nb
A portable CLI and local web app for plain text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git syncing, search, tagging, and Pandoc conversion.
What is nb?
nb is a command-line and local web application for note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving, all stored in plain text files. It solves the problem of fragmented knowledge management by combining notes, bookmarks, and archival in one portable tool with features like search, tagging, and Git syncing. It emphasizes user control, avoiding proprietary formats and cloud lock-in.
Developers, writers, researchers, and knowledge workers who prefer plain text workflows, command-line efficiency, and offline access to their notes and bookmarks. It's ideal for those who value data portability and integration with existing tools like Git and text editors.
nb stands out by packing a comprehensive set of features into a single, portable shell script that works anywhere Bash runs. Unlike many note-taking apps, it avoids vendor lock-in, uses open formats, and integrates seamlessly with version control and plain text editors, making it both powerful and minimalist.
Overview
CLI and local web plain text note‑taking, bookmarking, and archiving with linking, tagging, filtering, search, Git versioning & syncing, Pandoc conversion, + more, in a single portable script.
Use Cases
Best For
- Building a personal knowledge base with interconnected notes and bookmarks
- Archiving web pages as clean, searchable Markdown for offline reference
- Managing notes and todos across multiple projects with Git-based versioning
- Creating encrypted notes and bookmarks for sensitive information
- Taking quick notes from the command line without leaving the terminal
- Serving a local web interface to browse and edit notes in a GUI browser
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring real-time collaborative editing with simultaneous multi-user access
- Users who prefer a fully graphical, point-and-click interface without any command-line interaction
- Projects that need extensive binary file management or rich multimedia editing beyond basic images and audio
- Environments where Bash and Git are not available or where system restrictions prevent script execution
Pros & Cons
Pros
Stores all data in open formats like Markdown, Org, and LaTeX, ensuring files are editable with any text editor and future-proof against vendor lock-in.
Automatically uses Git for version control and can sync with remote repositories, providing robust history tracking and backup without manual intervention.
Saves web pages as clean Markdown with full-text search, caching content locally for offline access and easy reference, enhanced by tools like readability-cli.
Allows customization through plugins, enabling users to add new tools and workflows, such as note-link-janitor for backlink maintenance.
Cons
Full functionality, like Pandoc conversion for imports/exports and enhanced previews with bat or w3m, requires installing additional command-line tools, complicating setup.
As a local-first tool, it lacks built-in features for real-time collaborative editing, making it unsuitable for teams needing live sync without manual Git merges.
Being a single shell script, operations on thousands of notes or bookmarks might be slower compared to compiled applications, especially for search and rendering in the web interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
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