CaliNote 🖋️

CaliNote is a high-performance, locally-encrypted notes application designed with a modern macOS-inspired aesthetic. It combines the speed and security of a Rust backend with a polished Python (CustomTkinter) GUI, ensuring your thoughts remain private, secure, and accessible only to you.

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Warning

Project Status: Under Active Development CaliNote is currently a functional prototype. Please be aware that:

• Settings Screen: Currently a UI placeholder. These options are not yet functional.
• Core features are being stabilized.
• Always remember your master password; there is no recovery mechanism for your encrypted notes.

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🚀 Key Features

• Zero-Knowledge Privacy: No cloud, no tracking, no telemetry. Your notes never leave your machine.
• Military-Grade Encryption: Every note is individually encrypted using AES-256-GCM.
• Hardened Key Derivation: Uses Argon2id (the winner of the Password Hashing Competition) to derive encryption keys from your master password.
• Modern Interface: A premium dark interface built with CustomTkinter, featuring smooth animations, rounded corners, and SF Pro typography.
• Binary Portability: Notes are stored in a custom .cali format, including magic bytes, salts, and nonces for robust identification and decryption.

🛠️ Technical Architecture

CaliNote uses a decoupled architecture for maximum security and performance:

• Backend (Rust):
  • Handles all cryptographic operations.
  • Manages secure file I/O.
  • Provides a JSON-based CLI interface for the frontend.
• Frontend (Python):
  • Modern GUI built with CustomTkinter.
  • Implements a subprocess bridge to communicate with the Rust core.
  • Dynamic grid layout for note visualization.
• Storage Layer:
  • File Format: [MAGIC (4B)][SALT (16B)][NONCE (12B)][CIPHERTEXT+TAG]
  • Plaintext Payload: [TITLE][NULL_BYTE][BODY]

⚙️ Installation & Usage

Prerequisites

• Rust & Cargo (latest stable)
• Python 3.10+
• CustomTkinter (pip install customtkinter)

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/maxdaryan/Calinote.git
   cd Calinote

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install customtkinter

3. Build and Run: The included Makefile handles the Rust compilation and Python execution:

   make run

4. Usage:
   • On first launch, set a master password.
   • Use the + New Note button to create encrypted entries.
   • Click any card to edit or the Delete button to remove it.

🏗️ Implementation Roadmap

Our current focus is transitioning from a functional prototype to a polished productivity tool:

• UI Overhaul: Migrated to CustomTkinter for a modern, sleek aesthetic with animations.
• Functional Settings: Implementing the persistence for appearance modes and auto-save.
• Rich Text Support: Implementing Markdown or RTF support for formatted notes.
• Search & Filter: Real-time search across note titles and content (decrypted in-memory).
• Note Categories: Folder support and tagging system for better organization.
• Cross-Platform Packaging: Native installers for macOS (.app), Windows (.exe), and Linux.

🧹 Maintenance

To remove build artifacts and local test notes:

make clean

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CaliNote: Your thoughts, secured.