DumbPad

A stupid simple, no auth (unless you want it!), modern notepad application with auto-save functionality and dark mode support.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Quick Start
  • Prerequisites
  • Option 1: Docker
  • Option 2: Docker Compose
  • Option 3: Running Locally
• Configuration
• Security
• Technical Details
• Links
• Contributing
• Future Features

Features

• Simple, clean interface
• Auto-saving
• Dark mode support
• Responsive design
• Docker support
• Optional PIN protection (4-10 digits)
• File-based storage
• Data persistence across updates
• Markdown Formatting
• Fuzzy Search (by filename and file contents)
• PWA Support

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker (recommended)
• Node.js >=20.0.0 (for local development)

Option 1: Docker (For Dummies)

# Pull and run with one command
docker run -p 3000:3000 \
  -v ./data:/app/data \
  dumbwareio/dumbpad:latest

1. Go to http://localhost:3000
2. Start typing - Your notes auto-save
3. Marvel at how dumb easy this was

Option 2: Docker Compose (For Dummies who like customizing)

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  dumbpad:
    image: dumbwareio/dumbpad:latest
    container_name: dumbpad
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - ${DUMBPAD_PORT:-3000}:3000
    volumes:
      - ${DUMBPAD_DATA_PATH:-./data}:/app/data
    environment:
      # The title shown in the web interface
      SITE_TITLE: ${DUMBPAD_SITE_TITLE:-DumbPad}
      # Optional PIN protection (leave empty to disable)
      DUMBPAD_PIN: ${DUMBPAD_PIN:-}
      # The base URL for the application
      BASE_URL: ${DUMBPAD_BASE_URL:-http://localhost:3000} # Use ALLOWED_ORIGINS below to restrict cors to specific origins
      # (OPTIONAL)
      # Usage: Comma-separated list of urls: http://localhost:port,http://internalip:port,https://base.proxy.tld,https://authprovider.domain.tld
      # ALLOWED_ORIGINS: ${DUMBPAD_ALLOWED_ORIGINS:-http://localhost:3000} # Comment out to allow all origins (*)
      # LOCKOUT_TIME: ${DUMBPAD_LOCK_TIME:-15} # Customize pin lockout time (if empty, defaults to 15 in minutes)
      # MAX_ATTEMPTS: ${DUMBPAD_MAX_ATTEMPTS:-5} # Customize pin max attempts (if empty, defaults to 5)
      # COOKIE_MAX_AGE: ${DUMBPAD_COOKIE_MAX_AGE:-24} # Customize maximum age of cookies primarily used for pin verification (default 24) in hours
      # PAGE_HISTORY_COOKIE_AGE: ${DUMBPAD_PAGE_HISTORY_COOKIE_AGE:-365} # Customize age of cookie to show the last notepad opened (default 365 | max 400) in days - shows default notepad on load if expired

Then run:

docker compose up -d

1. Go to http://localhost:3000
2. Start typing - Your notes auto-save
3. Rejoice in the glory of your dumb notes

Option 3: Running Locally (For Developers)

1. Install dependencies:

npm install

2. Set environment variables in .env or cp .env.example .env:

PORT=3000                  # Port to run the server on
DUMBPAD_PIN=1234          # Optional PIN protection
SITE_TITLE=DumbPad        # Custom site title
BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000  # Base URL for the application

3. Start the server:

npm start

Windows Users

If you're using Windows PowerShell with Docker, use this format for paths:

docker run -p 3000:3000 -v "${PWD}\data:/app/data" dumbwareio/dumbpad:latest

Features

• 📝 Auto-saving notes
• 🌓 Dark/Light mode support
• 🔒 Optional PIN protection
• 📱 Mobile-friendly interface / PWA Support
• 🗂️ Multiple notepads
• 📄 Markdown Formatting
• ⬇️ Download notes as text or markdown files
• 🔍 Fuzzy Search by name or contents
• 🖨️ Print functionality
• 🔄 Real-time saving
• 💽 Add .txt files into data folder to import (requires page refresh)
• ⚡ Zero dependencies on client-side
• 🛡️ Built-in security features
• 🎨 Clean, modern interface
• 📦 Docker support with easy configuration
• 🌐 Optional CORS support

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default	Required
PORT	Server port	3000	No
BASE_URL	Base URL for the application	http://localhost:PORT	Yes
DUMBPAD_PIN	PIN protection (4-10 digits)	None	No
SITE_TITLE	Site title displayed in header	DumbPad	No
NODE_ENV	Node environment mode (development or production)	production	No
ALLOWED_ORIGINS	Allowed CORS origins (* for all or comma-separated list)	*	No
LOCKOUT_TIME	Lockout time after max PIN attempts (in minutes)	15	No
MAX_ATTEMPTS	Maximum PIN entry attempts before lockout	5	No
COOKIE_MAX_AGE	Maximum age of authentication cookies (in hours)	24	No
PAGE_HISTORY_COOKIE_AGE	Age of cookie storing last opened notepad (in days, max 400)	365	No

Security

Features

• Variable-length PIN support (4-10 digits)
• Constant-time PIN comparison
• Brute force protection:
  • 5 attempts maximum
  • 15-minute lockout after failed attempts
  • IP-based tracking
• Secure cookie handling
• No client-side PIN storage
• Rate limiting
• Collaborative editing
• CORS support for origin restrictions (optional)

Technical Details

Stack

• Backend: Node.js (>=20.0.0) with Express
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+)
• Container: Docker with multi-stage builds
• Security: Express security middleware
• Storage: File-based with auto-save
• Theme: Dynamic dark/light mode with system preference support

Dependencies

• express: Web framework
• cors: Cross-origin resource sharing
• dotenv: Environment configuration
• cookie-parser: Cookie handling
• express-rate-limit: Rate limiting
• marked: Markdown formatting
• fuse.js: Fuzzy searching

The data directory contains:

• notepads.json: List of all notepads
• Individual .txt files for each notepad's content
• Drop in .txt files to import notes (requires page refresh)

⚠️ Important: Never delete the data directory when updating! This is where all your notes are stored.

Usage

• Just start typing! Your notes will be automatically saved.
• Use the theme toggle in the top-right corner to switch between light and dark mode.
• Press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac) to force save.
• Auto-saves every 10 seconds while typing.
• Create multiple notepads with the + button.
• Download notepads as .txt or .md files.
• Hover over notepad controls to view tooltips of keyboard shortcuts
• Press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K) to open fuzzy search
• If PIN protection is enabled, you'll need to enter the PIN to access the app.

Technical Details

• Backend: Node.js with Express
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript
• Storage: File-based storage in data directory
• Styling: Modern CSS with CSS variables for theming
• Security: Constant-time PIN comparison, brute force protection

Links

• GitHub: github.com/dumbwareio/dumbpad
• Docker Hub: hub.docker.com/r/dumbwareio/dumbpad

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes using conventional commits
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

See Development Guide for local setup and guidelines.

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Made with ❤️ by DumbWare.io

🌐 Check Us Out

• Website: dumbware.io
• Buy Us a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/dumbware ☕
• Join the Chaos: Discord 💬

Future Features

• File attachments

Got an idea? Open an issue or submit a PR