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A native Markdown notebook for Linux. Your files, your folders, no account.
Opens Obsidian-format vaults and started faster than Obsidian in our paired test (0.61 s vs 3.77 s, earlier build, one setup). Independent, not affiliated with Obsidian.
Install for Linux — download .deb
Portable Linux download · Quick start · Report a bug · Contribute
Linux desktop · Plain files · Native Rust
I built Rustidian for myself because every note editor I tried felt too slow. Speed and stability guide the project: ordinary Markdown folders, native editing, linked notes and graphs.
Try Rustidian for Linux. Contributors are welcome.
Requirements: Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.39 or newer (Ubuntu 24.04 or newer; check with ldd --version) and an X11 or Wayland desktop. The Open dialogs use zenity, which the package installs; with the portable archive, install zenity with your package manager. Native UI checks use X11; Wayland is enabled, with broader coverage still open.
Download the Debian/Ubuntu package and checksums, then run:
sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS
sudo apt install ./rustidian-linux-amd64.deb
rustidianOther ways to install. Snap: sudo snap install rustidian; the snap is confined, so it reads vaults in your home folder, and sudo snap connect rustidian:removable-media lets it open vaults on other drives. AppImage: download Rustidian-0.1.6-x86_64.AppImage from the release, run chmod +x on it and start it. Arch and Omarchy: git clone https://github.com/MasihMoafi/rustidian && cd rustidian/packaging/aur-bin && makepkg -si builds a native package from the release's exact executable.
The package adds Rustidian to your applications menu and opens a writable demo vault on first launch. Existing notes and settings are retained. The installer is built and checked on Ubuntu 24.04.
For a portable installation, download the tar archive and the same checksums:
sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS
mkdir rustidian && tar -xzf rustidian-linux-x86_64.tar.gz -C rustidian
cd rustidian && ./rustidianThe bundled demo opens immediately. To add Rustidian to your applications menu, run python3 install.py; it installs for your user without root. You can also run it from the extracted folder:
./rustidian "/path/to/vault copy"
./rustidian "/path/to/note.md"
./rustidian --versionOpens Obsidian-format vaults. Try a copy of your vault first. Open the folder directly with File → Open folder…; no import or account is needed. Rustidian reads ordinary Markdown files and selected Obsidian settings. Community plugins do not run; Canvas, Bases and other gaps are listed below. Keep Obsidian available for other workflows.
Why don't Obsidian plugins work? Rustidian's interface is native Rust with egui/eframe. Obsidian plugins require Obsidian's JavaScript API and often its browser DOM and CSS. Running them needs a compatibility runtime or individual feature ports; copying plugin folders is insufficient.
Edits autosave after 600 ms of inactivity; Ctrl+S saves immediately. If another program changes a note, Rustidian retains your buffer and refuses to overwrite the external change. Use Save a copy from the command palette to preserve your version.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+P | Command palette |
| Ctrl+O | Quick switcher |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | Open an existing file |
| Ctrl+Alt+O | Open an existing folder as a vault |
| Ctrl+N | New note |
| Ctrl+E | Switch reading/editing |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Search the vault |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
- Native throughout. Rust powers the interface, text editor, Markdown renderer, search, and vault operations.
- Write your way. Live editing, source and reading modes, folding, formatting, find/replace, and undo. Tables, callouts, images, syntax highlighting, LaTeX math and native Mermaid diagrams bring your notes to life.
- Follow your ideas. Wiki links, backlinks, tags, aliases, properties, bookmarks, a quick switcher, and vault-wide search keep your knowledge connected.
- Return to your rhythm. Daily notes, templates, pinned tabs, named workspaces, recent vaults, and tab restoration after a clean exit.
- Work beside an agent. The Agent tab (Ctrl+Shift+A) runs Codex, Claude Code or Elpis in a terminal in your vault folder, whichever is installed.
- Keep control of your files. Plain UTF-8 Markdown and text, atomic saves, external-change protection, recovery snapshots, and recoverable Trash. Workspace state lives outside the vault.
Rustidian is a work in progress toward full support for Obsidian-format vaults. The current build covers a subset of that goal.
| Area | Current state |
|---|---|
| Markdown editing, links, tasks, tables, Mermaid, LaTeX math | Implemented workflows with ongoing parity work |
| Vaults, daily notes, templates, workspaces, recovery | Implemented workflows with remaining gaps |
| Global and local graph | Native views verified; graph parity work continues |
| Canvas, Bases, full settings and hotkeys | Missing or incomplete |
| Existing Obsidian community plugins | Unsupported; compatibility design remains open |
The coverage ledger records implemented workflows and remaining work. Full parity and existing Obsidian plugin compatibility are unfinished.
These measurements use older builds. The current release has not yet been benchmarked against Obsidian.
A paired startup comparison measured a median complete matching note frame at 0.61 s for the verified Rustidian baseline versus 3.77 s for Obsidian 1.14.4. Ten balanced warmed pairs used 100 synthetic notes, a 1440×960 software display and screenshot/OCR sampling. The measured baseline precedes the later graph update. Exact versions, original paired screenshots, raw results and limits accompany this bounded result.
A verified same-host comparison measured serial edit/save acknowledgement:
| Editor | Median |
|---|---|
| Rustidian measured baseline | 78.57 ms |
| Ferrite 0.3.0 | 439.32 ms |
About 5.6× faster in this edit-and-save test. Both editors used the same 103,300-byte document in source mode on one Linux/Xvfb host. Four alternating rounds collected 100 timed samples plus 20 warmups. Timings cover synthetic input through observing the exact saved bytes, including keyboard-driver and file-polling overhead. Overall speed varies by workload.
The linked run contains the verification evidence. See the comparison script for the method and the workflow for the checks.
Try one useful workflow: open a copied vault, edit and save a note, follow a link, then reopen it. Report what broke with rustidian --version, your Linux/display setup and a small example. For a difference from Obsidian, use the workflow gap form.
Rust/egui contributors can start with Markdown rendering, keyboard access or Linux/Wayland testing. CONTRIBUTING.md explains setup and checks; the coverage ledger records remaining work. If Rustidian is useful to you, a GitHub star helps others discover it.
MIT license · Third-party notices · Independent, not affiliated with Obsidian. Existing Obsidian JavaScript plugins are unsupported; full feature and visual parity remain unfinished.
- Elpis: a coding agent for the terminal and desktop, with explicit context control
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- Skills: SKILL.md workflows for coding agents
- WhisperType: local voice input for developers
- Read Aloud: select text, press Super+R, hear it in a local voice
- Love Spot: a shared drawing board where characters talk, draw and compete with you
- SVG Studio: high-quality image vectorization
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- Clocki: a floating desktop timer for tracking focus hours
All of them: masihmoafi.com