Is just in the official Debian repositories?

Yes — the official Debian archive ships just 1.55.1. This free mirror serves the newest just release that is at least 2 months old, forever free; the main repository at deb.griffo.io serves every release within hours of upstream.

How do I install the latest just on Debian?

Add the deb-free.griffo.io repository once using the instructions above, then run: sudo apt install just. New releases arrive through the normal sudo apt upgrade.

Are the packages signed and how are they built?

Every package is signed with the repository's GPG key (EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256) and built from upstream releases in public GitHub packaging repositories that anyone can inspect.

Which Debian releases are supported?

Debian 12 Bookworm, Debian 13 Trixie, Forky and Sid.

Install just on Debian via apt

Source	Version
deb.griffo.io (main)	1.56.0 ✅
Official Debian	1.55.1 🛑

← Back to home

What is just?

just is a handy command runner written in Rust by Casey Rodarmor. It saves and runs project-specific commands, called recipes, stored in a file named justfile with a syntax inspired by make. Unlike make, just is not a build system: recipes are simply commands to run, so there are no phony targets and no dependency on file modification times. With over 25k GitHub stars, it has become the go-to task runner for modern projects.

😤 Traditional make Pain Points: Tired of .PHONY declarations everywhere? Fed up with tab-versus-space errors and implicit build rules that fire when you least expect them? just keeps the familiar recipe feel of a Makefile but drops the build-system baggage — every recipe is just a command.

            🚀 Why Staying Current Matters: just is actively developed with frequent releases containing new attributes, expression functions, shell integrations, and quality-of-life improvements. The latest versions include enhanced completion scripts, new built-in functions, better error messages, and expanded cross-platform support.
        

⚡ Key Features of just

📝 Make-Inspired Syntax

Write recipes in a familiar, readable justfile. If you know Makefiles, you already know most of just — minus the quirks.

🧩 Recipe Parameters

Recipes accept arguments and have default values, so a single recipe can adapt to many invocations without extra scripting.

🐚 Any Shell or Language

Write recipes in sh, bash, Python, Node, or anything else with a shebang line. just runs each recipe with the interpreter you choose.

📋 List & Discover

Run just --list to see every recipe with its documentation comment. Newcomers can explore a project's tasks instantly.

🔐 .env & Variables

Load environment files, define variables, and interpolate them into recipes. Keep configuration tidy and out of your commands.

🌍 Cross-Platform

A single static binary that works the same on Linux, macOS, and Windows — no runtime, no interpreter, no quirks.

🏆 Productivity Benefits

Save Time: Run any project task with just <recipe> instead of remembering long commands
Self-Documenting: just --list shows every task and its description
Consistent: The whole team runs the same commands the same way
No Build Quirks: Recipes are commands, not targets — no stale-timestamp surprises
Portable: One justfile works across Linux, macOS, and Windows

            🆓 Free forever, patched immediately: Debian and Ubuntu freeze package versions when a release ships; this free mirror instead serves the newest release once it is at least 2 months old, with security fixes published immediately. Want every release within hours instead? That's the main repository at deb.griffo.io.
        

📦 Installation from deb-free.griffo.io

Step 1: Add Repository

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb-free.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb-free.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb-free.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb-free.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-free.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
                

install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb-free.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb-free.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb-free.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb-free.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-free.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
apt update
                

Step 2: Install just

# Install latest just
sudo apt install just

# Verify installation
just --version
                

# Install latest just
apt install just

# Verify installation
just --version
                

Step 3: Create Your First justfile

# Create a justfile in your project
cat > justfile <<'EOF'
# Build the project
build:
    cargo build --release

# Run the tests
test:
    cargo test

# Say hello to someone
hello name='world':
    echo "Hello, {{name}}!"
EOF

# List available recipes
just --list

# Run a recipe
just build
just hello just
            

🎯 Basic Usage Examples

Running recipes:

# Run the first recipe in the justfile (the default)
just

# Run a specific recipe
just test

# Pass an argument to a recipe
just hello Dario

# List every recipe with its documentation
just --list
        

Working with justfiles:

# Show the resolved value of a variable
just --evaluate

# Print a recipe without running it
just --show build

# Use a justfile in another directory
just --justfile ~/project/justfile --working-directory ~/project build

# Choose a recipe interactively (needs a chooser like fzf)
just --choose
        

Shell completions:

# Completions for bash, fish and zsh are installed with the package.
# Generate them manually for any shell if you need to:
just --completions bash
just --completions zsh
just --completions fish
        

🚀 Why Choose deb-free.griffo.io?

📊 Repository Comparison:

Official Debian: Available but often outdated versions
Cargo Install: Requires Rust toolchain and compilation
Install Script: Manual updates and no package management
deb.griffo.io (main): Latest version with automatic updates

✅ Latest Features: Get the newest recipe attributes and functions
✅ No Rust Compilation: Pre-built binaries, no toolchain needed
✅ Automatic Updates: Packages updated once a release is at least 2 months old; security fixes ship immediately
✅ Complete Package: Includes shell completions and the man page
✅ Multi-Distribution: Works on Bookworm, Trixie, and Sid
✅ Easy Maintenance: Standard apt commands for updates

📦 Package Build Repository

The Debian packages are automatically built and maintained in this GitHub repository:

🤖 just-debian - Latest release builds

🔗 Related Packages

Also available from deb.griffo.io:

fzf Fuzzy Finder - Powers just --choose for interactive recipe selection
Jujutsu - A modern, Git-compatible version control system
Helix Editor - A post-modern modal editor for editing your justfiles

            🎯 Perfect for: Developers who juggle many project commands, teams that want a single consistent task runner, anyone who likes Makefiles but not make's quirks, and power users who value a fast, portable, self-documenting workflow.
        

💝 Support This Project

If this repository saves you time and effort, please consider supporting it!

⭐ Star on GitHub 🐦 Share on Twitter

🤖 Install Latest just on Debian