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A lightweight desktop app for browsing Markdown documentation inside real project folders.

Built with Tauri 2, React, and TypeScript, this app lets you select a local root directory, recursively discover Markdown files, and read them in a clean, developer-focused interface with GitHub-flavored rendering and syntax highlighting.

Most Markdown viewers are optimized for single files, editors, or browser tabs. This project is optimized for a different workflow:

• open a project folder
• scan everything recursively
• browse docs like a file explorer
• preview Markdown quickly without leaving a lightweight desktop app

It is designed for documentation-heavy repos, notes folders, internal playbooks, specs, changelogs, and any project where Markdown is part of the working surface.

• Select a local root folder with a native dialog
• Recursively scan subdirectories for .md and .markdown files
• Browse files in a structured explorer
• Render Markdown with GitHub-flavored features
• Highlight fenced code blocks
• Switch between preview mode and source mode
• Bookmark files
• Persist recent projects locally
• Auto-refresh the current project on an interval
• Show a table of contents for heading-based navigation
• Export raw Markdown files
• Toggle app settings like light/dark theme and source wrapping

• Tauri 2
• React 19
• TypeScript
• Vite
• react-markdown
• remark-gfm
• highlight.js
• lucide-react

The repo includes design exploration assets under design/, and the current app implements that general visual direction in code.

You will need:

• Node.js 20+
• npm
• Rust
• Tauri system prerequisites for your OS

If you have not used Tauri before, make sure your local machine can build Tauri desktop apps first.

npm install

npm run tauri dev

This launches the desktop app with the Vite frontend and live reload.

npm run tauri build

For local macOS release builds, the generated app bundle is written under:

src-tauri/target/release/bundle/macos/

If you want to share the app through GitHub Releases without joining the Apple Developer Program yet, the practical release artifact is a zipped .app.

Current macOS release artifacts:

dist-release/Liburu-macOS.zip

Upload:

• Liburu-macOS.zip

This is the easiest unsigned macOS artifact for users to download and install.

This app is currently:

• unsigned
• not notarized

That means macOS will show a security warning on first launch.

brew install --cask inaki/tap/liburu

Homebrew handles quarantine removal automatically — no security prompts.

1. Download Liburu-macOS-vX.X.X.dmg
2. Open the DMG and drag Liburu.app into Applications
3. Try to open Liburu — macOS will block it on first launch
4. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll to the bottom
5. Click Open Anyway next to the Liburu entry
6. Enter your password and confirm

GitHub Releases are fine for distributing the app, but without Apple code signing and notarization macOS Gatekeeper treats it as an unverified application.

You do not need the Apple Developer Program to publish the app publicly. You do need it later if you want:

• proper code signing
• notarization
• a smoother install/open experience for end users

.
├── src/                 # React UI
├── src-tauri/           # Tauri + Rust backend
├── design/              # Design exploration assets and references
├── package.json
└── vite.config.ts

This app is local-first.

• Directory selection happens through the native file picker
• Markdown discovery is performed in Rust
• File reads are constrained to the currently selected root
• Paths are canonicalized before access
• The app refuses to read files outside the chosen root

• Native folder selection
• Recursive Markdown scan
• Safe file read command
• Keyboard-friendly explorer navigation
• Independent sidebar/content scrolling
• Preview/source toggle
• Bookmarks
• Recent projects
• Light and dark themes
• Settings modal
• Table of contents panel
• Resizable explorer column

• Per-project saved preferences
• Native filesystem watching instead of interval refresh
• Full-text search across Markdown content
• Better export formats
• Packaging polish for all desktop targets
• Signed and notarized macOS builds later
• Stronger accessibility pass
• Optional multi-root workspace support

This repository intentionally keeps the frontend lightweight and avoids pulling in a large component framework. Most of the UI is custom and theme-driven.

If you want to customize the app:

• explorer and shell layout: src/App.tsx
• Markdown rendering: src/MarkdownPreview.tsx
• visual system and theming: src/styles.css
• backend commands: src-tauri/src/lib.rs

This project is functional and already useful, but still early-stage. Expect ongoing UI refinement and feature polish.

No license file is included yet.

If you plan to publish this publicly, add a license before distribution.