How to Install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

In today’s digital landscape, Joplin is a premier, open-source note-taking and task management tool fortified with end-to-end encryption. This platform, available for free, ensures both data organization and protection. If you aim to harness this tool on your system, this guide will detail how to install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish or Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa.

Joplin’s Distinct Features:

• Cross-Platform & Cost-Effective: Available on major OS, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, Joplin offers a budget-friendly, open-source solution.
• Security & Privacy: With end-to-end encryption and self-hosted synchronization options, Joplin prioritizes user data protection.
• Versatility: Beyond basic notes, Joplin supports markdown for enhanced formatting and synchronizes across devices using various cloud services.

Why Opt for Joplin?:

• User-Centric Design: Joplin’s intuitive interface and plugin support ensure a tailored user experience.
• Smooth Migration: Joplin facilitates easy note imports, making transitions from other platforms seamless.

Embracing Joplin means choosing a blend of functionality, security, and adaptability. Dive into the subsequent sections for a step-by-step guide on installing Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 using methods like apt, snap, and flatpak.

Install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via APT

Step 1: Updating System Packages Before Joplin Installation

To start, we need to ensure our Ubuntu system is up-to-date. Doing so mitigates the risk of compatibility issues or software conflicts during installation. Here’s how you can update your system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

The sudo apt update command retrieves information about the newest versions of packages and their dependencies. It will update your local package index. On the other hand, sudo apt upgrade will fetch new versions of packages existing on the machine if APT knows about these new versions by way of apt update.

Step 2: Download Joplin Installation Bash Script on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

The Joplin application is not included in Ubuntu’s standard repositories by default. However, the Joplin team provides a bash script that automates downloading and installing the application. This script is hosted on GitHub, and we can directly run it in our terminal.

Here is the command to download and execute the Joplin bash script:

wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/laurent22/joplin/dev/Joplin_install_and_update.sh | bash

The wget command fetches content from the web. It’s perfect for downloading files from servers directly from the command line. Here, -O - redirects the downloaded file to stdout, essentially printing it to your console. The URL following the command is the location of the Joplin installation script.

The | (pipe) takes the output of the command on the left, in this case, the output of our wget command, and uses it as input for the command on the right.

The bash command then runs this script, effectively downloading and installing Joplin.

Install on Joplin on UBuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Snap

You can install Joplin using the Snap package manager as an alternative to the APT-based method. Snap is a software packaging and deployment system developed by Canonical for the operating systems that use the Linux kernel. The packages, called snaps, and the tool for using them, snapd, work across a range of Linux distributions and allow upstream software developers to distribute their applications directly to users.

Snaps are designed to be self-contained packages of software that include their dependencies, which means they’re not reliant on system libraries. This makes them ideal for simple installation and management, particularly on systems where the desired software isn’t included in the standard repositories or where you don’t want to mix dependencies with the rest of your system.

Step 1: Ensuring Snap is Installed on Ubuntu for Joplin

First, we must ensure that Snap is installed on your Ubuntu system. Ubuntu 16.04 and later versions come with snap preinstalled, so unless you manually removed it, this should already be installed.

Use the following command to either install or check it’s installed quickly:

sudo apt install snapd

Here, sudo apt install snapd is used to install the snapd service. snapd is the background service that manages and maintains your snaps.

Step 2: Install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Snap Command

Once you’ve confirmed that Snap is installed on your system, the next step is to install Joplin. The following command will download and install Joplin from the Snap store:

sudo snap install joplin-desktop

Here, sudo snap install joplin-desktop tells the snap service to find, download, and install the joplin-desktop package. The sudo part of the command ensures you have the necessary permissions to install software on the system.

Install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Flatpak and Flathub

Flatpak is yet another software utility for software deployment, package management, and application virtualization for Linux. It provides a sandbox environment where users can run applications in isolation from the rest of the system.

Like Snap, Flatpak aims to resolve software dependencies and streamline the software distribution process by allowing developers to bundle their applications along with their dependencies. Let’s dive into the steps to install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 using the Flatpak package manager.

Step 1: Enabling Flathub for Joplin on Ubuntu

Before installing Joplin through Flatpak, enabling the Flathub repository is essential. Flathub is the de facto app store for the Flatpak package management system and serves as a vast repository for Flatpak applications.

To add Flathub as a repository in your Flatpak configuration, execute the following command:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

This command checks if the ‘flathub’ repository exists in your Flatpak configuration; if it doesn’t, it adds it. As a result, you have access to a comprehensive variety of applications, including Joplin.

Step 2: Install Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Flatpak Command

With Flathub enabled, you can install Joplin using the Flatpak install command. To do so, run the following command in your terminal:

flatpak install flathub net.cozic.joplin_desktop -y

This command installs Joplin from the Flathub repository. The -y option here approves all prompts by the flatpak install command, ensuring a smooth installation process.

If your system does not have Flatpak installed, please refer to our guide on “How to Install Flatpak on Ubuntu” for step-by-step instructions on installing the most recent supported version of Flatpak.

Launching Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

At this point, we’ve discussed various ways to install Joplin on Ubuntu using different package managers, including APT, Snap, and Flatpak. Once you have installed Joplin using your preferred method, the next step is launching the application and exploring its features.

Command-line Interface Joplin Launch Methods on Ubuntu

The command you will use to launch Joplin from the terminal depends on your chosen installation method. Here are the corresponding commands for each method:

APT Method: If you installed Joplin using the APT package manager, use the following command to launch it:

joplin

Snap Method: For those who used the Snap package manager for installation, launch Joplin using the command:

snap run joplin-desktop

Flatpak Method: If you installed Joplin via Flatpak, use this command to start the application:

flatpak run net.cozic.joplin_desktop

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Joplin Launch Method on Ubuntu

If you prefer using the GUI over the command line, launching Joplin is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can do it:

• Click on the ‘Show Applications’ icon in your Ubuntu dock, usually located at the bottom left of your screen.
• In the search bar that appears, type in ‘Joplin’. As you type, you’ll see the Joplin application icon appear.
• Click on the Joplin icon to launch the application.

Tips for Getting Started with Joplin on Ubuntu Linux

Now that Joplin is installed on your Ubuntu system, we’ve compiled a few tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Joplin experience. These recommendations cover general usage, customization, and some advanced features.

General Usage Tips with Joplin on Ubuntu

Here are some essential pointers to enhance your overall experience with Joplin:

• Synchronize Your Notes: Joplin allows you to synchronize your notes across multiple devices. Go to Tools > Options > Synchronization, choose your preferred sync target (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.), and click the ‘Synchronize’ button in the top right corner.

Joplin > Tools > Options > Synchronization

• Search Functionality: Use the search bar at the top of the Joplin interface to quickly find specific notes. You can search by note title or content.
• Markdown Support: Joplin supports Markdown for note formatting. If you’re unfamiliar with Markdown, spend some time learning the basics — creating neatly formatted notes is worth the effort.
• Tagging Notes: Use the tagging feature to quickly categorize and locate your notes. You can add a tag to a note by typing it into the ‘Tags’ field in note properties.

Customization Tips with Joplin on Ubuntu

Joplin provides many customization options that help you personalize the app according to your liking:

• Theme Customization: Under Tools > Options > Appearance, you can choose between a light and dark theme for your Joplin application.

Joplin > Tools > Options > Appearance

• Layout Customization: Joplin allows you to adjust the layout of your note interface. By navigating to View > Change Application Layout, you can choose from several pre-set layouts or customize your own.

Joplin > View > Change Application Layout

Advanced Tips with Joplin on Ubuntu

Here are some tips for users who wish to explore some of the more advanced features of Joplin:

• Web Clipper: Joplin’s web clipper tool lets you save web pages directly as notes. This browser extension tool can be activated from Tools > Options > Web Clipper.

Joplin > Tools > Options > Web Clipper

• End-to-End Encryption: Joplin provides the option for end-to-end encryption to ensure your notes’ privacy. You can enable this from Tools > Options > Encryption.

Joplin > Tools > Options > Encryption

Managing Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

This section will explore managing your Joplin installation on Ubuntu Linux, including updating and removing the application. This includes methods for all three installations we discussed: APT, Snap, and Flatpak. Let’s dive in and learn how to keep our Joplin app up-to-date and how to remove it if necessary.

Update Joplin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

APT Update Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

If you installed Joplin using the APT method, you’ll know the application was installed manually using a bash script. To keep Joplin updated, you can create a cron job automatically downloading and running this bash script.

You could set the job to run at a specific time interval, or perhaps more conveniently for desktop users, you could set it to run every time you log in to your system. Let’s look at how to set this up.

To open your crontab file for editing, use the following command in your terminal:

crontab -e

To update Joplin every time you log in to your system, add the following line:

@reboot /path/to/your/joplin_update_script.sh

Remember to replace “/path/to/your/joplin_update_script.sh” with the actual path of your update script.

Snap Update Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

For Snap, you can trigger an update manually using the following command:

sudo snap refresh joplin-desktop

Or to check all Snap installations:

sudo snap refresh

Flatpak Update Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

For Flatpak, you can update all your installed Flatpak applications, including Joplin, with the following command:

flatpak update

If you wish to update only Joplin, you can specify it like so:

flatpak update net.cozic.joplin_desktop

Remove Joplin from Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

If you wish to uninstall Joplin from your Ubuntu Linux system, here are the methods based on the installation type.

APT Remove Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

To uninstall the APT version of Joplin, you have to remove the Joplin directory. You can do this with the following command:

rm -rf ~/.joplin

Snap Remove Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

To remove Joplin installed via Snap, you can use the following command:

sudo snap remove joplin-desktop

Flatpak Remove Command for Joplin on Ubuntu

Finally, if you installed Joplin via Flatpak, you can remove it using the following command:

flatpak uninstall net.cozic.joplin_desktop

In each case, remember that removing Joplin will also delete your notes and notebooks, so ensure you have a backup if you wish to preserve your data.

Closing Thoughts

We have walked through the installation process of Joplin on Ubuntu Linux, covering several methods, including the APT, Snap, and Flatpak. Each method has strengths and conveniences, catering to different user preferences and system configurations. Joplin is a remarkable note-taking and to-do application with robust features, and we hope this guide has paved a straightforward path for you to utilize this tool in your Ubuntu Linux environment. Remember, as with all software, keep your Joplin application up-to-date to benefit from the latest features and security updates.