Coda
Docs, tables, and apps combined into one collaborative workspace
nb
A portable, script-driven note-taking and bookmarking system
nb provides a single‑script, cross‑platform CLI and web interface for notes, bookmarks, and knowledge bases, featuring plain‑text storage, encryption, Git versioning, tagging, search, and extensible plugins.
Overview
Overview
nb is a single, well‑tested shell script that turns any standard Linux/Unix environment—including macOS and Windows via WSL, MSYS, or Cygwin—into a powerful note‑taking, bookmarking, and knowledge‑base platform. It stores data as plain‑text (Markdown, Org, LaTeX, AsciiDoc, etc.), supports optional GPG encryption, and leverages Git for automatic versioning and remote synchronization.
Features
The tool offers wiki‑style linking, full‑text and regex search, tag‑based filtering, and inline images. Bookmarks are saved as clean Markdown pages with offline caching, Wayback Machine lookup, and can be browsed in terminal or any GUI browser. Extensibility comes via plugins, and optional utilities like Pandoc, ripgrep, or bat enhance conversion, searching, and rendering. Installation is as simple as a curl, Homebrew, or npm command, and the script works with any preferred editor such as Vim, Emacs, VS Code, or Sublime.
Highlights
Plain‑text notes with optional GPG encryption
Git‑backed versioning and remote syncing
Wiki‑style linking and full‑text search across notes and bookmarks
Extensible plugin system and optional Pandoc conversion
Pros
- Works in any standard Unix‑like environment
- Single portable script simplifies installation
- Supports multiple editors and formats
- Built‑in bookmarking with offline caching
Considerations
- Relies on external tools for advanced features
- No native GUI beyond browser rendering
- Complex configuration may be needed for plugins
- Performance depends on shell and external utilities
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Fit guide
Great for
- Users who prefer text‑based, version‑controlled note taking
- Developers needing a lightweight, scriptable knowledge base
- Anyone wanting integrated bookmarking with searchable archives
- Teams using Git for collaborative note sync
Not ideal when
- People requiring a full‑featured graphical note app
- Environments without Bash or Git installed
- Users needing real‑time collaborative editing
- Those who want a cloud‑only SaaS solution
How teams use it
Personal research journal
Capture, tag, and version‑track research notes and web references, searchable via regex and synced via Git.
Project documentation hub
Maintain markdown docs, link between pages, and generate PDFs with Pandoc, while keeping history in Git.
Bookmark archive with offline reading
Save web pages as markdown, browse locally, and retrieve Wayback snapshots for dead links.
Team knowledge base with encryption
Store sensitive notes encrypted, share via a private Git repo, and control access with password protection.
Tech snapshot
Shell99%
Go1%
Makefile1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything besides Bash and Git?
Only Bash and Git are required; all other features work with optional tools if they are present.
How does nb handle synchronization across devices?
nb uses Git to record changes; you can push to any remote repository or configure an external sync tool like Dropbox.
Can I encrypt individual notes?
Yes, nb can create password‑protected encrypted notes using GPG.
Is there a graphical interface?
Notes are edited in your preferred editor, and bookmarks can be viewed in terminal or any GUI web browser.
What text formats are supported?
Markdown, Org, LaTeX, AsciiDoc, and any plain‑text format; Pandoc can convert to many others.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 7,926
- Watchers
- 7,926
- Forks
- 244
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age10 years old
Last commit4 days ago
Primary languageShell
Last synced 47 minutes ago