NoteFlow

Fast notes for Windows, Linux & macOS developers. Local files, optional private GitHub sync. No telemetry. Just you and your thoughts.

NoteFlow is a keyboard-first, lightweight note-taking application for Windows, Linux (including Arch-based distributions like CachyOS) and macOS (Apple Silicon).

Built specifically for software engineers and power users who need something faster than Notion and less clunky than the built-in OS alternatives. Scratch down a task list, jot code snippets, or capture a quick thought — and optionally access all of it from a terminal or headless server.

• Markdown-first editor — headings (with a hover-to-expand table of contents to jump between them), bold, italic, inline code, code blocks, and interactive task lists with checkboxes.
• Floating sticky notes — launch any note as an independent floating window that stays on top while you work.
• Note groups & deadlines — organize notes into color-coded groups and attach due dates to any task.
• Encrypted notes — lock individual notes with a password; stored as ciphertext, no master key, no backdoor.
• Private GitHub sync — connect via Device Flow OAuth (no personal access tokens) and sync to a private repo you control. No third-party cloud, no telemetry.
• Headless CLI — a zero-dependency Node.js companion CLI that reads/writes the same notes directory. Works over SSH, on Raspberry Pi, in cron jobs, and with AI agents.
• 4 built-in themes — Carbon, Midnight Blue, Tokyo Night, Arctic Day — with JetBrains Mono and minimal chrome.

Get the latest release from the Releases page.

• Windows: NoteFlow-X.Y.Z-Setup.exe
• macOS (Apple Silicon): NoteFlow-X.Y.Z-arm64.dmg
• Debian/Ubuntu/Mint: noteflow_X.Y.Z_amd64.deb
• Arch/CachyOS/Manjaro: build from the PKGBUILD, or use the AppImage below
• Universal Linux: NoteFlow-X.Y.Z.AppImage (works on any distro)

Open NoteFlow-X.Y.Z-arm64.dmg and drag NoteFlow to your Applications folder.

This build is not signed with an Apple Developer ID (NoteFlow is a free, source-available project), so on first launch macOS Gatekeeper will say the app "cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software." This is expected — to open it once:

• Right-click (or Control-click) the NoteFlow app → Open → Open in the dialog.

If that doesn't work, clear the quarantine flag from a terminal:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/NoteFlow.app

Apple Silicon only (M1 and newer). Intel Macs are not currently supported.

The companion noteflow CLI ships inside the app bundle. To put it on your PATH:

ln -sf /Applications/NoteFlow.app/Contents/Resources/cli/noteflow.js /usr/local/bin/noteflow
chmod +x /Applications/NoteFlow.app/Contents/Resources/cli/noteflow.js

git clone https://github.com/yagoid/noteflow.git
cd noteflow
makepkg -si    # uses the system electron

wget https://github.com/yagoid/noteflow/releases/latest/download/NoteFlow-2.0.0.AppImage
chmod +x NoteFlow-2.0.0.AppImage
./NoteFlow-2.0.0.AppImage

paru -y noteflow    # using paru
# or
yay -S noteflow     # using yay

Landing page · CLI reference

A standalone CLI ships with every install and is also available for headless systems:

# Headless install (Linux / Raspberry Pi)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yagoid/noteflow/main/cli/install-cli.sh | sudo bash

# Usage
noteflow add "fix CORS bug" --tag urgent
noteflow list --group backend --json
noteflow push

Full reference → cli/noteflow-cli/SKILL.md or cli.html

Install the NoteFlow skill in your AI agent (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) to interact with your notes from any conversation:

npx skills add yagoid/noteflow/cli/noteflow-cli

git clone https://github.com/yagoid/noteflow.git
cd noteflow
npm install
npm run dev

To build the installers:

npm run dist
# Generates for Windows: NoteFlow-X.Y.Z-Setup.exe
# Generates for Linux:
#   - noteflow_X.Y.Z_amd64.deb (Debian/Ubuntu/Mint)
#   - NoteFlow-X.Y.Z.AppImage (Universal Linux)
# Generates for macOS (only when run on an Apple Silicon Mac):
#   - NoteFlow-X.Y.Z-arm64.dmg

GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later).

NoteFlow is free software: you can use, study, share, and modify it freely. Any distributed derivative work must also be released under the GPL-3.0 (or a later version), keeping the source available under the same copyleft terms.