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First Steps

System requirements

Item Requirement
OS Windows 10 / 11, macOS 13 or later
Account None (your data stays on your computer)
Network Not required (except map tiles, place search, and URL import — see Privacy)

Installation

Install from the Mac App Store. Updates are delivered automatically through the store.

Install from the Microsoft Store. Updates are delivered automatically through the store.

Create your first library

All of Melanite's data lives in a single folder called a library. On first launch you'll see the welcome screen — start by creating a library.

  1. Click "Create New Library…" on the welcome screen
  2. Choose a location and a name (e.g. MyLibrary)
  3. A MyLibrary.melanite folder is created and opened

Any writable location is fine. Somewhere like ~/Documents is a safe choice.

It reopens automatically

The library you had open last time is reopened automatically on the next launch. You can also pick one from "Recent Libraries" on the welcome screen (the × at the end of a row removes it from the list; the library itself is not deleted).

Add your first items

Once the library is open, add items in any of these ways:

  • Drag & drop files onto the window — images, PDFs, anything
  • Cmd+N / Ctrl+N — create a new Markdown note and start writing immediately
  • The "Import…" button in the Inspector — pick files from a dialog

See Importing Files for details.

Add your first tag

  1. Click an item in the grid to select it
  2. Type in the tag field of the Inspector on the right (or press T to focus it)
  3. Existing tags are suggested. For a new name, choose "Create: xxx" to create it

Tags appear in the Sidebar; click one to filter the list.

See Organizing with Tags for details.

Three actions to learn

Master these three and most workflows fall into place.

Action Key Use
Quick Preview Space View the selected item large, in front
Quick Open Cmd+P / Ctrl+P Find quickly by name only
Search box Cmd+F / Ctrl+F Search names + note text

Where to go next