Install jnv JSON Viewer and Filter on Ubuntu 24.04

The jnv is an open-source command line tool that designed for viewing and filtering JSON data interactively. It helps to explore complex JSON structures. This tutorial explains how to install jnv JSON viewer and filter on Ubuntu 24.04.

Install jnv

Download the latest release of jnv from GitHub repository:

wget -qO jnv.tar.xz https://github.com/ynqa/jnv/releases/latest/download/jnv-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.xz

Extract the binary to /usr/local/bin:

sudo tar xf jnv.tar.xz --strip-components=1 -C /usr/local/bin jnv-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/jnv

Verify installation by checking jnv version:

jnv --version

Clean up the downloaded archive:

rm -rf jnv.tar.xz

Testing jnv

Assume we have JSON data stored in a file named test.json:

echo '{"status":"success","data":[{"name":"John","age":25},{"name":"James","age":29}]}' > test.json

Launch jnv on the file:

jnv test.json

In the top input bar of jnv, you can write jq expressions to interactively filter and transform the JSON content. The output updates in real time as you type, allowing you to quickly understand and explore the structure of the data. For example, entering .data will display the contents of the data field in the JSON.

To exit jnv, simply press CTRL+C to quit the interactive interface and return to the terminal.

Uninstall jnv

To remove jnv, simply delete the associated file:

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/jnv