Show HN: Files.md – open-source alternative to Obsidian

· web devtools open-source · Source ↗

TLDR

  • Files.md is a local-first, no-build PWA for plain .md files with a Go server, Telegram bot, and LLM-friendly file structure built over 5 years.

Key Takeaways

  • No build system: open web/index.html directly; Go binary handles sync, or use iCloud/Dropbox/Google Drive.
  • Predefined file scheme (Chat.md, journal/, habits/, archive/) is exposed at files.md/llms.txt for paste into CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md.
  • Telegram chatbot handles mobile read/write; full PWA mobile UI is not yet well-tested.
  • Contribution rules explicitly prefer PRs that remove or simplify code; all vendored deps are included in-repo for portability.
  • Philosophy actively discourages complex PKM workflows, citing deferred thinking as the core trap of second-brain systems.

Hacker News Comment Review

  • Commenters noted Obsidian is proprietary, not open-source, despite its strong open-feel – files.md fills a real gap for users who want software ownership alongside file ownership.
  • Several commenters pushed back on the “Obsidian alternative” framing: files.md has a distinct, opinionated workflow rather than feature parity, making the comparison potentially misleading.

Notable Comments

  • @zakirullin: “you should own the software that opens those files” – Go chosen deliberately; code optimized for LLM-assisted tweaking without a plugin system.

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