Trilium Notes is a powerful, self-hosted hierarchical note-taking application designed for users who value customization, privacy, and control over their data. With features like rich formatting, robust API support, and seamless synchronization, it’s an excellent choice for developers and tech-savvy users who want a tailored knowledge management system. In this guide, we’ll cover how to install, configure, and manage Trilium Notes, along with advanced features to help you get the most out of the app.
Installing Trilium Notes
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker is the easiest and most effective way to deploy Trilium Notes. Below is a docker-compose.yml configuration tailored to Trilium Notes:
version: "3.8"
services:
trilium:
image: zadam/trilium:latest
container_name: trilium_notes
ports:
- "8080:8080" # Map Trilium's internal port to the host machine
volumes:
- ./trilium-data:/root/trilium-data # Persistent storage for Trilium data
environment:
- TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=/root/trilium-data # Set the Trilium data directory
restart: unless-stopped
To deploy Trilium Notes with this setup, run the following commands:
mkdir trilium && cd trilium
nano docker-compose.yml # Paste the YAML content above
docker-compose up -d
This will pull the latest Trilium Notes image, create the necessary containers, and start the application.
🚀 Manual Installation
To install Trilium Notes manually on a Linux server, follow these steps:
- Install dependencies:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y wget unzip nodejs npm
- Download and extract Trilium Notes binaries:
wget https://github.com/zadam/trilium/releases/latest/download/trilium-linux-x64-server.zip
unzip trilium-linux-x64-server.zip -d trilium
cd trilium
- Start the application:
./trilium.sh
By default, Trilium Notes will be accessible on port 8080. You should configure your firewall accordingly to allow external access.
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
To serve Trilium Notes via Nginx, create a server block configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/trilium
Add the following content:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}
}
Enable the configuration and restart Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/trilium /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure your Trilium Notes instance using Let's Encrypt:
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
This command automatically configures SSL and sets up certificate renewals.
🛠️ Testing and Reloading Nginx
Verify that your configuration works:
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
Visit https://yourdomain.com to confirm Trilium Notes is served securely.
Logging and Debugging Trilium Notes
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
Modify the Trilium Notes configuration to enable debug logging. If using Docker, add the environment variable:
environment:
- LOG_LEVEL=debug
Restart the container:
docker-compose restart trilium
📄 Viewing Logs
For Docker deployments:
docker logs trilium_notes
For manual installations, logs are available in the application directory:
cat trilium-data/logs/latest.log
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Common issues like port conflicts or database errors can often be resolved by inspecting logs. Use grep to filter specific errors:
docker logs trilium_notes | grep "ERROR"
📤 Exporting Logs
To integrate with an external logging system, redirect logs to a file:
docker logs trilium_notes > /var/log/trilium.log
You can then set up a log shipper (like Filebeat) to forward logs to an ELK stack for analysis.
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
To back up your Trilium Notes data directory:
tar -czvf trilium-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz trilium-data/
🔄 Database Backups
If you're using an external database, use the database-specific tools (e.g., mysqldump for MySQL).
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Create a cron job for periodic backups:
crontab -e
Add the following line:
0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backup/trilium-backup-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /path/to/trilium-data/
Updating and Upgrading Trilium Notes
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
To update the Docker container:
docker-compose pull trilium
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual installations, download the latest release and replace the existing binaries:
wget https://github.com/zadam/trilium/releases/latest/download/trilium-linux-x64-server.zip
unzip -o trilium-linux-x64-server.zip -d trilium
Restart the application:
./trilium.sh
🔍 Checking for Updates
Check for updates on the Trilium Notes GitHub Releases page.
Leveraging Trilium Notes’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Enable the Trilium Notes API by setting the API_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable:
For Docker:
environment:
- API_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token
For manual installations:
export API_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token
./trilium.sh
Access the API with a token:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your-secure-token" http://localhost:8080/api/notes
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Customize Trilium Notes using environment variables such as:
-
BASE_PATH: Set a custom base URL. -
DATA_DIR: Specify an alternate data directory.
Example for Docker:
environment:
- BASE_PATH=/notes
Restart the container for changes to take effect.
Wrapping Up
In this guide, we covered how to deploy, configure, and manage a self-hosted instance of Trilium Notes, along with leveraging its advanced features. Trilium Notes provides a flexible and powerful environment for knowledge management, giving you full control over your data. Start experimenting with these configurations today to unlock the app’s potential for your workflows!
