hotkey-add-journal

hotkey-add-journal is a small Bash utility for adding structured entries to an Obsidian daily note from a keyboard shortcut.

It opens a graphical menu and can record events, sleep times, activities, energy and mood, ideas, reminders, todo items, and optional Markdown tags. The script safely updates the note and refuses to overwrite it when its structure is not what the configuration expects.

How it works

The script expects daily notes named like Journal/2026-10-08.md. It inserts normal entries below an exact heading, normally ## Log. Sleep entries are inserted directly after YAML frontmatter.

The script edits Markdown files directly; it does not use the Obsidian API and Obsidian does not need to be open. Keep your normal backup or Git workflow enabled.

1. Install dependencies

The script needs Bash, standard command-line tools, ripgrep, one menu program, yad, and zenity.

Ubuntu Linux

sudo apt update
sudo apt install bash coreutils gawk grep sed findutils ripgrep yad zenity wofi

If wofi is unavailable on your Ubuntu release, install rofi instead and set MENU_TOOL="rofi" in the script:

sudo apt install bash coreutils gawk grep sed findutils ripgrep yad zenity rofi

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S bash coreutils gawk grep sed findutils ripgrep yad zenity wofi

For an X11 desktop, install rofi instead and set MENU_TOOL="rofi":

sudo pacman -S rofi

2. Install the script

From this project directory:

mkdir -p "$HOME/.local/bin"
cp hotkey-add-journal "$HOME/.local/bin/hotkey-add-journal"
chmod +x "$HOME/.local/bin/hotkey-add-journal"

If $HOME/.local/bin is not in your PATH, add this to ~/.bashrc and/or ~/.zshrc:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Open a new terminal afterwards, or run source "$HOME/.bashrc".

3. Configure your vault

Open hotkey-add-journal and edit only the block marked USER CONFIGURATION — EDIT THIS BLOCK.

Example:

VAULT_DIR="$HOME/Documents/MyObsidianVault"
JOURNAL_SUBDIR="Journal"
TEMPLATE_RELATIVE_PATH="_Templates/Journal - Daily Note.md"
LOG_HEADING="## Log"
TAG_INDEX_RELATIVE_PATH="TAGS_COUNT.md"
MENU_TOOL="wofi"

Setting	Meaning
VAULT_DIR	Absolute path to your Obsidian vault. $HOME is allowed.
JOURNAL_SUBDIR	Folder containing YYYY-MM-DD.md daily notes.
TEMPLATE_RELATIVE_PATH	Template path relative to the vault.
LOG_HEADING	Exact heading where normal entries are inserted.
TAG_INDEX_RELATIVE_PATH	Optional tag-count file. Set it to an empty value if you do not have one.
MENU_TOOL	wofi for Wayland or rofi for X11/Wayland.

Linux paths are case-sensitive: Journal and journal are different folders.

4. Prepare the daily-note template

Your template must contain the exact heading configured in LOG_HEADING. The smallest usable template is:

---
date: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}
---

# {{date:dddd D MMMM YYYY}}

## Log

## Notes

An example is included in examples/daily-note-template.md. If your template uses another heading, either change it to ## Log or change LOG_HEADING in the script.

5. Check and run

Run this before using the hotkey:

hotkey-add-journal --check

The check verifies the vault, Journal folder, template, log heading and required programs. It does not create or modify a journal note.

Then try it manually:

hotkey-add-journal

Run it inside your graphical desktop session. A plain SSH session normally cannot display wofi, rofi, yad or zenity.

6. Keyboard shortcuts

Niri

In ~/.config/niri/config.kdl:

binds {
    Mod+J { spawn "/home/YOUR_USER/.local/bin/hotkey-add-journal"; }
}

Replace YOUR_USER with your Linux username and reload Niri.

Hyprland

In ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

bind = SUPER, J, exec, /home/YOUR_USER/.local/bin/hotkey-add-journal

Reload Hyprland afterwards.

GNOME

Open Settings → Keyboard → View and Customize Shortcuts → Custom Shortcuts, add a shortcut named Add journal entry, and use /home/YOUR_USER/.local/bin/hotkey-add-journal as the command.

KDE Plasma

Open System Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts → Add New → Command or Script, choose the script and assign a shortcut.

Tags

The tag dialog searches tags found in the vault. It reads the optional tag index and also scans Markdown files with ripgrep. The displayed name does not need a leading #; the script adds it when saving. New tag allows a tag that is not yet present. Tags may not contain spaces.

Troubleshooting

A command is missing

Install the package named by --check, using apt on Ubuntu or pacman on Arch, then run the check again.

The menu does not appear

Check that the script is started from a graphical session. Use MENU_TOOL="wofi" for Wayland or MENU_TOOL="rofi" for X11. Test the script manually before assigning a hotkey.

The Daily Note is not found

Check VAULT_DIR, JOURNAL_SUBDIR, capitalization and the date filename. The script expects exactly YYYY-MM-DD.md for today.

The log heading is missing

Make the heading in the template exactly match LOG_HEADING, including the number of # characters and spaces.

Safety notes

• The script does not modify its own source file.
• A lock directory prevents simultaneous updates.
• Temporary files are used while updating an existing note.
• A SHA-256 check prevents replacing the note if another program changed it during the update.
• The script does not delete journal content.