Your notes need shape, not another database.
Keep hierarchy, tags, ids, metadata, details, and links in a small plain-text vocabulary.
Local-first. Plain text. Keyboard-first.
Structured thinking that still lives in normal Markdown files.
mdmind is a local-first map editor for writers, researchers,
planners, and agents who want durable structure without locking ideas inside a
proprietary app. Write maps as readable Markdown, explore them in the full-screen
TUI, then use the mdm CLI to validate, search, export, and inspect them.
brew
brew tap dudash/tap; brew install mdmind
Local-first
No hosted workspace or account required.
Git-friendly
Readable files that diff, branch, and review cleanly.
CLI included
Validate maps, query structure, and export when needed.
Agent-ready
Install skills or plugins so Codex, Claude, and similar agents write native mdmind maps.
Why it exists
When an outline turns into a system, mdmind keeps it usable.
mdmind is for notes, plans, brainstorms, and research that need branches, relationships, and room to grow beyond a flat document.
You need to focus without splitting the file.
Switch views, jump by section, and inspect backlinks while the source stays one map.
Big ideas get easier when you can decompose them.
Break messy questions into branches, compare paths, and keep the reasoning visible as a problem turns into smaller decisions.
Core features
Make large plain-text maps workable.
Add structure where Markdown runs out.
Use #tags for grouping, @key:value for structure,
[id:...] for stable deep links, [[target]] for references,
and | details for longer notes attached to a branch.
Move around without losing context.
Work in Full Map, Focus Branch, Subtree Only, or Filtered Focus, jump by major branch through the command palette’s section index, and move through lateral structure with outgoing links and backlinks.
Inspect maps outside the editor.
Search by text, browse tags and metadata, validate structure, export views,
and reopen saved working sets with mdm.
Give agents a format they can use on purpose.
mdmind gives agents a small, explicit vocabulary for hierarchy, details, ids, tags,
and cross-links. Install the skills with npx skills, or use the Claude
Code and Codex plugin packages when you want an agent-native distribution surface.
Install the skill pack.
Working modes
Different views into the same map.
One file can act like an outline, a focused workspace, a reading surface, or a spatial canvas depending on the work in front of you.
TUI + CLI
One map file. Two strong surfaces.
- mdmind is the editor - with navigation, search, views, inline help, and visual maps.
- mdm is a tool - validates, quick view, see data, exports, and more.
Open and free
Apache 2.0 licensed and local-first.
- No hosted dependency required.
- Readable Markdown files, Git-friendly workflows, and open code.
Downloads
Install mdmind from here.
GitHub Releases are the source of truth for public installs. Every release bundles both
mdm and mdmind, plus the example map pack.
macOS
Homebrew
The cleanest public install path on macOS.
brew tap dudash/tap
brew install mdmindLinux
Release tarball
Download the latest archive from the GitHub release page and put the binaries on your path.
Open latest releaseWindows
Release zip
Grab the latest Windows zip from GitHub releases and extract both binaries together.
Open latest releaseDevelopment
Install from source
For local development or testing directly from the repo:
cargo install --path .Agent mode
Install mdmind for your coding agents.
Teach agents to write native mdmind maps and inspect them with mdm.
Run the skills installer and choose the agent or agents you want to use.
npx skills add dudash/mdmindSupport the project