287 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
287 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
# 📝 NoteDiscovery
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> Your Self-Hosted Knowledge Base
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🌐 **[Visit the official website](https://www.notediscovery.com)**
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🚀 **[Try the Live Demo](https://gamosoft-notediscovery-demo.hf.space)** — *Contents reset daily, for demonstration purposes only*
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## What is NoteDiscovery?
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NoteDiscovery is a **lightweight, self-hosted note-taking application** that puts you in complete control of your knowledge base. Write, organize, and discover your notes with a beautiful, modern interface—all running on your own server.
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## 🎯 Who is it for?
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- **Privacy-conscious users** who want complete control over their data
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- **Developers** who prefer markdown and local file storage
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- **Knowledge workers** building a personal wiki or second brain
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- **Teams** looking for a self-hosted alternative to commercial apps
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- **Anyone** who values simplicity, speed, and ownership
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## ✨ Why NoteDiscovery?
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### vs. Commercial Apps (Notion, Evernote, Obsidian Sync)
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| Feature | NoteDiscovery | Commercial Apps |
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|---------|---------------|-----------------|
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| **Cost** | 100% Free | $xxx/month/year |
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| **Privacy** | Your server, your data | Their servers, their terms |
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| **Speed** | Lightning fast | Depends on internet |
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| **Offline** | Always works | Limited or requires sync |
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| **Customization** | Full control | Limited options |
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| **No Lock-in** | Plain markdown files | Proprietary formats |
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### Key Benefits
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- 🔒 **Total Privacy** - Your notes never leave your server
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- 🔐 **Optional Authentication** - Simple password protection for self-hosted deployments
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- 💰 **Zero Cost** - No subscriptions, no hidden fees
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- 🚀 **Fast & Lightweight** - Instant search and navigation
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- 🎨 **Beautiful Themes** - Multiple themes, easy to customize
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- 🔌 **Extensible** - Plugin system for custom features
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- 📱 **Responsive** - Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
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- 📂 **Simple Storage** - Plain markdown files in folders
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- 🧮 **Math Support** - LaTeX/MathJax for beautiful equations
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- 📄 **HTML Export** - Share notes as standalone HTML files
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- 🕸️ **Graph View** - Interactive visualization of connected notes
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## 🚀 Quick Start
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### Running from GitHub Container Registry (Easiest & Recommended)
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Use the pre-built image directly from GHCR - no building required!
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> **💡 Tip**: Always use `ghcr.io/gamosoft/notediscovery:latest` to get the newest features and fixes.
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> **📁 Important - Volume Mapping**: The container needs local folders/files to work:
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> - **Required**: `data` folder - **Your personal notes** will be stored here (create an empty folder)
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> - **Required**: `themes` folder with theme `.css` files (at least a single theme must exist)
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> - **Required**: `plugins` folder (can be empty for basic functionality)
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> - **Required**: `config.yaml` file (needed for the app to run)
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> - **Optional**: `documentation` folder - If you cloned the repo, mount this to view app docs inside NoteDiscovery
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>
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> **Setup Options:**
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>
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> 1. **Minimal** (quick test - download just the essentials):
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> ```bash
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> # Linux/macOS
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> mkdir -p data plugins themes # data/ is for YOUR notes
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> curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/config.yaml
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> # Download at least light and dark themes
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> curl -o themes/light.css https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/themes/light.css
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> curl -o themes/dark.css https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/themes/dark.css
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> ```
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>
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> ```powershell
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> # Windows PowerShell
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> mkdir data, plugins, themes -Force # data\ is for YOUR notes
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> Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/config.yaml -OutFile config.yaml
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> # Download at least light and dark themes
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> Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/themes/light.css -OutFile themes/light.css
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> Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/themes/dark.css -OutFile themes/dark.css
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> ```
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>
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> 2. **Full Setup** (recommended - includes all themes, plugins, and documentation):
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> ```bash
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> git clone https://github.com/gamosoft/notediscovery.git
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> cd notediscovery
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> # The data/ folder is empty - for your personal notes
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> # The documentation/ folder has app docs you can optionally mount
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> ```
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> **🔐 Security Note**: Authentication is **disabled by default** with password `admin`.
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> - ✅ **Local/Testing**: Default credentials are fine
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> - ⚠️ **Public Network**: Change password immediately - see [AUTHENTICATION.md](documentation/AUTHENTICATION.md)
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> - 🎭 **Demo Deployment**: Uses default "admin" password
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**Option 1: Docker Compose (Recommended)**
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> 💡 **Multi-Architecture Support**: Docker images are available for both `x86_64` and `ARM64` (Raspberry Pi, Apple Silicon, etc.)
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```bash
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# Download the docker-compose file
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curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gamosoft/notediscovery/main/docker-compose.ghcr.yml
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# Or if you cloned the repo, just use it directly
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docker-compose -f docker-compose.ghcr.yml up -d
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# Access at http://localhost:8000
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# Login with default password: admin
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# View logs
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docker-compose -f docker-compose.ghcr.yml logs -f
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# Stop the application
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docker-compose -f docker-compose.ghcr.yml down
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```
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**Option 2: Docker Run (Alternative)**
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```bash
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# Linux/macOS
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docker run -d \
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--name notediscovery \
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-p 8000:8000 \
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-v $(pwd)/data:/app/data \
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-v $(pwd)/plugins:/app/plugins \
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-v $(pwd)/themes:/app/themes \
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-v $(pwd)/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
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--restart unless-stopped \
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ghcr.io/gamosoft/notediscovery:latest
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```
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```powershell
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# Windows PowerShell
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docker run -d `
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--name notediscovery `
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-p 8000:8000 `
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-v ${PWD}/data:/app/data `
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-v ${PWD}/plugins:/app/plugins `
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-v ${PWD}/themes:/app/themes `
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-v ${PWD}/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml `
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--restart unless-stopped `
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ghcr.io/gamosoft/notediscovery:latest
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```
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Access at http://localhost:8000
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**Why use the GHCR image?**
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- ✅ No build time - instant deployment
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- ✅ Always up-to-date with the latest release
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- ✅ Tested and verified builds
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- ✅ Smaller download with optimized layers
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### Running with Docker Compose (Recommended for Development)
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Docker ensures consistent environment and easy deployment:
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/gamosoft/notediscovery.git
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cd notediscovery
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# Start with Docker Compose
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docker-compose up -d
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# Access at http://localhost:8000
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# View logs
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docker-compose logs -f
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# Stop the application
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docker-compose down
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```
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**Requirements:**
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- Docker
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- Docker Compose
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### Running Locally (Without Docker)
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For development or if you prefer running directly:
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/gamosoft/notediscovery.git
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cd notediscovery
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# Install dependencies
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pip install -r requirements.txt
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# Run the application
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python run.py
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# Access at http://localhost:8000
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```
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**Requirements:**
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- Python 3.8 or higher
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- pip (Python package manager)
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**Dependencies installed:**
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- FastAPI - Web framework
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- Uvicorn - ASGI server
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- PyYAML - Configuration handling
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- aiofiles - Async file operations
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## 📚 Documentation
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Want to learn more?
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- 🎨 **[THEMES.md](documentation/THEMES.md)** - Theme customization and creating custom themes
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- ✨ **[FEATURES.md](documentation/FEATURES.md)** - Complete feature list and keyboard shortcuts
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- 🏷️ **[TAGS.md](documentation/TAGS.md)** - Organize notes with tags and combined filtering
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- 📋 **[TEMPLATES.md](documentation/TEMPLATES.md)** - Create notes from reusable templates with dynamic placeholders
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- 🧮 **[MATHJAX.md](documentation/MATHJAX.md)** - LaTeX/Math notation examples and syntax reference
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- 📊 **[MERMAID.md](documentation/MERMAID.md)** - Diagram creation with Mermaid (flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more)
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- 🔌 **[PLUGINS.md](documentation/PLUGINS.md)** - Plugin system and available plugins
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- 🌐 **[API.md](documentation/API.md)** - REST API documentation and examples
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- 🔐 **[AUTHENTICATION.md](documentation/AUTHENTICATION.md)** - Enable password protection for your instance
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- 🔧 **[ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md](documentation/ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES.md)** - Configure settings via environment variables
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💡 **Pro Tip:** If you clone this repository, you can mount the `documentation/` folder to view these docs inside the app:
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```yaml
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# In your docker-compose.yml
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volumes:
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- ./data:/app/data # Your personal notes
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- ./documentation:/app/data/docs:ro # Mount docs subfolder inside the data folder (read-only)
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```
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Then access them at `http://localhost:8000` - the docs will appear as a `docs/` folder in the file browser!
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## 💖 Support Development
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If you find NoteDiscovery useful, consider [☕ buying me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/gamosoft) to help keep the project going. Every bit helps with new features, bug fixes, and improvements. Thank you!
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## 🤝 Contributing
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**Before submitting a pull request**, especially for major changes, please:
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- Read our **[Contributing Guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md)**
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- Open an issue first to discuss major features or significant changes
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- Ensure your code follows the project's style and philosophy
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## 🔒 Security Considerations
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NoteDiscovery is designed for **self-hosted, private use**. Please keep these security considerations in mind:
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### Network Security
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- ⚠️ **Do NOT expose directly to the internet** without additional security measures
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- Run behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy) with HTTPS for production use
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- Keep it on your local network or use a VPN for remote access
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- By default, the app listens on `0.0.0.0:8000` (all network interfaces)
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### Authentication
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- **Password protection is ENABLED by default** with password: `admin`
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- ⚠️ **CHANGE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD IMMEDIATELY** if exposing to a network!
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- See **[AUTHENTICATION.md](documentation/AUTHENTICATION.md)** for complete setup instructions
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- To disable auth, set `authentication.enabled: false` in `config.yaml`
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- Change password with Docker: `docker-compose exec notediscovery python generate_password.py`
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- Perfect for single-user or small team deployments
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- For multi-user setups, consider a reverse proxy with OAuth/SSO
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### Data Privacy
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- Your notes are stored as **plain text markdown files** in the `data/` folder
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- No data is sent to external services
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- Regular backups are recommended
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### Best Practices
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- Run on `localhost` or a private network only
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- Use Docker for isolation and easier security management
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- Keep your system and dependencies updated
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- Review and audit any plugins you install
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- Set appropriate file permissions on the `data/` directory
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**TL;DR**: Perfect for personal use on your local machine or home network. Enable built-in password protection if needed, or use a reverse proxy with authentication if exposing to wider networks.
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## 📄 License
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MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute.
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---
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Made with ❤️ for the self-hosting community
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