Xotes - personal note management system

Xotes is a personal note management system. Features include:

• written in python3, should work on most systems
• library, command line, and ncurses interfaces
• git storage backend, for simple sharing between devices
• xapian full text index and search of all notes (optional)
• GitJournal compatibility

Dependencies:

• python3
• GitPython
• PyYAML
• dateutil
• urwid for ncurses interface (optional)
• Xapian python3 bindings (optional)

All dependencies are commonly available through your favorite python package manager.

Xotes is managed on GitLab.

Xotes was written by Jameson Graef Rollins.

synchronizing between devices via git

Xotes stores notes in a git repo, and can synchronize the store with any git remotes configured in the store's git repo. To configure, simply set up git remotes in the store's git repo as you would in any normal git repo, then use the Store.sync() command or the command line --sync option to synchronize. See Store.ROOT or the command line --help for the file system location of your store.

fast sync with SSH

If you use SSH remotes, synchronization can be sped up considerably by using SSH connection multiplexing. By specifying a ControlMaster for your ssh connection, ssh can hold open a connection to the remote, speeding up subsequent operations considerably.

For example, for remote gitjournal@example.com the following .ssh/config stanza should setup a multiplexing socket just for your gitjournal remote:

Match originalhost example.com, user gitjournal
ControlMaster auto
ControlPersist yes

faster editing with emacs

If you use emacs to edit notes you can use the emacs server to speed up editing considerably.

I use a special emacs session just for xotes editing. In a wrapper script I have the emacs daemon launch if it's not running:

if ! emacsclient --socket-name=xotes -e '()' >/dev/null ; then
    emacs --daemon=xotes
fi

And then I set the EDITOR environment variable to use emacsclient:

export EDITOR="emacsclient --socket-name=xotes -t"

recommended gitjournal config

Xotes works very well with GitJournal. While xotes should work with GitJournal out of the box, not all of the potential GitJournal configuration options have been fully tested. In particular, xotes currently does expect the YAML header to be present.

The following GitJournal settings may provide the best performance:

• in "Note Metadata Settings":
  • "Enable YAML Header"
  • "Modified Field" should be "modified"
  • "Created Field" should be "created"
• While xotes will support any note file name, "Uuid V4" file names are the most sensible, imho.