Overview

DunneNote is a note-taking app for Windows, macOS and Linux from DunneCorp. It works offline, and your notes stay on your own computer in a format you can read without DunneNote.

A notebook is a folder on your disk whose name ends in .dunnenote. Inside it are a SQLite database, a store for pictures and attachments, and a small file that describes the format. Copy that folder to another computer and the whole notebook goes with it. There is no account to create and nothing to sign into.

What it is for#

It is for notes that mix different kinds of content. A page in DunneNote is a surface, not a single document. You place any number of canvases on it, and each canvas holds one kind of content:

• formatted text in a Rich Text canvas,
• data you imported from a CSV or JSON file in a read-only Data Table,
• values you type yourself in an Editable table,
• photos and diagrams in a Picture canvas, with crop, rotate and markup,
• freehand drawing in a Sketch canvas,
• appointments from an .ics file in a Calendar canvas.

Canvases sit side by side or stack on top of one another, and text flows around the canvases that sit over it. Every canvas belongs to the page it was created on.

Who it is for#

• People who keep large, mixed notebooks and want them on their own disk, in a format that will still be readable in years to come.
• People who work across Windows, macOS and Linux and want the same app on each.
• People who value their privacy and want to keep their notes to themselves.
• People who want to own their own work, not be beholden to a third party who owns the format their work is saved into.
• Technical users who want a keyboard-driven app with a file format they can inspect with standard tools.

What it is not#

These limits are deliberate:

• It is not a spreadsheet. Tables hold values, and they never calculate. There are no formulas. To do calculations, copy a table out as TSV into a spreadsheet app.
• It is not a calendar client. The Calendar canvas shows appointments from an .ics file you import. It is read-only, it does not sync with any calendar service, and it sends no reminders.
• It is for one person. One copy of DunneNote edits a notebook at a time. There is no shared editing, no comments and no shared workspace.
• It is not a drawing app. The Sketch canvas is for quick drawings and annotations.
• It is not a cloud service. Backups go where YOU point them: a folder, an Amazon S3 bucket you own, or another of your computers running DunneNote Host. Nothing leaves your computer unless you set that up.

How far along it is#

DunneNote is at version 0.9.2, before its first general release. The editing features described in these guides are marked Shipped: they are complete and passed the launch acceptance checklist on all three platforms (run on 0.9.0). Two areas are marked In progress:

• Installers. The macOS build is signed and notarized. The Windows and Linux builds are available but not yet signed. See Installing DunneNote.
• Backup and replication. Backups to a folder, to S3 and to another computer work, and they are still going through final acceptance. See Backup and restore.

Where to go next#

• Installing DunneNote
• Your first notebook, or the step-by-step first notebook tutorial
• Notebooks, pages and canvases
• Known limitations

Questions? Signed-in customers can open a support ticket. Anyone else can contact us.