using git to sync encrypted journals

[thetayloredman]

Support Request

Environment

• Jrnl --diagnostic output:

jrnl: v2.8.4
Python: 3.9.5 (default, Nov 18 2021, 16:00:48) 
[GCC 10.3.0]
OS: Linux 5.11.0-49-generic

• Install method: pipx

What are you trying to do?

I am trying to synchronize journals using Git. The problem here is my jrnls must be encrypted.

What have you tried?

I am trying to write a merge engine to decrypt and re-encrypt the journals. The problem is I only want to prompt for a password once. I also need to read the list of journals programmatically. I am not sure how to pass the --decrypt a password from the command line (not STDIN)

Other Information

Suggested: ENV.JRLNCRYPT_PASSWORD and jrnl --list --style=json

[wren]

@thetayloredman Hi, and thanks for filing an issue!

The problem that you're running into is that --decrypt and --encrypt operate on the journal file, but it seems to me like you're trying to view the output from jrnl (not necessarily the file). Luckily, git has a config value made just for cases like this.

The way to do this is:

1. Update your git config by running the following line in your terminal (assuming you're working with the default journal)

   git config diff.jrnl.textconv "jrnl --format text --config-override journals.default.journal"

2. Add the following line to the .gitattributes file in your repo:

   *.jrnl diff=jrnl

3. Make sure that the password for this journal is stored in your keyring (otherwise git will get confused when asked for the password)

And that should be it. I just tested this locally, and I can see the diff in plain text for my test journal even though the journal file itself stays encrypted the entire time.

[thetayloredman]

Ahah! smart!

[thetayloredman]

What about merging..?

[wren]

I generally don't recommend merging encrypted files (they should basically be treated as binary). Instead, though, you could do something like the example at the end of this page in the git docs, and define a merge strategy using the .gitattributes file.

[thetayloredman]

@wren That was the point of making this issue. I want to merge journals from multiple sources with data-at-rest encryption.

[wren]

Oh, sorry about that. I thought the point was about git, but it seems that I misunderstood.

In that case, you could use --import. You can import the same journal into itself and the entries will be de-duplicated (e.g. jrnl --co journals.default.journal ./some_file.jrnl --format text | jrnl --import), so you'll be left with just the different entries.

I'm not as familiar with git merge strategies, but I think you can basically use the same trick from above (with --config-override/--co and --format text) to have jrnl operate on files without having to decrypt anything yourself. This should allow you to do anything you'd normally do with jrnl through git instead.

Does that answer your question?

[thetayloredman]

I think so... I'll have to export both to a tmpfs however or it's not D-A-R.

…

On Sat, Apr 9, 2022 at 4:36 PM Jonathan Wren ***@***.***> wrote: Oh, sorry about that. I thought the point was about git, but it seems that I misunderstood. In that case, you could use --import <https://jrnl.sh/en/stable/reference-command-line/#-import>. You can import the same journal into itself and the entries will be de-duplicated (e.g. jrnl --co journals.default.journal ./some_file.jrnl --format text | jrnl --import), so you'll be left with just the different entries. I'm not as familiar with git merge strategies, but I think you can basically use the same trick from above (with --config-override/--co and --format text) to have jrnl operate on files without having to decrypt anything yourself. This should allow you to do anything you'd normally do with jrnl through git instead. Does that answer your question? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1446 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AGJBKAMSLOISYLCBYWH64N3VEIH6FANCNFSM5S74DFWA> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[wren]

Ok, sounds good. Please let us know if you have any more questions!