bkmr

Beyond Bookmarks: A CLI Knowledge Management System

bkmr reborn

bkmr - selected crate of the week 482 - is a fast, feature-rich command-line tool that extends far beyond traditional bookmark management.

Organize, find, and apply your various content types:

• Web URLs with automatic metadata extraction
• Code snippets for quick access and reuse
• Shell commands with execution capabilities
• Markdown documents with live rendering
• Plain text with template interpolation
• Local files and directories
• Semantic embeddings for AI-powered search

Why bkmr?

• Developer-focused: Integrates seamlessly with your workflow and toolchain
• Multifunctional: Handles many content types with context-aware actions
• Intelligent: Full-text and semantic search capabilities
• Privacy-focused: Local database, no cloud dependencies unless enabled
• Fast: 20x faster than similar Python tools

Core Features

# Quick fuzzy search across your content with interactive selection
bkmr search --fzf

# Advanced filtering with tags
bkmr search -t python,security "authentication"

# Add web URLs, enrich with metadata automatically
bkmr add https://example.com tag1,tag2  # title, description, etc will be loaded automatically

# Store code snippets
bkmr add "SELECT * FROM users WHERE role = 'admin'" sql,snippet --type snip --title "My Sql"
bkmr search --fzf --fzf-style enhanced -t _snip_  # show interactive selection menu

# shell scripts, added via interactive editor
bkmr add sysadmin,utils --type shell
# Bookmark Template
# Lines starting with '#' are comments and will be ignored.
# Section markers (---SECTION_NAME---) are required and must not be removed.

---ID---

---URL---
#!/bin/bash
echo "Hello World!"
---TITLE---
System Status
---TAGS---
_shell_
---COMMENTS---
Show the system status
---EMBEDDABLE---
false
---END---

# Run the script (default action for this content-type is called automatically when search returns excactly one)
bkmr search -t _shell_ "System Status"
> Found 1 bookmark: System Status (ID: 22). Executing default action...
> Hello World!


# Store markdown which will be rendered in the browser
bkmr add "# Project Notes\n\n## Tasks\n- [ ] Complete documentation\n- [ ] Write tests" notes,project --type md --title Markdown
bkmr open <id>  # open it in WEB browser

# Store environment variables for sourcing in a shell
bkmr add "export DB_USER=dev\nexport DB_PASSWORD=secret\nexport API_KEY=test_key" dev,env --type env --title 'My Environment'
bkmr search --fzf --fzf-style enhanced -t _env_  # select it for sourcing

# Execute shell commands via bookmark (deprecated, use content-type _shell_ instead)
bkmr add "shell::find ~/projects -name '*.go' | xargs grep 'func main'" tools,search --title 'Search Golang'

# Semantic search with AI
bkmr --openai sem-search "containerized application security" --limit 3

Bookmarks

Snippets

Demos

See bkmr in action:

• Overview

• Getting Started

• Search and Filter

• Edit and Update

• Tag Management

Getting Started

1. Install:

   cargo install bkmr
   
   # or via pip/pipx/uv
   pip install bkmr
   
   # or via brew
   brew install bkmr
   
   

2. Setup:

   # Configuration 
   bkmr --generate-config > ~/.config/bkmr/config.toml
   
   # Create database
   bkmr create-db ~/.config/bkmr/bkmr.db
   
   # Optional: Configure location (override config.toml)
   export BKMR_DB_URL=~/path/to/db
   

3. Start using:

   # Add your first bookmark
   bkmr add https://github.com/yourusername/yourrepo github,project
   
   # Find it again
   bkmr search github
   

Command Reference

Smart Content Actions

bkmr intelligently handles different content types with appropriate actions:

Advanced Features

• Template interpolation: Use Jinja-style templates in URLs and commands
• Content embedding: Store semantic representations for AI-powered search
• Context-aware actions: Different behaviors based on content type
• Multiple output formats: Terminal display, clipboard, or JSON export

For detailed documentation on advanced features:

• Configuration Options
• Content Types
• Smart Actions
• Template Interpolation
• Semantic Search
• Advanced Usage

Developer Workflow Integration

bkmr transforms your terminal into a knowledge hub for development tasks:

1. Unified knowledge store - Access code snippets, documentation, and resources with one command
2. Reduced context switching - Launch applications and execute commands without leaving your workflow
3. Smart clipboard management - Quickly access common snippets without leaving the terminal
4. Documentation at your fingertips - Render markdown and technical notes instantly
5. Automation shortcuts - Turn complex command sequences into reusable bookmarks

Upgrading from Previous Versions

If you're upgrading from a previous version, bkmr will automatically:

1. Check for necessary database migrations
2. Create a timestamped backup of your current database
3. Apply migrations to support newer features

Community and Contributions

We welcome contributions! Please check our Contributing Guidelines to get started.