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Getting Started ​

Welcome to Flint! This guide will help you install Flint, set up your first vault, and start building deep knowledge.

What is Flint? ​

Flint is an open source, local-first, AI-powered note-taking application designed to build deep knowledge through the complete learning cycle.

The Core Philosophy:

Flint supports externalizing (getting ideas out), internalizing (making them yours), and resurfacing (bringing them back repeatedly over time to ground memory).

Your notes stay on your machine in plain markdown files. You own and control everything. The AI assists your learning process, but the insights come from you.

System Requirements ​

  • macOS: 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
  • Windows: Windows 10 or later
  • Linux: Ubuntu 18.04 or later (or equivalent)

Installation ​

Download the latest release for your platform:

  • macOS: Download .dmg → Open → Drag to Applications
  • Windows: Download .exe → Run installer → Launch from Start menu
  • Linux: Download .AppImage → chmod +x Flint-*.AppImage → Run

TIP

Visit flintnote.com for the latest releases

See Installation Guide for detailed platform-specific instructions.

First Launch: Create Your Vault ​

A vault is a folder containing your notes. You can have multiple vaults for different contexts (work, personal, research).

Creating your first vault:

  1. Choose a location (e.g. ~/Documents/Flint Notes/My Vault)
  2. Name it ("Personal Notes", "Work", "Research")
  3. Flint creates the folder structure and default configuration

TIP

Your vault is just a folder of markdown files. Back it up, sync it with cloud storage (Dropbox, iCloud), or open files in any text editor.

The Interface ​

Flint uses a three-column layout:

  • Left Sidebar: Pinned and recent notes for quick access
  • Main View: Note editor where you write
  • Right Sidebar: AI agent, notes shelf

See the User Interface Guide for a detailed walkthrough.

Your First Note ​

Create a note:

  1. Click "New Note" or press Cmd+Shift+N (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows/Linux)
  2. Start writing

Example:

markdown
# My First Note

Testing out Flint's **markdown** support.

## Ideas

- Notes save automatically
- I can link to other notes: [[Another Note]]
- The system handles organization

This is about [[productivity]] and [[learning]]

What happens:

  • Saves automatically as you type
  • [[Links]] become clickable (creates notes if they don't exist)
  • Backlinks panel shows incoming connections

See Notes for markdown syntax, metadata, and advanced features.

Basic Navigation ​

Quick search (Cmd+O / Ctrl+O):

  • Opens overlay
  • Type to find notes by title or content
  • Press Enter to open

Pin important notes:

  • Right-click note → "Pin"
  • Drag to reorder
  • Perfect for active projects, reference materials, etc.

Workspaces:

  • Create groups of pinned and recent notes
  • Switch between contexts without losing your place
  • See Workspaces

Daily notes:

  • Click "Daily" in sidebar
  • See list of notes for each day of the week.
  • Great for journaling and daily capture
  • See Daily Notes

Linking Notes ​

Create connections:

markdown
I discussed this in [[My Other Note]]
Related: [[project-ideas]] and [[design-principles]]

What you get:

  • Click to navigate between notes
  • Backlinks panel shows all references automatically
  • Build a knowledge graph that mirrors your thinking

Why link?

  • Connection-making deepens learning (internalizing)
  • Discover unexpected relationships
  • See all references to a concept in one place

Using the AI Agent ​

Open the agent with the AI button or Cmd+Shift+A / Ctrl+Shift+A.

What the agent can do:

  • Create notes: "Create a meeting note for today's standup"
  • Find connections: "What notes relate to API design?"
  • Organize: "Process my inbox and suggest links"
  • Synthesize: "Summarize this week's daily notes"
  • Execute routines: "Run my weekly review routine"

Example conversation:

You: Create a meeting note for today with Sarah and John

AI: Created meetings/2025-01-15-meeting.md with:
    - Date: 2025-01-15
    - Attendees: Sarah, John
    - Sections for agenda and action items

You: Link it to the website redesign project

AI: Added link to [[projects/website-redesign]]
    and updated backlinks

See AI Agent for detailed capabilities.

Setting Up API Keys ​

The AI agent requires an OpenRouter API key.

  1. Visit openrouter.ai and create an account and purchase credits
  2. Generate an API key
  3. In Flint: Settings → API Keys → Paste key
  4. Key stored securely in system keychain

macOS Keychain

First save prompts for keychain access. Click "Always Allow" to avoid repeated prompts.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts ​

ActionmacOSWindows/Linux
New noteCmd+Shift+NCtrl+Shift+N
Quick searchCmd+OCtrl+O
AI agentCmd+Shift+ACtrl+Shift+A
Daily viewCmd+2Ctrl+2

See Shortcuts for the complete list.

Key Concepts to Understand ​

Before diving deeper, review these core ideas:

Core Concepts - Understand Flint's philosophy and the externalize/internalize/resurface cycle

Note Types - Different types guide different thinking patterns

Review System - Active recall builds deep retention

Next Steps ​

Core Features ​

Learning System ​

  • AI Agent - Deep dive into AI capabilities and tools
  • Review System - Build active recall practice with spaced repetition
  • Daily Notes - Daily journaling and reflection workflow

Advanced ​

  • Workspaces - Manage multiple projects and contexts

Getting Help ​

Tips for Success ​

Capture Without Friction

Don't worry about perfect organization upfront. Capture freely, then organize later with AI help.

Your Notes Are Portable

Your notes are plain markdown in a folder. You can open them in any text editor, sync with cloud storage, back them up, search with command-line tools, or process with scripts. You're never locked in.

Ready to dive deeper? Continue with Core Concepts to understand how all of Flint's features work together to support deep knowledge building.

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