MDit - Minimalist Markdown Editor

MDit is a focused, offline-first, browser-based Markdown editor designed for distraction-free writing. It features a beautiful Gruvbox-inspired theme, a robust WYSIWYG editing experience, and seamless integration with both your local file system and remote SSH servers.

Features

• 📝 Dual Editing Modes: Instantly toggle between a rich WYSIWYG live-preview and a rock-solid raw source editor (Ctrl + M).
• 🌐 Remote SSH Editing: Connect to remote machines via SSH/SFTP to open, edit, and save files directly on your servers.
• 💾 Unified Storage Controls: Streamlined "Open" and "Save" split-buttons for quick actions or explicit Local/Remote choices.
• 🎨 Pro Gruvbox Theme: High-contrast Light and Dark modes with specialized syntax highlighting for code blocks.
• ⚡ Auto-save (Default): Your work is protected by default. Changes are automatically saved to your chosen location, with background draft backup in IndexedDB.
• 🔗 Connection Status: A dedicated header "pill" shows exactly which remote machine you're connected to, with a one-click disconnect.
• 🖥️ Machine Manager: Save and switch between multiple named remote configurations effortlessly.
• ⌨️ Keyboard Optimized: Efficient shortcuts for almost every action, including a custom Tab-supported source editor.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js: Version 18 or higher.
• SSH Server: For remote editing, ensure your machine has SFTP enabled.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/hnrkgrln/mdit.git
   cd mdit

2. Install root dependencies:

   npm install --legacy-peer-deps

   (Note: --legacy-peer-deps is required for certain Milkdown plugins).

3. Install backend dependencies:

   cd server
   npm install
   cd ..

Running Locally (Development)

Start both the frontend and the SSH backend:

npm run dev:all

The editor will be available at http://localhost:5173. The backend runs on port 3002.

Production Setup

1. Build the Frontend:

   npm run build

2. Run the Production Server:

   npm start

   The backend serves both the API and the assets on port 3002 (configurable via PORT env var).

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
New File	Ctrl + Shift + N
Open Menu	Ctrl + O
Save / Quick Save	Ctrl + S
Toggle Auto-save	Ctrl + A
Toggle Source Mode	Ctrl + M
Toggle Theme	Ctrl + Shift + L
Markdown Help	Ctrl + H
Close Modals/Menus	Escape

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Vite.
• Editor: Milkdown (Crepe).
• Backend: Node.js, Express, ssh2 (SFTP).
• Storage: HTML5 File System Access API & IndexedDB (idb-keyval).

Privacy & Security

• Local Files: Handled entirely via browser APIs; never touched by the backend.
• Remote Files: Credentials are sent to your local Node.js backend to establish the SSH tunnel. No third-party servers involved.
• Persistent Config: Machine metadata is stored locally in your browser's localStorage.