mdbase and TaskNotes

mdbase lets TaskNotes work with a portable Markdown collection instead of hiding your tasks in a TaskNotes-only database. Every TaskNotes session opens one mdbase collection: either a collection hosted online or one kept on your computer and reached through the encrypted relay.

What is mdbase?#

Two related names appear in TaskNotes:

• mdbase is the open collection format and specification. A collection is a folder of Markdown files plus a small description of what those files mean.
• mdbase Connect is the access service TaskNotes uses to ask for permission and connect to a hosted collection or a collection on your computer.

Read the mdbase introduction for a visual explanation of the wider ecosystem.

What it gives TaskNotes#

TaskNotes understands what a task looks like inside an mdbase collection. That compatibility is defined by the TaskNotes v5 collection format and its mdbase 0.3.0 binding. That means TaskNotes can:

• use the same task fields, projects, tags, saved views, and settings on the web, Android, and iOS;
• ask for access to one collection without seeing your other folders; and
• keep reminders running while TaskNotes is closed when your collection supports them.

Behind the scenes, mdbase checks that each change is valid and writes it to the main collection. You still own readable Markdown files rather than a database that only TaskNotes can open.

How the connection works#

The mdbase collection is the source of truth. TaskNotes reads and writes it directly and does not keep a separate offline collection, so opening tasks and saving changes require a connection.

Choose a collection compares the TaskNotes behavior of these options in more detail.

Use a collection on your computer#

Install the Electron-based mdbase Connect desktop app to make a folder on your computer available to TaskNotes. It runs a small background service that keeps TaskNotes connected to the Markdown folder. The download also includes command line tools. The mdbase editor is online and is not part of the desktop app.

1. Open the mdbase Connect download page and choose the package for macOS, Windows, or Linux.
2. Install and open mdbase Connect. Follow any platform-specific beta installation notes shown on the download page.
3. Add an existing mdbase folder on the computer, or create a collection.
4. In TaskNotes, choose Connect to a computer and select that collection.
5. Review the requested actions and approve the connection.

TaskNotes requests and responses travel through an end-to-end encrypted relay. The relay passes the encrypted data along but cannot read your task contents. You do not need to open an inbound port on your router.

The background service on your computer checks that TaskNotes has permission, then reads or changes the Markdown files. It does not create another hosted or offline copy of the collection.

Do I need to leave my computer on?#

Yes. Your computer holds the main copy, so it is part of the connection:

• It must be awake, connected to the internet, and running the mdbase Connect background service whenever TaskNotes needs remote access.
• Sleep, shutdown, a network outage, or a stopped connector makes the collection unavailable until the computer returns.
• Reminder delivery also depends on the computer remaining available.
• You are responsible for the computer's security, disk health, and backups.

This works well for an always-on desktop or home server. It is less convenient for a laptop that sleeps or travels regularly. Hosted mdbase removes the always-on-computer requirement, but it moves the main copy to a provider you must trust. Both choices require a network connection while you use TaskNotes.

For more detail about how Connect protects and routes your data, read How mdbase Connect works.

A practical recommendation#

Choose Hosted mdbase if dependable access across several devices and reminder delivery matter most. Choose Connect to a computer if keeping the main Markdown folder on your own machine matters more and that machine can remain available.