PlotJuggler 4 apt Repository: Install and Stay Updated on Debian/Ubuntu

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PlotJuggler 4 introduced something PJ3 never had: an official apt repository at apt.plotjuggler.io. Add it once, and PlotJuggler 4 installs — and, more importantly, updates — through the same apt upgrade you already use for the rest of your system. This guide gives the documented one-liner, the manual step-by-step equivalent, and the upgrade path. It applies to Ubuntu 22.04 or later and Debian 12 or later. For the other Ubuntu options, see the Ubuntu install guide and the Install hub.

Option A — The one-liner

The PJ4 documentation provides an install script that sets up the repository and key for you:

curl -fsSL https://apt.plotjuggler.io/pj4_install.sh | sudo sh

After it finishes, install the package itself if the script has not already done so in your case, and verify the install:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install plotjuggler4

Note the package name carefully: it is plotjuggler4, with the 4. That is deliberate — it keeps the PJ4 line distinct from PJ3 packages such as the ROS packages described in our ROS 2 guide. Confusing those names is a common setup error; our troubleshooting guide covers it.

Option B — Manual keyring and source setup

If you prefer to see every change made to your system — a reasonable preference — the PJ4 documentation describes the manual equivalent:

  1. Download the repository keyring from https://apt.plotjuggler.io/plotjuggler-archive-keyring.asc.
  2. Install it as /etc/apt/keyrings/plotjuggler.asc, the path the source entry below references.
  3. Add this source line to your apt sources:
deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/plotjuggler.asc] https://apt.plotjuggler.io stable main
  1. Refresh the package lists: sudo apt update
  2. Install the package: sudo apt install plotjuggler4

The signed-by option scopes the key to this repository only, which is the modern, safer way to add a third-party apt source — the key is not trusted for other repositories.

Staying updated

This is the real reason to use the repository. Once it is configured, future PlotJuggler 4 releases arrive through your normal update flow:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

No re-downloading installers, no checking release pages. Compare that with the single-release .deb from GitHub Releases — sudo apt install ./plotjuggler4_<version>_amd64.deb — which installs exactly one version and never updates itself. The .deb files and AppImage are linked from the Download page if you prefer that route.

Checking what you have

  • apt-cache policy plotjuggler4 shows the installed version and the candidate the repository offers — the quickest way to confirm the repository is active.
  • If sudo apt install plotjuggler4 reports that the package cannot be located, the source was not added or the update step did not run — redo the steps above in order, and confirm your system is Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+, the versions the PJ4 guidance covers.
  • Remember the line split: this repository is a PJ4 channel. It does not provide PJ3, and it is not the channel ROS users should use for the ROS plugin packages.

Removing the repository

If you ever want to undo the setup, remove the plotjuggler4 package with apt, delete the source entry you added, and delete /etc/apt/keyrings/plotjuggler.asc. Nothing else on the system depends on them.

Next: launch PlotJuggler 4, open a CSV, MCAP or ULog file, and confirm plotting works. Then explore the other guides from the Install hub.

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