Getting started

Five tasks to begin with, each in a few steps. The last step of each one points to the section that explains the rest.

1. Open a folder.

1. In File → Switch this window's workspace... (Ctrl+Shift+O), choose the folder with your notes or your project. It becomes the Workspace, and opening it creates nothing inside it.
2. The tree on the left shows the files, and a click opens each one in a tab. Folders you opened before are in File → Recent folders. More in Workspace and windows.

2. Create a note and link it to another.

1. In File → New → New note (.md), the note is created in the selected folder with its name being edited: type the title and press Enter.
2. In the text, type [[ and the start of another note's name; the list completes it. Ctrl+click on the link opens the note.
3. The Connections mini-bar of the target note shows the links that reach it. More in Images, links and wikilinks.

3. Keep versions with Git.

1. In Tools → Workspace → Workspace settings..., turn on Versioning (Git). LightNote creates the repository if it does not exist yet.
2. In automatic mode, versions are saved on their own. The Save version button marks a point you want to find again, and Ctrl+Shift+G opens the versioning sidebar.
3. To keep a copy outside this computer, follow Backup and sync: GitHub step by step.

4. Connect an AI and ask your notes.

1. In Settings → AI Assistants, click Connect an AI… and choose the provider: the list marks which ones have a free plan and which run on your computer, with no key.
2. Open the keys page with the button and paste the key. LightNote tests the connection before saving.
3. In AI → AI Chat…, ask a question: the answer uses your notes and cites where each passage came from. More in AI Chat.

5. Find it again.

1. Ctrl+R opens a file by name, and Ctrl+Shift+F searches for text in every file of the folder, including PDFs and Word documents.
2. Ctrl+Shift+P opens the command palette: type what you want to do, or start with ? to search this help.
3. More in Search in files and Pending items and Command palette.