---
id: jupyter-console
version: "6.6.3"
license: BSD 3-Clause License - Copyright (c) 2001-2015, IPython Development Team - Copyright (c) 2015-, Jupyter Development Team All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# jupyter-console — Jupyter terminal console

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 17.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Jupyter Console is a terminal-based interface for interacting with Jupyter kernels from the command line. Unlike the notebook interface, it provides a lightweight, text-only REPL that works with any Jupyter kernel—not just Python. You start it with `jupyter console` and optionally specify a kernel by name; it then connects to that kernel and lets you execute code interactively in a familiar shell-like environment.

The package depends on ipykernel, ipython, jupyter-client, jupyter-core, prompt-toolkit, pygments, pyzmq, and traitlets to provide syntax highlighting, command history, and kernel communication. It is designed for developers and researchers who prefer terminal-based workflows or need to work with non-Python kernels like Julia or R in an interactive console setting.

Use it for:

- Interactive Julia or R development in a terminal without a web browser or notebook interface.
- Quick prototyping and testing of Jupyter kernels from the command line.
- Remote server access to Jupyter kernels over SSH without graphical overhead.
- Lightweight REPL for systems where Jupyter Notebook or JupyterLab is too resource-intensive.
- Integration into shell scripts or CI/CD pipelines that need interactive kernel execution.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Jupyter Console is a terminal-based frontend for Jupyter kernels, allowing interactive console-based interaction with non-Python kernels like Julia and R.

Yes, if you need a lightweight terminal-based Jupyter console for non-Python kernels and accept the maintenance risk. The package is abandoned (no updates since March 2023) but has low install friction, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. Its core dependencies remain actively maintained. Use it for interactive kernel work in resource-constrained or terminal-only environments, but do not rely on it for new features or bug fixes.

## Install

pip install jupyter-console
uv add jupyter-console
poetry add jupyter-console

## Installing jupyter-console

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. However, the package is abandoned—no releases since 2023-03-06 and no recent maintenance activity. Depends on 8 runtime packages including ipykernel, ipython, and jupyter-client, all of which are actively maintained, but jupyter-console itself receives no updates.

License in practice: BSD 3-Clause License (permissive). You may use, modify, and distribute the package freely in both open-source and commercial contexts, provided you retain the copyright notice and disclaimer.

Quickstart:

pip install jupyter-console
jupyter console
# or with a specific kernel:
jupyter console --kernel=julia-0.4

Requires Python 3.7 or later. A Jupyter kernel must be installed and available (e.g., IJulia for Julia, IRKernel for R).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package's abandonment affects compatibility with recent Jupyter ecosystem updates or kernel specifications.
- Whether the 8 runtime dependencies have breaking changes since the last release that could cause runtime failures.

## Package facts

- License: BSD 3-Clause License - Copyright (c) 2001-2015, IPython Development Team - Copyright (c) 2015-, Jupyter Development Team All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 17.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

jupyter terminal console, jupyter kernel command line, interactive jupyter shell, terminal-based jupyter frontend, jupyter console interface, non-python jupyter kernels, jupyter repl terminal, jupyter-kernel, terminal-repl, abandoned

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