EmotionCtl - A Safe Space for Developers

A secure, private terminal-based journaling application designed specifically for developers going through heartbreak, breakups, or betrayal. EmotionCtl provides a safe digital sanctuary to process emotions, track healing progress, and maintain mental health during life's most challenging moments.

Why EmotionCtl?

As developers, we're often so focused on solving technical problems that we neglect our emotional well-being. When relationships end or trust is broken, we need a private space to process these complex feelings without judgment. EmotionCtl combines the security you expect as a developer with the emotional support you need as a human.

Features

🔐 Complete Privacy: Military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption keeps your deepest thoughts secure

💙 Safe Space: Judgment-free zone designed for emotional processing and healing

📝 Expressive Journaling: Write freely with mood tracking, tags, and rich text support

🔍 Pattern Recognition: Search and analyze your emotional journey to understand triggers and growth

💾 Secure Backups: Encrypted backups ensure your healing journey is never lost

🎨 Gentle Interface: Calming terminal UI that respects your emotional state

📊 Progress Tracking: Visualize your healing journey with detailed statistics

🛡️ Developer-Grade Security: PBKDF2 password hashing and local-only storage

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 14+ and npm/yarn
• Git

Quick Start with npx (Recommended)

You can run EmotionCtl instantly without installation using npx:

# Initialize your safe space
npx emotionctl init

# Start writing
npx emotionctl write

# Read your entries
npx emotionctl read

This downloads and runs the latest version each time, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date healing tools.

Global Installation

For frequent use, you can install EmotionCtl globally on your system:

# Install directly from npm
npm install -g emotionctl

Or with yarn:

# Install with yarn
yarn global add emotionctl

Once installed globally, you can use emotionctl from anywhere on your system:

# Initialize your safe space
emotionctl init

# Start writing
emotionctl write

# Read your entries
emotionctl read --list

# Get help
emotionctl --help

Local Development Setup

For development or contributing to the project:

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Install dependencies:

yarn install

3. Build the project:

yarn build

4. Run locally:

node dist/index.js --help

Usage

Initialize Your Safe Space

Create your private, encrypted emotional sanctuary:

emotionctl init

This creates a secure space where you can process your feelings without fear of judgment or exposure.

Process Your Emotions

Express yourself freely in a safe environment:

emotionctl write

Or capture a specific moment:

emotionctl write --title "The day everything changed"

Reflect on Your Healing Journey

Review your emotional progress:

emotionctl read

Find entries from difficult days:

emotionctl read --list

Look back at a specific moment:

emotionctl read --date 2025-07-02

Search for growth patterns:

emotionctl read --search "healing"
emotionctl read --search "breakthrough"
emotionctl read --search "stronger"

Managing Entries

Delete an entry:

emotionctl delete --id <entry-id>

Backup and Restore

Create a backup:

emotionctl backup --output ~/my-journal-backup.json

Restore from backup:

emotionctl restore --input ~/my-journal-backup.json

Security

Change your password:

emotionctl change-password

Reset Journal

⚠️ WARNING: This permanently deletes all journal data!

emotionctl reset

Interactive Mode

Run without any commands for interactive mode:

emotionctl

Development

Scripts

• yarn dev - Run in development mode with ts-node
• yarn build - Build the TypeScript project
• yarn watch - Build in watch mode
• yarn test - Run tests
• yarn lint - Run ESLint
• yarn format - Format code with Prettier

Project Structure

src/
├── index.ts              # Main entry point and CLI setup
├── types/
│   └── index.ts          # TypeScript type definitions
└── services/
    ├── AuthManager.ts    # Password and authentication management
    ├── CryptoService.ts  # Encryption/decryption utilities
    ├── JournalManager.ts # Journal entry management
    ├── CLIInterface.ts   # User interface and interaction
    └── Editor.ts         # Journal Editor

Security Features

Encryption

• Algorithm: AES-256-CBC encryption
• Key Derivation: PBKDF2 with SHA-256 (10,000 iterations)
• Random Elements: Each encryption uses a unique salt and IV
• Password Hashing: Passwords are hashed using PBKDF2 before storage

Data Storage

• All data is stored locally in ~/.emotionctl/
• Journal entries are encrypted before being written to disk
• Configuration and authentication data are stored separately
• No data is ever transmitted over the network

Best Practices

• Use a strong, unique password for your journal
• Regularly create encrypted backups
• Store backups in secure locations
• Never share your journal password

File Structure

~/.emotionctl/
├── auth.json           # Encrypted authentication data
├── config.json         # Journal configuration
└── entries.json        # Encrypted journal entries

Dependencies

Runtime Dependencies

• commander: CLI framework
• inquirer: Interactive prompts
• chalk: Terminal colors
• crypto-js: Encryption library
• date-fns: Date manipulation
• fs-extra: Enhanced file system operations

Development Dependencies

• typescript: TypeScript compiler
• ts-node: TypeScript execution
• jest: Testing framework
• eslint: Code linting
• prettier: Code formatting

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Run linting and tests
6. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Journal not initialized"

• Run emotionctl init to set up your journal

"Authentication failed"

• Ensure you're entering the correct password
• If you forgot your password, you'll need to restore from a backup or start fresh

"Permission denied"

• Ensure you have write permissions to your home directory
• On some systems, you may need to run with appropriate permissions

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check that all dependencies are installed correctly
2. Ensure Node.js version is 16+
3. Verify file permissions in your home directory
4. Check that no other processes are using the journal files

Security Considerations

This application is designed for personal use and stores all data locally. While it uses strong encryption, please consider:

• Regular backups are essential
• Store backups securely
• Use a strong, memorable password
• Keep your system secure and updated
• Be aware that this is not audited cryptographic software

For sensitive information, consider using additional security measures like full-disk encryption.