Hello everyone, I’d like your recommendations for a note taking app that:
- Can be selfhosted
- Stores the notes as plain text or *.md files, not some SQL database.
- Can use Marddown format.
- Have an android client or at least a mobile optimized web-interface.
- Not a must but it would be nice to have a to-do list option.
I tried:
- Trilium: use an encrypted litesql to store the notes.
- Joplin: does not encrypt the notes, but store them in random named directories, making ot harder finding the notes.
- Logseq: No firefox support, I did not check how it stores itsdatabase.
- Standard note: Need subscriptions to selfhost or to use markdown format.
- Memos: does not store plain files, instead uses a (sqlite probably) database even when setting local filesystem as current object storage.
- CodiMD: use database to store its notes
- Hedgedoc: the same as above
The closest I found so far is Obsidian, which:
- Unfortunately, does not have any selfhosting option.
- Have a client app on every platform and store.
- Can use a custom directory to store it database as plain text files, whuch can be a network mounted directory (on my laptop/desktop) or a directory on my android phone that i will have to keep synchronized using a third party app.
Edit: March-2nd: added memos, codimd, hedgedoc
I use logseq. It has an Android app, and also desktop app (the latter being more complex). Also, it’s plain markdown.
But you have to sync the different devices yourself and be careful not to run two instances at the same time.
Yep logseq + syncthing
I’m self-hosting Obsidian as described below and it works really well. The syncing happens automatically in the background and I rarely encounter conflicts. I’d highly recommend it! https://avidandrew.com/elevate-your-note-taking-with-obsidian.html
Obaidian + Syncthing will do the trick.
I’ve fallen deep down the Silverbullet rabbit hole. Self hosted markdown editor but with built in dataview style querying (if you used Obsidian that will be familiar), accessible cross platform and with a progressive web app, and basically endlessly extendable with a scripting language. Really really enjoying it and it’s made me finally move from Obsidian, which I used to evangelize (and pay for the premium sync features). Definitely check it out. Silverbullet.md
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:
Fewer Letters More Letters Git Popular version control system, primarily for code IP Internet Protocol NAS Network-Attached Storage SSL Secure Sockets Layer, for transparent encryption TLS Transport Layer Security, supersedes SSL
4 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on today has 13 acronyms.
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Logseq has an Android app and clients for the usual desktop platforms. It stores as .md files. It meets your requirements. I’m not sure why you’re focused on Firefox support?
One I have my eye on is Silverbullet.md. the creator recently promoted it here and it has some nice ideas. It’s a web app that you self host. Behind the scenes everything is stored in .md files.
Logseq actually does not need to be run in a browser, there are apps for every system. It does not have any sync server to host though (so far) so you have to use syncthing or something to have your notes available between devices. It does store notes in .md format with clearly labelled names so you always have access to them.
It does have a learning curve and android apps still do have some bugs to iron out, but I started to really like it and use it as my bullet journal.
The whole system of linking notes and even singular text blocks works really well in my mind. I can write a quick note about my health in today’s journal file and tag it with #health and when I go to the health file it shows every mention of that tag from everywhere.
+1 on Logseq and Sync Thing.
You sound like me from last month. I strongly recommend silverbullet, check it out on https://silverbullet.md
- Can be selfhosted
Check, even has a simple docker compose
- Stores the notes as plain text or *.md files, not some SQL database.
Check, it does have an SQL database, but it’s used for queries, you can even copy or modify MD files at will
- Can use Marddown format.
Check, it’s a superset of markdown that includes queries for cool stuff like create tables that group data from other pages
- Have an android client or at least a mobile optimized web-interface.
Check, it has a PWA that works offline and syncs when back online. Note that this means that all files will be on your device if you use it like that, but that’s expected.
- Not a must but it would be nice to have a to-do list option.
Check, like I mentioned you can query all tasks on all pages and even do filters based on several factors, like where the task is defined or extra attributes that you set to them, e.g. priority.
Edit: bonus points:
- The main developer is active here https://lemmy.world/post/11816898
- Also he’s very active on discord and always answering questions
- Easily extensible with plugins and simple JavaScript functions, e.g. very easy to write a function to import a section of a page
- You can have multiple instances in sync with syncthing (just exclude the databases from syncing)
PWA that works offline and syncs when back online. Note that this means that all files will be on your device
Someone else mentioned Silverbullet, I hosted on my home server and it looks promising, here are a few thing I will need to explore:
- The PWA sound like a feature I was hoping, i will need to check it out
- Is there any android client rather than using the web-interface that firefox wont let me connect to remotely without a valid certificat.
- While it looks easy to use markup language using
/, I’m wondering is there is a plugin that add a tool bar or a client app that does have it.
Thank you for your comment
Check, it has a PWA that works offline and syncs when back online.
I am either an idiot or that is not working for me on my android phone. I have used PWAs before and I remember you can use them by tapping the “install” in the browser menu.
I installed Silverbullet via docker on my rpi4, but when I connect to it my browsers do not give me the option to install it as a PWA. I tried Mull, DuckDuckGo browser and even (gah!) Chrome.
I can only put a shortcut on my home screen, but that then goes to the IP of my rpi4 and when I am not online I cannot reach it.
Do I need to configure something that I forgot or is the shortcut on the home screen the “PWA”?
Only things served via https can be installed on Android.
Maybe you should try Anytype. It’s Open Source, encrypted, has applications for major OSes, provides synchronization, allows export of documents to Markdown and PDF. Sometimes it’s rough on the edges, but I think it has a potential.
Dokuwiki with markdown plugin, or gollum wiki (or one of its forks) should meet the requirements
Privat gitea server.
Do you have a markdown editor include with gitea?
It can show Markdown and have preview of markdown.
It have highlighting of Markdown, but is not editor similar to Sync for lemmy.
OK, thank you 😊
