bkmr

Combine any snippet (code, urls, markdown, text) with powerful search, interpolation and execution.

Beyond Bookmarks and Snippets: A CLI Knowledge Management System

bkmr reborn

bkmr - selected crate of the week 482 - is a fast, feature-rich command-line tool that extends bookmark management, snippet handling, markdown rendering, script execution and more.

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

NEW: Editor Integrations!

• Built-in LSP server: Use bkmr lsp for VS Code, Vim, Emacs - automatic snippet completion with language-aware filtering
• Neovim Plugin: Visual interface with Telescope integration and zero configuration
• IntelliJ Plugin: JetBrains Marketplace plugin for all IDEs

See Editor Integration for complete documentation.

Quick Examples

# Quick fuzzy search with interactive selection
bkmr search --fzf

# Add URL with automatic metadata extraction
bkmr add https://example.com tag1,tag2

# Store code snippet
bkmr add "SELECT * FROM users" sql,_snip_ --title "User Query"

# Shell script with interactive execution
bkmr add "#!/bin/bash\necho 'Hello'" utils,_shell_ --title "Greeting"

# Render markdown in browser with TOC
bkmr add "# Notes\n## Section 1" docs,_md_ --title "Project Notes"

# Import files with frontmatter
bkmr import-files ~/scripts/ --base-path SCRIPTS_HOME

# AI-powered semantic search
bkmr --openai sem-search "containerized application security"

Screenshots

Bookmarks:

Snippets:

Demos:

• 
• Overview | Getting Started | Search and Filter | Edit and Update | Tag Management

Getting Started

Installation

# Via cargo
cargo install bkmr

# Via pip/pipx/uv
pip install bkmr

# Via brew
brew install bkmr

See Installation Guide for detailed instructions and troubleshooting.

Initial Setup

# Generate configuration
bkmr --generate-config > ~/.config/bkmr/config.toml

# Create database
bkmr create-db ~/.config/bkmr/bkmr.db

# Optional: Configure location
export BKMR_DB_URL=~/path/to/db

First Use

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

# Search and find
bkmr search github

# Interactive fuzzy search
bkmr search --fzf

Quick Start Guide: See the Quick Start for a 5-minute tutorial.

Command Reference

Command	Description
search	Search across all content with full-text and tag filtering
sem-search	AI-powered semantic search using OpenAI embeddings
add	Add new content (URLs, snippets, files, shell commands, etc.)
open	Launch or interact with stored items (supports script arguments)
edit	Smart editing: auto-detects file-imported bookmarks
import-files	Import files/directories with frontmatter parsing
tags	View and manage your tag taxonomy
set-embeddable	Configure items for semantic search

Complete command documentation: See Basic Usage for detailed examples.

Smart Content Actions

bkmr intelligently handles different content types with appropriate actions:

Content Type	Default Action	System Tag
URLs	Open in browser	(none)
Snippets	Copy to clipboard	_snip_
Shell Scripts	Interactive edit then execute	_shell_
Environment Variables	Print for sourcing in shell	_env_
Markdown	Render in browser with TOC	_md_
Text Documents	Copy to clipboard	_imported_
Local Files	Open with default application	(none)

Learn more: Content Types | Core Concepts

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the bkmr Wiki:

Getting Started

• Home - Wiki overview and navigation
• Quick Start - 5-minute introduction
• Installation - Installation methods and troubleshooting
• Core Concepts - Understanding tags, system tags, and bookmarks

Core Features

• Basic Usage - Common daily operations
• Search and Discovery - FTS, tags, fuzzy finder, semantic search
• Content Types - URLs, snippets, shell scripts, markdown, environment variables
• Shell Scripts - Interactive execution and shell function stubs

Advanced Topics

• Configuration - Complete configuration reference
• Template Interpolation - Jinja2 dynamic content
• File Import and Editing - Frontmatter, base paths, smart editing
• Semantic Search - OpenAI-powered AI search
• Editor Integration - LSP server and editor plugins
• Advanced Workflows - Power user techniques

Reference

• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• Development - Contributing and building from source

Editor Integrations

Access your snippets directly within your editor without context switching.

Neovim Plugin (Recommended)

bkmr-nvim provides visual interface with zero configuration.

{
  "sysid/bkmr-nvim",
  dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
  config = function()
    require("bkmr").setup() -- Zero config required!
  end,
}

Features: Visual snippet browser, in-editor editing, automatic LSP setup, custom commands

Built-in LSP Server

Compatible with VS Code, Vim, Emacs, Sublime, and any LSP-compatible editor.

# Start LSP server
bkmr lsp

# Disable template interpolation if needed
bkmr lsp --no-interpolation

Features: Automatic completion, language-aware filtering, universal snippets, template interpolation

IntelliJ Platform Plugin

bkmr-intellij-plugin for all JetBrains IDEs.

Features: Seamless LSP integration, Tab navigation, works in IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, CLion, RustRover, and all JetBrains IDEs

Complete documentation: Editor Integration

Platform Compatibility

Wayland Support: Native Wayland clipboard support for modern Linux desktops.

• Supported compositors: Hyprland, Sway, and other compositors supporting wlr-data-control-unstable-v1
• Automatic detection: Falls back to X11/XWayland if unavailable
• Compatibility: Check your compositor at wayland.app

Development

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/sysid/bkmr.git
cd bkmr
cargo build --release

Running Tests

IMPORTANT: All tests must be run single-threaded:

# Run tests (REQUIRED: single-threaded)
cargo test -- --test-threads=1

# Or use Makefile
make test

Why single-threaded? Tests share SQLite database and environment variables. Parallel execution causes race conditions.

See Development for complete contributor guide.

Community and Contributions

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

Resources:

• GitHub: https://github.com/sysid/bkmr
• Issues: https://github.com/sysid/bkmr/issues
• Wiki: https://github.com/sysid/bkmr/wiki
• Discussions: https://github.com/sysid/bkmr/discussions

For developers: Remember to always run tests with --test-threads=1 to avoid database conflicts.