path: root/README.org

#+TITLE: Emacs Simple Bookmark
#+AUTHOR: 0xhenrique
#+DATE: 2025

* Overview

This is a simple encrypted bookmark manager for Emacs that stores bookmarks in an encrypted file suitable for syncing via Git. It uses GPG encryption to keep your bookmarks secure while allowing you to store them in public repositories.

This README has become quite extensive, but I hope it addresses most of the doubts that may arise regarding its usage or potential issues that may occur. Nonetheless, please do not hesitate to open an issue if you encounter any problems. Pull requests are always welcome as well.

* Features

- Encrypted bookmark storage using GPG
- Simple JSON format for easy parsing
- Git-friendly for syncing across machines
- Built-in Emacs integration
- No external dependencies beyond GPG

* Installation and Setup

** 1. GPG Configuration

*** Check if GPG is installed
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
gpg --version
#+END_SRC

If GPG is not installed... Install it!

*** Generate a GPG key (if you don't have one)
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
gpg --full-generate-key
#+END_SRC

Choose the following options:
1. RSA and RSA (default)
2. 4096 bits (recommended for long-term use)
3. Key validity (0 = no expiration, or set as preferred)
4. Enter name and email address
5. Set a strong passphrase

*** Verify if your key was created
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format LONG
#+END_SRC

** 2. Emacs Configuration

*** Basic setup
Add to your Emacs configuration:

#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
;; Load esb.el (if not installing via package manager)
(load-file "~/path/to/esb.el")

;; Optional: customize bookmark file location
(setq esb-bookmarks-file "~/bookmarks/bookmarks.gpg")

;; Optional: enable global minor mode (doesn't bind keys by default)
(esb-mode 1)
#+END_SRC

*** Key Binding Setup

ESB doesn't define any global key bindings by default to avoid conflicts. You need to define your own key bindings.

**** Recommended key bindings
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
;; My personal recommendation - follows Emacs conventions
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b s") 'esb-select-bookmark)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b a") 'esb-add-bookmark)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b d") 'esb-delete-bookmark)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b l") 'esb-list-bookmarks)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b e") 'esb-edit-bookmark)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b r") 'esb-reload-bookmarks)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-b i") 'esb-initialize)
#+END_SRC

** 3. Git Repository Setup

*** Initialize bookmark repository
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
# Create directory for bookmarks
mkdir ~/bookmarks
cd ~/bookmarks

# Initialize git repository
git init

# Create .gitignore (optional - exclude temporary files)
echo "*~" > .gitignore
echo "*.bak" >> .gitignore

# Initial commit
git add .gitignore
git commit -m "your commit message"
#+END_SRC

*** Connect to GitHub
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
# Create repository on GitHub (or any provider you prefer) first, then:
git remote add origin [email protected]:yourusername/bookmarks.git

# Push initial commit
git push -u origin master
#+END_SRC

*** Configure bookmark file path
Update your Emacs config to point to the git repository:
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
(setq esb-bookmarks-file "~/bookmarks/bookmarks.gpg")
#+END_SRC

* Usage

** Available Functions

All functions are autoloaded and can be called via ~M-x~:

- ~esb-select-bookmark~ - Select bookmark and copy URL to clipboard
- ~esb-add-bookmark~ - Add new bookmark with URL and optional description
- ~esb-delete-bookmark~ - Delete bookmark by selection
- ~esb-list-bookmarks~ - Display all bookmarks in a buffer
- ~esb-edit-bookmark~ - Edit bookmark description
- ~esb-reload-bookmarks~ - Reload bookmarks from file (after git pull)
- ~esb-initialize~ - Initialize empty bookmark file

** Key Binding Reference

Using the recommended key bindings:

- ~C-c C-b s~ - Select bookmark (copy URL to clipboard)
- ~C-c C-b a~ - Add new bookmark  
- ~C-c C-b d~ - Delete bookmark
- ~C-c C-b l~ - List all bookmarks
- ~C-c C-b e~ - Edit bookmark description
- ~C-c C-b r~ - Reload bookmarks from file
- ~C-c C-b i~ - Initialize empty bookmark file

** Basic workflow

*** First time setup
1. ~M-x esb-initialize~ - Create empty encrypted bookmark file
2. ~M-x esb-add-bookmark~ - Add your first bookmark
3. Commit and push to GitHub

*** Syncing across machines
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
# Pull latest bookmarks
git pull

# In Emacs: reload bookmarks
M-x esb-reload-bookmarks

# After making changes: commit and push
git add bookmarks.gpg
git commit -m "your message" 
git push
#+END_SRC

* Git Workflow

** Adding bookmarks
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
# After adding bookmarks in Emacs
git add bookmarks.gpg
git commit -m "add new bookmarks, etc..."
git push
#+END_SRC

** Syncing on different machines
#+BEGIN_SRC bash
# Pull latest changes
git pull

# Reload in Emacs
M-x esb-reload-bookmarks
#+END_SRC

Note: GPG files can't be automatically merged, so avoid simultaneous edits when possible.

* Security Considerations

** GPG Key Management
- Keep your private key secure and backed up (VERY IMPORTANT!)
- Use a strong passphrase for your GPG key
- Consider setting key expiration dates
- The same GPG key must be available on all machines where you use bookmarks

** Repository Security
- Your encrypted bookmark file is safe to store in public repositories
- The repository only contains the encrypted file, not plaintext bookmarks

** Best Practices
- Never commit your GPG private key to the repository
- Regularly backup your GPG keys!

* Configuration Options

** Customizable Variables
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
;; Bookmark file location
(setq esb-bookmarks-file "~/path/to/bookmarks.gpg")

;; GPG program path (if needed)
(setq epg-gpg-program "/usr/local/bin/gpg")

;; Cache passphrase (security vs convenience trade-off)
(setq epa-file-cache-passphrase-for-symmetric-encryption t)
#+END_SRC

* File Format

The encrypted file is just a simple JSON array:
#+BEGIN_SRC json
[
  {
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "description": "Example website"
  },
  {
    "url": "https://github.com",
    "description": null
  }
]
#+END_SRC

* Troubleshooting

** Key Binding Conflicts
If you encounter key binding conflicts:
1. Check what's currently bound: ~C-h k [key-sequence]~
2. Choose different keys for ESB functions
3. Use ~global-set-key~ to define exactly what you want

** GPG Issues
- Ensure GPG is properly configured and your key is available
- Check that ~epa-file~ is working: try opening any ~.gpg~ file
- Verify GPG agent is running if using GUI Emacs

* License

This is a simple encrypted bookmark manager for Emacs that stores bookmarks in an encrypted file suitable for syncing via Git. It uses GPG encryption to keep your bookmarks secure while allowing you to store them in public repositories.

Copyright (C) 2025 0xhenrique

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.