HUD Notes v2.1.0 - Overlay Note-Taking

Built with AI help. Designed for quick notes during CTF competitions, coding sessions, and research. Feel free to use it, but test it yourself first.

A floating note-taking overlay that stays on top of everything else. Built with Python and Tkinter.

git clone https://github.com/jlahire/HUD-note.git
cd HUD-note
pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py

First run opens a setup dialog for your notes directory and author name. Then press Ctrl+Alt+H to toggle the overlay.

• Tab system - Open multiple notes at once, click to switch, close with X
• 11 built-in templates - CTF writeup, meeting notes, code review, and more
• 10 color themes - Matrix Green, Cyber Blue, Neon Purple, etc.
• Global hotkeys - Show/hide, new note, save, all without leaving your current app
• Auto-save - Notes save automatically so you don't lose work
• Syntax highlighting - Basic markdown highlighting in the editor
• Transparency controls - Adjust overlay opacity to see through it

See INSTALL.md for detailed instructions for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Short version (all platforms):

# 1. Install Python 3.8+
# 2. Clone and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/jlahire/HUD-note.git
cd HUD-note
pip install -r requirements.txt

# 3. Run
python main.py

Linux/macOS global install:

./setup.sh

Update existing installation:

./update.sh

Built-in templates available when creating a new note:

• Basic note
• Meeting notes
• Daily log
• Code review
• CTF writeup
• Class notes
• Study session
• Project planning
• Bug report
• PowerShell script
• Batch script

Change in Settings (Ctrl+Alt+G):

• Matrix Green (default)
• Cyber Blue
• Neon Purple
• Hacker Orange
• Terminal White
• Blood Red
• Stealth Gray
• Retro Amber
• Electric Pink
• Deep Ocean

See tree.md for the full project tree.

HUD-note/
├── main.py              # Entry point
├── core/                # App logic and templates
├── ui/                  # Interface, dialogs, tabs, themes
├── features/            # Hotkeys, window management, syntax highlighting
├── config/              # Settings manager
└── utils/               # Display and file utilities

• Wayland not supported - Global hotkeys require X11. On Ubuntu 22.04+, log out, click the gear icon on the login screen, select "Ubuntu on Xorg", and log back in

• Preview hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+P) - broken with the tab system, don't use it

• Multi-monitor - display cycling features don't work properly, stick to single monitor

• Tab closing - closing the last tab auto-creates an "Untitled" tab that can act odd

Settings are saved in .note_config.json inside your notes directory. Delete this file to reset everything to defaults.

AGPL-3.0 - see LICENSE

If something breaks, check the terminal output when running python main.py. File issues at github.com/jlahire/HUD-note/issues.