotating PDFs., grep(1): Useful for command-line searching of text patterns within KeepNote's plain-text/HTML note files.