fix: prevent concurrent jrnl processes from silently clobbering each other's changes

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Here are some key points to include in your description:
 
 ### Checklist
 
-- [ ] I have read the [contributing doc](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/docs/contributing.md).
+- [ ] I have read the [contributing doc](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/main/docs/contributing.md).
 - [ ] I have included a link to the relevant issue number.
 - [ ] I have checked to ensure there aren't other open [pull requests](../pulls)
   for the same issue.

.github/actions/run_tests/action.yaml

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ runs:
     shell: bash
 
   - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-    uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+    uses: actions/setup-python@v7
     with:
       python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       allow-prereleases: true

.github/workflows/changelog.yaml

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ name: Changelog
 on:
   push:
     branches:
-      - develop
+      - main
     tags:
       - 'v*'
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ jobs:
             fi
 
             RELEASE=1
-            BRANCH=develop
+            BRANCH=main
             git checkout $BRANCH
 
             # if actual release (not pre), then changelog should exclude prereleases on update
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ jobs:
           sinceTag: ${{ env.SINCE_TAG }}
           maxIssues: 150
           releaseUrl: https://pypi.org/project/jrnl/%s/
-          releaseBranch: develop
+          releaseBranch: main
           verbose: false
           author: true
 

.github/workflows/docs.yaml

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ name: Docs
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ develop, release ]
+    branches: [ main, release ]
     paths:
     - 'docs/**'
     - 'docs_theme/**'
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ on:
     - 'tasks.py'
     - 'pyproject.toml'
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ develop ]
+    branches: [ main ]
     paths:
     - 'docs/**'
     - 'docs_theme/**'
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
     - name: Set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v7
       with:
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 

.github/workflows/release.yaml

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
         echo "JRNL_VERSION=$JRNL_VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
     - name: Set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v7
       with:
         python-version: '3.14'
 

.github/workflows/testing_pipelines.yaml

@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ name: Testing Pipeline Files
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ develop, release ]
+    branches: [ main, release ]
     paths:
     - '.github/workflows/**'
     - '.github/actions/**'
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ develop ]
+    branches: [ main ]
     paths:
     - '.github/workflows/**'
     - '.github/actions/**'

.github/workflows/testing_prs.yaml

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ name: Testing
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ develop, release ]
+    branches: [ main, release ]
     paths:
     - 'jrnl/**'
     - 'features/**'
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ on:
     - '.github/workflows/testing_prs.yaml'
     - 'tasks.py'
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ develop ]
+    branches: [ main ]
     paths:
     - 'jrnl/**'
     - 'features/**'

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,29 +4,44 @@
 
 [Full Changelog](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/compare/v4.3...HEAD)
 
+**Implemented enhancements:**
+
+- Feature Request: Add a config option to output any new entries to the terminal after submission. [\#1871](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/1871)
+
 **Fixed bugs:**
 
+- `--config-file` broken on latest build [\#2099](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2099)
+- Bug Report [\#2082](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2082)
 - KeyError: date [\#2077](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2077)
+- Bug Report - jrnl item not written [\#2073](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2073)
 - 6 Tests failed because 'v' is missing in front of '4.3.0' [\#2065](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2065)
 - Version tests failing on 4.3-beta release due to beta/b0 tags [\#2060](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2060)
 - jrnl crashes when `colors.tags` is not configured [\#2021](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2021)
 
 **Packaging:**
 
 - Drop Python 3.10 support [\#2055](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/2055)
+- Update actions/setup-python action to v7 [\#2102](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2102) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
+- Update dependency ruff to v0.15.22 [\#2098](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2098) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
 - Update dependency rich to v15 [\#2094](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2094) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
 - Update actions/checkout action to v7 - autoclosed [\#2093](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2093) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
 - Update actions/cache action to v6 [\#2092](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2092) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
 - Update heinrichreimer/action-github-changelog-generator action to v2.4 [\#2078](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2078) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
+- Update dependency tox to v4.57.0 [\#2017](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2017) ([renovate[bot]](https://github.com/apps/renovate))
 
 **Merged pull requests:**
 
+- fix: guarantee editor tempfile cleanup and add debug logging [\#2106](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2106) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
+- fix: don't crash on invalid UTF-8 from stdin when writing an entry [\#2104](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2104) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
+- fix: don't overwrite the default config when using --config-file [\#2101](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2101) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
+- fix: write journal files atomically to avoid corruption on crash [\#2096](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2096) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - fix: emit error when running --decrypt on an unencrypted journal [\#2095](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2095) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - chore: upgrade all deps [\#2091](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2091) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - fix: don't crash on missing or invalid color config values [\#2089](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2089) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - Drop Python 3.10 support [\#2088](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2088) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - docs: add CLAUDE.md [\#2086](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2086) ([alichtman](https://github.com/alichtman))
 - fix: prevent ValueError when upgrading with no journals configured [\#2080](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/2080) ([miloquinn](https://github.com/miloquinn))
+- Minor fixes to docstrings of functions [\#1868](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/pull/1868) ([MuditJ](https://github.com/MuditJ))
 
 ## [v4.3](https://pypi.org/project/jrnl/v4.3/) (2026-02-24)
 

CLAUDE.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Project Overview
 
-jrnl is a command-line journal application written in Python. It supports plain text and encrypted (AES) journals, multiple journal types, and various export formats. The main branch for development is `develop`; PRs should target `develop`.
+jrnl is a command-line journal application written in Python. It supports plain text and encrypted (AES) journals, multiple journal types, and various export formats. The main branch for development is `main`
 
 ## Development Setup
 

README.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ License: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
 
 <p align="center">
 <a href="https://jrnl.sh">
-<img align="center" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/develop/docs_theme/assets/readme-header.png"/>
+<img align="center" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/main/docs_theme/assets/readme-header.png"/>
 </a>
 </p>
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jrnl
  [![Version](http://img.shields.io/pypi/v/jrnl.svg?style=flat)](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/jrnl/)
  [![Homebrew](https://img.shields.io/homebrew/v/jrnl?style=flat-square)](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/jrnl)
  [![Gitter](https://img.shields.io/gitter/room/jrnl-org/jrnl)](https://gitter.im/jrnl-org/jrnl)
- [![Changelog](https://img.shields.io/badge/changelog-on%20github-green)](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md)
+ [![Changelog](https://img.shields.io/badge/changelog-on%20github-green)](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)
 ====
 
 _To get help, [submit an issue](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/new/choose) on

docs/contributing.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ We welcome contributions to jrnl, whether it's through reporting bugs, improving
 
 ## Code of Conduct
 
-Before starting, please read the [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
+Before starting, please read the [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
 
 ## Reporting Bugs
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Please report bugs by [opening a new issue](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/iss
 
 If you find a typo or a mistake in the docs, please fix it right away and send a pull request. If you're unsure what to change but still see a problem, you can [open a new issue](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/issues/new/choose) with the "Documentation change" type.
 
-To edit the documentation, edit the `docs/*.md` files on the **develop** branch. You can see the result by running `poe docs-run` inside the project's root directory, then navigating your browser to [localhost:8000](http://localhost:8000).
+To edit the documentation, edit the `docs/*.md` files on the **main** branch. You can see the result by running `poe docs-run` inside the project's root directory, then navigating your browser to [localhost:8000](http://localhost:8000).
 
 ### External editors and tips and tricks
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ The nature of jrnl means we deal with extremely sensitive data, and can't risk d
 
 ### Prereleases
 
-[Prereleases are deployed through PyPi much like normal releases](https://pypi.org/project/jrnl/#history). You can use [pipx](https://pypi.org/project/pipx/) to fetch them and test them. See the [changelog](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md) for information on what has changed with each release.
+[Prereleases are deployed through PyPi much like normal releases](https://pypi.org/project/jrnl/#history). You can use [pipx](https://pypi.org/project/pipx/) to fetch them and test them. See the [changelog](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) for information on what has changed with each release.
 
 ### Pull requests
 
@@ -76,10 +76,29 @@ You will need to install [poetry](https://python-poetry.org/) to develop jrnl. I
 
 jrnl uses two primary branches:
 
- * `develop` - for ongoing development
+ * `main` - for ongoing development
  * `release` - for releases
 
-In general, pull requests should be made on the `develop` branch.
+In general, pull requests should be made on the `main` branch.
+
+#### Updating an existing clone after the `develop` → `main` rename
+
+If you have a clone from before the default branch was renamed from `develop` to `main`, update it with:
+
+```bash
+git checkout develop
+git branch -m develop main
+git fetch origin
+git remote prune origin
+git branch -u origin/main main
+git remote set-head origin -a
+```
+
+If you have other local branches based on `develop`, rebase them onto `main`:
+
+```bash
+git rebase --onto main develop <your-branch>
+```
 
 ### Common development commands
 

docs/encryption.md

@@ -29,12 +29,17 @@ File layout:
 | Field | Size | Description |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `JRNLv3` | 6 bytes | Magic prefix |
-| `header_len` | 2 bytes (uint16 BE) | Length of JSON header |
-| JSON header | `header_len` bytes | Includes `salt` (base64url-encoded 16-byte salt) |
+| `header_len` | 2 bytes (uint16 BE) | Length of the header field, max 64KB |
+| header | `header_len` bytes | Base64-encoded JSON, includes `salt` (base64url-encoded 16-byte salt) |
 | Fernet token | Remaining bytes | Ciphertext |
 
 Additional header fields may be added in future without changing the format version.
 
+!!! note
+    Journals encrypted with v3 before this format was base64-encoded store
+    raw JSON in the header field instead. These are still read correctly;
+    the base64-encoded format is written on the next save.
+
 ## Encrypting and Decrypting from the CLI
 
 To encrypt a journal, run:

docs/formats.md

@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ jrnl --format md
 
 Markdown is a simple markup language that is human readable and can be used to be
 rendered to other formats (html, pdf). `jrnl`'s
-[README](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/develop/README.md) for example is
+[README](https://github.com/jrnl-org/jrnl/blob/main/README.md) for example is
 formatted in markdown, then Github adds some formatting to make it look nice.
 
 The markdown format groups entries by date (first by year, then by month), and adds