Blinko - Self-Hosted Notes with AI RAG Baked In

What if you could combine note-taking, microblogging, task management, pastebin functionality, and AI capabilities? That’s Blinko for you—a self-hosted, open-source app designed to take your note-taking and organization to the next level.

Why Blinko?

For many, traditional note-taking apps lack versatility. Blinko changes the game with features that cater to creativity, productivity, and seamless organization. Its open-source nature ensures transparency and empowers you to shape it to fit your needs.

Key Features of Blinko

AI-Enhanced Note Retrieval
- Search and retrieve notes using natural language queries.
- Integrate with AI models like OpenAI or Ollama for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
Data Ownership
- Self-host Blinko for complete control over your data and privacy.
Effortless Organization
- Capture ideas instantly as plain text or Markdown.
- Manage your tasks and notes with features like “Blinkos” (individual reminders or digital sticky notes).
Backup and Sharing
- Schedule automatic database backups.
- Easily share specific notes or Blinkos publicly.
Performance
- Lightweight architecture using Next.js, ensuring high-speed performance without unnecessary bulk.

Why Open Source Matters

Blinko’s open-source framework invites contributions from developers worldwide, ensuring constant evolution and community-driven improvements—all without hidden fees.

You can try the Blinko demo here before you decide to install in yourself.

- username: blinko
- password: blinko

Installing Blinko Using Docker

Here’s a guide to deploying Blinko on a Proxmox server using Docker Compose:

Docker Compose Configuration

networks:
  blinko-network:
    driver: bridge

services:
  blinko-website:
    image: blinkospace/blinko:latest
    container_name: blinko-website
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
      NEXTAUTH_SECRET: ePxiS9WnT1
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:XDcONxlyRAn@postgres:5432/postgres
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    volumes:
      - /docker/blinko/app:/app/.blinko 
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 1111:1111
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://blinko-website:1111/"]
      interval: 30s 
      timeout: 10s   
      retries: 5     
      start_period: 30s 
    networks:
      - blinko-network

  postgres:
    image: postgres:14
    container_name: blinko-postgres
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 5435:5432
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: postgres
      POSTGRES_USER: postgres
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: XDcONxlyRAn
      TZ: America/Detroit
    volumes:
       - /docker/blinko/db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test:
        ["CMD", "pg_isready", "-U", "postgres", "-d", "postgres"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 5
    networks:
      - blinko-network

Final Thoughts

Blinko has quickly become a favorite for managing thoughts, notes, bookmarks, and even code snippets. It bridges the gap left by tools like Usememos, delivering a robust and versatile solution for self-hosted note-taking.

If you love privacy-focused, feature-rich software, give Blinko a try. Show your support by starring the project on GitHub.

With its cutting-edge features and seamless setup, Blinko is poised to revolutionize how you capture, organize, and retrieve information. 🌟