Reportingnote-takinghierarchicalrich-textsyntax-highlightingimageshyperlinksexport

CherryTree

CherryTree is a hierarchical note taking application featuring rich text, syntax highlighting, images handling, hyperlinks, and import/export support for multiple formats.

Description

CherryTree is designed for organized note-taking in a hierarchical structure, making it ideal for penetration testers and cybersecurity professionals needing to document findings systematically. It supports rich text formatting, syntax highlighting for code snippets, embedded images, and hyperlinks, facilitating comprehensive report compilation.

Use cases include report writing during penetration testing, as highlighted in PEN-200 training for choosing the right note-taking tool. It accommodates multiple languages and offers robust import/export capabilities with various formats, enhancing workflow flexibility.

The application is lightweight at 11.00 MB installed size and integrates well within Kali Linux environments for professional documentation tasks.

How It Works

CherryTree operates as a desktop application using GTK libraries and SQLite for storing hierarchical note structures. It renders rich text with Pango, provides syntax highlighting via GtkSourceView, handles images and hyperlinks natively, and supports export to HTML, TXT, and PDF formats through internal rendering and conversion processes.

Installation

bash
sudo apt install cherrytree

Flags

-VDisplay version information
-NCreate a new document
filepathPath to the document file to open
-n nodenameName of the node to select after opening filepath
-a anchornameName of the anchor to jump to after opening filepath
-x export_to_html_dirExport document or selected node to HTML directory
-t export_to_txt_dirExport document or selected node to plain text directory
-p export_to_pdf_pathExport document or selected node to PDF path
-P passwordPassword for encrypted document
-wDo not autosave changes
-sStart in read-only mode

Examples

Displays the version of CherryTree
cherrytree -V
Creates a new CherryTree document
cherrytree -N
Opens the specified CherryTree document file
cherrytree /path/to/document.ctd
Opens the document and selects the node named MyNode
cherrytree /path/to/document.ctd -n MyNode
Opens the document and jumps to the anchor named MyAnchor
cherrytree /path/to/document.ctd -a MyAnchor
Exports the document or selected node to an HTML directory
cherrytree /path/to/document.ctd -x /path/to/html/dir
Exports the document or selected node to a plain text directory
cherrytree /path/to/document.ctd -t /path/to/txt/dir
Updated 2026-04-16kali.org ↗