Quickstart Guide#

This guide will help you install Nocti and get started with your first project.

Installation#

Download Binaries#

You can download the latest pre-compiled binaries for your system from the GitHub Releases page.

If using downloaded binaries on macOS, nocti may be blocked. Go to your Privacy and Security settings, and click the button to allow nocti to run.

Build from Source#

If you have Go (1.26.2+) installed, you can build Nocti manually:

Linux and macOS#

git clone https://github.com/numbertheory/nocti.git
cd nocti
make install

Note: This installs the binary to ~/.local/bin. Ensure this directory is in your PATH.

Windows (PowerShell)#

git clone https://github.com/numbertheory/nocti.git
cd nocti
go build -o nocti.exe main.go
# Move nocti.exe to a directory in your PATH

Your First Project#

1. Initialize a Project#

Create a folder for your notes and tasks, then initialize it:

mkdir my-knowledge-base
cd my-knowledge-base
nocti init

This creates a .nocti/ directory to store your project’s configuration and registry.

2. The Interactive UI#

Most of your time in Nocti will be spent in the interactive list view. Open it by running:

nocti list

Tip: You can just run nocti with no arguments to trigger the list view automatically.

Working with Resources#

Nocti uses three main types of resources. You can create any of them by pressing n inside the interactive view.

📓 Notebooks#

For long-form writing, documentation, and organized notes.

  • Create: Press n -> Notebook.
  • Use: Enter the notebook to create standard Markdown (.md) or text (.txt) files.
  • Organization: You can nest notebooks inside other notebooks to create a deep hierarchy.

📅 Calendars#

For scheduling and daily logs.

  • Create: Press n -> Calendar.
  • Overview: When you enter a calendar, you see a list of days.
  • Events: Select a day and press n -> Event to create a note for that specific date.

📝 Todo Lists#

For task management and progress tracking.

  • Create: Press n -> Todo.
  • Tasks: Inside a Todo resource, press n -> Todo List to create a task file from a template.
  • Tracking: Use - [ ] and - [x] in your markdown. Nocti will automatically show your progress (e.g., (2/5)) in the file list!

Basic Navigation Tips#

  • Arrows: Navigate the list.
    • In the Calendar view, use Ctrl+Up/Down to skip ahead by seven days.
  • Enter: Enter a resource or edit a file in your default editor.
  • q / Esc: Go back to the parent resource or exit.
  • Tab: Switch focus between the file list and the preview pane.
  • Ctrl+H: Show the help menu for more shortcuts.
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