Getting Started

Getting Started

Install

The repository documents unsigned development packages. Exact supported OS versions are not stated.

Windows: Scoop

scoop bucket add folea https://github.com/ivanovanatoliy/scoop-folea
scoop install folea-dev

The package builds a pinned develop commit locally.

macOS: Homebrew

brew install --cask ivanovanatoliy/folea/folea-dev

The app uses an ad-hoc signature. It is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate or notarized.

Linux

Arch Linux, Manjaro, or EndeavourOS:

yay -S folea-git

Debian, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint:

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://ivanovanatoliy.github.io/folea/repo-signing-key.asc \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/folea-packages.asc >/dev/null
curl -fsSL https://ivanovanatoliy.github.io/folea/apt/folea.sources \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/folea.sources >/dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install folea-dev

Fedora:

sudo curl -fsSL https://ivanovanatoliy.github.io/folea/rpm/folea.repo \
  -o /etc/yum.repos.d/folea.repo
sudo dnf install folea-dev

From source

Use Node >=22.0.0 <25 and npm 11.12.1. From a checkout of the develop branch:

npm install
npm run app:install

Remove that installation with:

npm run app:uninstall

The install script registers the unpacked app for the current OS. A source install does not provide the folea command on every platform: the script creates a Linux wrapper, copies folea.app on macOS, and creates a Start Menu shortcut on Windows.

Repository packaging also targets macOS DMG, Windows NSIS, and Linux AppImage/DEB builds. GitHub Releases are manually cut from main and are not signed. This wiki does not assume a particular release asset or download URL.

Make a vault

A vault is any directory containing Typst notes. For a minimal vault:

my-notes/
└── welcome.typ

Example welcome.typ:

= Welcome

This is my first folea note.

Normal notes are paths ending exactly in .typ. folea excludes these directories from its note index:

.obsidian
.git
node_modules
.folea
.folea-cache
_templates

_templates is reserved for note templates. It is handled separately from normal notes.

Open the vault

1. Start folea.
2. Choose Open vault.
3. Pick the vault directory in the Open Typst vault system dialog.
4. Open a note with Ctrl+p, Ctrl+b, or the mouse.

The start screen shows up to 10 recent vaults. Click a recent vault to reopen it, or use its remove button to remove it from the list.

On later starts, folea tries to reopen the last accessible vault. If that path is missing or is no longer a directory, folea removes it from saved state and shows the start screen. Closing a vault returns to the start screen but does not clear it as the last-opened vault, so it can reopen next time.

Within a vault, folea tries the saved last note, then a valid recent note, then the first indexed note.

Edit a note

Press Ctrl+e. folea opens the current .typ file in an external editor.

With no configuration, the fallback is:

code --reuse-window <absolute-note-path>

If that does not suit you, configure editor.command or FOLEA_EDITOR_CMD in Configuration.

Learn the basic loop

• Read with j, k, Space, and Shift+Space.
• Open notes with Ctrl+p or the tree at Ctrl+b.
• Search the current note with /.
• Open full-vault search through : and choose Open vault search (search.openGlobal).
• Jump through headings with o and links with b.
• Open the current file in your editor with Ctrl+e.

Next: Features.