Quick Start

Tydora is a modern desktop Markdown editor built on Tauri v2 + React 19. It supports WYSIWYG live preview, dual-mode (live preview / source) editing, WikiLink bidirectional links, tags and bookmarks, a knowledge graph, mind maps, a whiteboard canvas, a built-in terminal, and multi-format export. This page takes you from installation to your first note in about 5 minutes.

If you already use Obsidian or Typora, much of Tydora will feel familiar: the vault concept, the [[...]] link syntax, and live-preview editing all come from the same lineage.

1. Installation

Open the GitHub Releases page.

  1. Download the installer for your system:
    • Windows: Tydora_x.x.x_x64-setup.exe (also available from the Microsoft Store)
    • macOS: Tydora_aarch64.dmg (Apple silicon) or Tydora_x64.dmg (Intel)
    • Linux: Tydora_amd64.AppImage
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
  3. Launch Tydora.
After the first launch, Tydora checks for available updates in the background (see "Check for Updates" in 01-Getting-Started/02-About). You can also check manually any time from the "About" tab in Settings.

2. Open a Vault

Tydora uses the "vault" concept to manage your notes. Each vault is a folder on your disk. Every Markdown file and canvas file inside it is picked up by the file tree, the link index, the tag index, and the knowledge graph.

  1. Click the vault switcher at the bottom of the left sidebar (it shows the current vault name).
  2. Choose "Manage Vaults" or "Add Vault".
  3. In the system file picker, choose a folder to be your note vault (you can also create an empty folder).
  4. After you confirm, the left sidebar immediately shows that folder's file tree.
A vault only records a folder path — Tydora never moves or copies your files. You can add multiple vaults at any time and organize them by project or topic. See 04-File-Management/01-Vaults.

3. Create Your First Note

  1. In the left file tree, right-click the target folder (or the root).
  2. Choose "New File".
  3. Type a filename, e.g. my-first-note.md (the .md extension is optional — Tydora adds it for you).
  4. Press Enter to confirm, and the editor opens the file.
  5. Start writing in Markdown!
You can also right-click empty space in the file tree to "New Folder" or "New Canvas". Sort your notes into folders first so your knowledge doesn't turn into a tangle.

4. Basic Editing

Tydora offers two editing modes for different situations:

  • Live preview (IR / WYSIWYG): you see the final rendered result directly in the editor. Best for everyday writing.
  • Source mode (SV): shows plain Markdown text with syntax highlighting from CodeMirror 6. Best for fine-grained formatting.

Press Ctrl+/ to switch between the two at any time. See 02-Editor/01-Editing-Modes.

If you are used to Vim keybindings, you can enable Vim support from the "Vim Mode" tab in Settings (off by default). See 02-Editor/11-Vim-Mode.

5. Saving Files

  • Manual save: press Ctrl+S.
  • Auto-save: enabled by default. The file is written to disk about 1 second after you stop typing. You can turn it off in the "Behavior" group of 07-Settings/01-General-Settings.
Deleting a file is irreversible — it does not go to the system recycle bin. Back up important notes, or keep them under version control (e.g. Git).

6. Quick Navigation

These shortcuts will noticeably speed up your work:

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+O 05-Navigation-Search/01-Quick-Open a file
Ctrl+P 05-Navigation-Search/02-Command-Palette — search and run commands
Ctrl+Tab Toggle the left sidebar
Ctrl+/ Switch editing mode (IR ↔ SV)
Ctrl+G Open the 03-Knowledge-Management/04-Knowledge-Graph
Ctrl+M Open the 08-Advanced-Features/02-Mind-Map
Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H 02-Editor/12-Find-and-Replace
Ctrl+\ / Ctrl+- Horizontal / vertical split
Ctrl+` Open the 08-Advanced-Features/05-Terminal

Full list: 07-Settings/04-Shortcut-Reference.

7. Next Steps

Once your first note is written, explore further: