Nota

A local-first Markdown note app for Linux.

Capture a Note, write Markdown, and find it again through Search and Tags. Nota keeps one Flat Collection on your device, with Recently Deleted for recovery and local Backup files you control. It has no accounts, telemetry, backend, or sync service.

The Relm4/GTK4 app is the only frontend in this source tree. The current version is 2.0.0-alpha.1. Native source migration is complete; a stable release and retirement of any hosted browser build are separate steps.

Build and run

Install mise and the native dependencies listed in CONTRIBUTING.md, then run:

git clone https://github.com/astrazds/nota.git
cd nota
mise install
mise run dev

Preview and Split are included by default. The project pins Rust through mise.toml; Cargo declares Rust 1.95 as the minimum version.

To build the x86_64 AppImage with the additional packaging prerequisites:

mise run package:appimage
./dist/Nota-x86_64.AppImage

The packager downloads linuxdeploy tools and bundles the native app, fonts, and WebKitGTK helpers. See the AppImage rehearsal for a clean-profile check.

Use Nota

• Create a Note with New Note or Ctrl+N.
• Write Markdown and use Write, Preview, or Split in the editor footer. Split is available in wide windows.
• Focus Search with Ctrl+F. Search supports words, quoted phrases, title:, tag:, and is:pinned.
• Use Note actions to pin or delete a Note. Deleted Notes remain in the separate Recently Deleted section below the active Note List until you restore or permanently remove them.
• Use Export for a Backup and Import for a Merge Import. Review the add and replace counts before applying an import.

The user guide covers Tags, saving, Backup, recovery, and migration from browser-era exports. Remote images and active content are blocked in Preview. Links you activate open through the system handler.

Data and compatibility

The app stores data under $XDG_DATA_HOME/net.astrazds.Nota, normally ~/.local/share/net.astrazds.Nota. Notes and Backup files are not encrypted by Nota. See PRIVACY.md for storage and network details, and SECURITY.md to report a vulnerability.

Backup v1 and desktop-transition v1 remain supported, including legacy noter.* format identifiers. A native build cannot read another browser's LocalStorage directly. Use a previously exported Backup or desktop-transition file to move that collection into Nota.

Contribute

mise run setup:rust
mise run verify

The GTK widget regression requires a display and runs separately with mise run test:gtk. CONTRIBUTING.md describes the toolchain, feature checks, packaging, and evidence expected in a pull request.

Documentation links the architecture, domain, design, and decision records. Nota is licensed under MIT.