How to Install Joplin on Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04 or 20.04 - LinuxCapable (2024)

Joplin is a remarkable open-source note-taking and to-do application that supports markdown editing and offers synchronization capabilities with various cloud services. Its versatility allows users to organize their notes into notebooks, tag them for easy search, and even attach files to notes for comprehensive documentation. Unlike many note-taking apps, Joplin prioritizes data privacy and gives users complete control over their information by enabling encryption and offering a wide range of synchronization options.

Additionally, below are more features of what makes Joplin popular:

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available on Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
• Open Source: Ensures transparency and community-driven enhancements.
• End-to-End Encryption: Keeps your data secure.
• Offline Access: Edit and view your notes without an internet connection.
• Markdown Support: For those who prefer markdown for note-taking and editing.
• Extensive Plugin Support: Customize your experience with numerous plugins.
• Synchronization Options: Supports Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, and WebDAV.
• Export and Import Functions: Easy data migration with support for various formats.

Installing Joplin on Ubuntu enhances productivity and aligns with a secure, reliable, customizable note-taking practice. Let’s dive into the technical steps to run Joplin on your Ubuntu system.

Method 1: Install Joplin via Bash Script

Update 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.

Download Joplin Installation Bash Script

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

Method 2: Install on Joplin 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 software packages that include their dependencies, so 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.

Ensuring Snap is Installed for Joplin

First, we must ensure that Snap is installed on your Ubuntu system. Ubuntu 16.04 and later versions come with a preinstalled snap, so unless you manually remove 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.

Install Joplin 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.

Method 3: Install Joplin 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.

Note: 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.

Enabling Flathub for Joplin

Enabling the Flathub repository is essential before installing Joplin through Flatpak. 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.

Install Joplin on Ubuntu 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.

Launching Joplin via CLI or GUI

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 to launch the application and explore its features.

Command-line Interface Joplin Launch Methods

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

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, the Joplin application icon will appear.
• Click on the Joplin icon to launch the application.

Managing Joplin

Update Joplin

APT Update Command for Joplin

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

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

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

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

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

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

sudo snap remove joplin-desktop

Flatpak Remove Command for Joplin

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

In this guide, we walked through installing Joplin on Ubuntu, covering three main methods: Bash script, Snap, and Flatpak. We also touched on some crucial first-time tips to get you started smoothly, from optimizing your workflow to customizing Joplin to fit your needs. As a final recommendation, fully explore Joplin’s features and plugins to harness its potential as a note-taking app. Remember, the more you use it, the more it becomes an indispensable part of your daily routine. So, dive in, start organizing your thoughts, and let Joplin help keep your ideas clear and accessible.

Useful Links

Here are some valuable links related to using Joplin:

• Joplin Official Website: Visit the official Joplin website for information about the note-taking application, its features, and download options.
• Joplin GitHub Repository: You can access the Joplin GitHub repository to view the source code, report issues, and contribute to development.
• Joplin Community Forum: Join the community forum to discuss issues, share solutions, and get support from other Joplin users.
• Joplin Help Documentation: Explore the help documentation for detailed guides on using and configuring Joplin.