Browser-based PWA for local-first plain .md files with a Go sync server, Telegram bot, and no build system required.
Key Takeaways
No install needed: open app.files.md in Chrome, point it at a local folder; sync via included Go binary or iCloud/Dropbox/Google Drive.
Architecture is intentionally minimal: no build system, single web/index.html entrypoint, vendored frontend libs, ~15 backend files.
files.md/llms.txt publishes the full file schema so AI agents (CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md) can read and write the knowledge base directly.
Predefined file structure covers Chat.md, journal, habits, checklists, and tasks but is optional; one-level nesting enforced by design.
Project philosophy actively discourages plugin sprawl and template hoarding in favor of atomic, linked notes and first-brain thinking.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters were surprised Obsidian is not open source; one noted it behaves like “inverse open core” since data and plugins are open but the Electron shell is not.
Joplin (truly open source, Dropbox sync, native apps) and Syncthing-backed Obsidian were raised as practical alternatives with longer track records.
Several commenters pushed back on the “Obsidian alternative” framing, arguing files.md has a distinct opinionated philosophy rather than feature parity.
Notable Comments
@zakirullin: author frames the goal as owning both data and software together, with code “optimized for LLM tweaking.”
@Ifkaluva: flags that Tiago Forte’s stated goal of “remember nothing” via second brain surfacing is philosophically opposite to files.md’s first-brain focus.
