# VNote
  
[简体中文](README_zh_CN.md)
[Project on Gitee](https://gitee.com/vnotex/vnote)
A pleasant note-taking platform.
For more information, please visit [**VNote's Home Page**](https://docs.vnote.fun).
## Description
**VNote** is a Qt-based, free and open source note-taking application. It combines note management with an excellent editing experience across multiple document formats.
VNote runs on **Linux**, **Windows**, and **macOS**, and requires **Qt 6.9+**. Qt 5.15 and Windows 7 are no longer supported.
### Supported formats
**VNote is more than a Markdown editor — these formats are supported today:**
* **Markdown** (`.md`, `.mkd`, `.rmd`, `.markdown`): write, edit, and preview Markdown notes
* **Typst** (`.typst`): write and edit typeset documents with the native Typst editor and live PDF preview
* **Plain text and source code** (`.txt`, `.log`, `.py`, `.cpp`, `.js`, `.json`, `.yaml`, and more): edit text notes, logs, code, and configuration files
* **Mind maps** (`.mmm`, `.emind`): create and edit mind maps with the native mind-map editor
* **PDF** (`.pdf`): read PDF documents with the built-in viewer
## Downloads
Continuous builds on `master` branch could be found at the [Continuous Build](https://github.com/vnotex/vnote/releases/tag/continuous-build) release.
Latest stable builds could be found at the [latest release](https://github.com/vnotex/vnote/releases/latest) or [Gitee release](https://gitee.com/vnotex/vnote/releases)
## Supports
* [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/vnotex/vnote/issues);
* Email: `tamlokx at gmail.com`;
Thank [users who donated to VNote](https://github.com/vnotex/vnote/wiki/Donate-List)!
## Development
### Prerequisites
* Git, CMake 3.21+, Ninja, Python 3, and a C++20-capable compiler
(the syntax indexer uses C++20; VNote uses C++17)
* Qt 6.9+ development packages, including Core5Compat, SVG, WebChannel, WebEngineWidgets,
PDF, LinguistTools, and matching Qt Gui private headers
* On Windows: Visual Studio's **Desktop development with C++** workload and Windows SDK,
with a 64-bit MSVC Qt kit (the development setup uses Qt 6.10.3 MSVC2022 64bit)
* [Rustup](https://rustup.rs/) and the Rust version pinned in
[rust-toolchain.toml](libs/vtextedit/tools/typst-backend/rust-toolchain.toml)
(currently **1.99.0**); use the `x86_64-pc-windows-msvc` host for the Windows kit above
* Optional: clang-format for the formatting hooks
### Initialize the checkout
After cloning the repository, run the initialization script to set up your development environment:
**Linux/macOS:**
```bash
bash scripts/init.sh
```
**Windows:**
```cmd
scripts\init.cmd
```
This script will:
* Initialize and update all git submodules
* Install pre-commit hooks for automatic code formatting with clang-format
* Set up the vtextedit submodule pre-commit hook
### Install the Typst build toolchain
VNote requires the native Typst backend. Install Rustup first, then install the pinned
Rust toolchain. These commands assume Rustup's default installation location.
**Windows (PowerShell, no PATH change required):**
```powershell
& "$env:USERPROFILE/.cargo/bin/rustup.exe" toolchain install 1.99.0 --profile minimal
Push-Location libs/vtextedit/tools/typst-backend
& "$env:USERPROFILE/.cargo/bin/cargo.exe" --version
& "$env:USERPROFILE/.cargo/bin/rustc.exe" --version
Pop-Location
```
**Linux/macOS:**
```bash
rustup toolchain install 1.99.0 --profile minimal
(cd libs/vtextedit/tools/typst-backend && cargo --version && rustc --version)
```
CMake builds the locked Rust dependencies into the `vtextedit_typst` shared library,
linked by VTextEdit and bundled with VNote. No separate `typst` CLI or Tinymist
installation is required. The first build needs network access to fetch dependencies.
### Qt Creator
1. Open the root `CMakeLists.txt` and select a kit matching your Qt and compiler
architecture. On Windows, select **Desktop Qt 6.10.3 MSVC2022 64bit** if installed.
2. Under **Projects > Build Settings**, use Ninja and separate fresh build directories,
such as `build-typst-debug` and `build-typst-release`. Do not reuse a stale build cache
from another toolchain.
3. In **Initial Configuration**, add this Windows CMake parameter for both profiles:
```text
-DVTEXTEDIT_CARGO_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=%{Env:USERPROFILE}/.cargo/bin/cargo.exe
```
For a custom Cargo installation, use its actual executable path. On Linux/macOS,
ensure Cargo is on Qt Creator's build environment PATH, or set the same CMake variable
to its executable path. Initial Configuration applies to a new build directory;
an already configured directory needs its current CMake configuration updated too.
4. Add `-DVNOTE_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON` to the Debug profile if you want the VNote tests.
Configure, then build the **vnote** and **lrelease** targets; select **vnote** to run/debug.
The Typst shared library is a build dependency, not a separate run target.
5. Open a `.typst` note in VNote and check that its preview renders. To smoke-test
the Windows library directly from the repository root:
```powershell
python scripts/e2e/smoke_typst_package.py --library build-typst-release/src/vtextedit_typst.dll
```
Typst runs on bounded background threads inside VNote. Timeouts discard results but
cannot forcibly stop native calls; shutdown waits for active calls to return. The
shared library is required at startup, and native compiler faults can affect VNote.
For a second VNote process, `--no-single-instance` skips locking/IPC but **does not isolate
user data**. Follow the [isolated GUI smoke recipe](tests/AGENTS.md#agent-gui-smoke-testing-windows)
when testing with a disposable profile and notes.
For more development guidelines, see [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md).
## License
VNote is licensed under [GNU LGPLv3](https://opensource.org/licenses/LGPL-3.0).
Bundled third-party material and the notices its licenses require — the Lucide
(ISC/MIT) and IconPark (Apache-2.0) icon sets — are recorded in
[THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md).