---
title: Overview
sidebar_label: Overview
description: Noteleaf philosophy and reasons for a terminal-first approach.
sidebar_position: 1
---

# Overview

## What is Noteleaf?

Noteleaf is a terminal-based personal information manager that combines task management, note-taking, media tracking, and decentralized publishing into a unified system. Built for developers and power users who prefer keyboard-driven workflows, Noteleaf brings TaskWarrior-inspired task management together with a personal knowledge base and reading list tracker.

## Why the Terminal?

Terminal applications offer several advantages for focused productivity work:

**Keyboard-First Interface**: Navigate and manage information without context-switching to a mouse. Every action is a keystroke away, making workflows faster once learned.

**Scriptability**: Command-line tools integrate seamlessly with shell scripts, automation tools, and other CLI utilities. Noteleaf can be incorporated into your existing terminal-based workflow.

**Distraction-Free**: Terminal UIs remove visual clutter and web-based distractions, keeping you focused on the task at hand.

**Performance**: Native applications built with Go start instantly and consume minimal resources compared to Electron-based alternatives.

**Data Ownership**: Your data lives in a local SQLite database and markdown files. No cloud dependencies, no vendor lock-in, no privacy concerns.