CLI Tools Notes

This document describes three command-line tools I use:

• croc – secure file transfer
• jrnl – command-line journaling
• grex – generate regex from examples

croc

croc is a simple and secure tool for sending files and folders between computers using the terminal. It works across platforms and handles encryption automatically.

# Install
sudo pacman -S croc

# Send a file
croc send file.txt

#Receive a file
CROC_SECRET="********" croc

Why I use croc

• Very easy file sharing
• End-to-end encryption
• No server setup required
• Works behind firewalls and NAT

jrnl

jrnl is a command-line journaling and note-taking application. Notes are stored as plain text and can be encrypted.

# Install
sudo pacman -S jrnl

## Write a journal entry

jrnl "Today I learned about croc"

# Open editor mode
jrnl

# Show last 5 entries
jrnl -n 5

Why I use jrnl

• Fast note-taking from terminal
• Plain text and searchable
• Great for daily logs and thoughts

grex

grex generates regular expressions from example strings. It is very useful when you know what strings you want to match but don’t want to write regex manually.

# Install
sudo pacman -S grex

# Generate a regex
grex "user_123" "user_456"

# Example output
user_\d+

Why I use grex

• Saves time writing regex
• Reduces mistakes
• Helpful for log parsing and validation

Summary

These tools help me stay productive while working entirely in the terminal.