README.md
🟣 Mino — Documentation
A comprehensive, end-to-end blueprint for building the Mino knowledge platform.
Quick Links
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| Design System | Colors, typography, components, logo usage, glassmorphism effects |
| Architecture | Tech stack, three-layer model, deployment, hosting, Docker, CI/CD |
| Relay | Managed relay design, required env vars, deployment flow, open-port fallback |
| Server | Mino server, auto-bootstrap, REST API, built-in UI, plugins, sandbox |
| Frontend | mino.ink (Cloudflare Pages), local UI, mobile apps, hybrid auth |
| AI Agent | "The Organizer" agent, server-hosted runtime, plugin install, MCP |
| Security | Hybrid auth, credential flow, Cloudflare Tunnel, security hardening |
| Roadmap | Phased plan, deployment priorities, risk analysis, open questions |
What Mino Is
Mino is an open-source, markdown-based knowledge platform where your notes live as plain .md files in folder trees, managed by a self-hosted server, accessible through beautiful interfaces (web + mobile), and maintained by AI agents.
Three Pillars
| Pillar | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Modularity | Server, web, mobile, agent — all independent. Swap any piece. Run everything locally or split across services. |
| Agent-Native | The AI agent is not bolted on — it runs server-side as the primary way power users interact. The API is designed for agents first, humans second. |
| Open-Source First | Every component is open-source. Self-hosting is a first-class experience. One Docker Compose = fully running server. |
Hosting Model
Mino follows a hybrid hosting model — the server runs on your infrastructure, and the web UI can come from anywhere:
| Mode | Description | Requires Account? |
|---|---|---|
| mino.ink + self-hosted server | Use the hosted web UI at mino.ink, link your own server via credentials | Optional (Google sign-in to persist across devices, or just localStorage) |
| mino.ink free tier | Use a limited managed server hosted by mino.ink — no self-hosting, no setup | Optional (Google sign-in for persistence) |
| Fully self-hosted | Run the Docker image, which includes the full web UI at http://server:3000 | ❌ No account needed |
| API / CLI / MCP only | Talk directly to the server API using generated credentials | ❌ No account needed |
Target Audience
- Primary: Developers who use AI coding agents (Antigravity, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf) and want their knowledge base to be agent-accessible and agent-maintained.
- Secondary: Technical knowledge workers who want a self-hosted, privacy-first alternative to Notion/Obsidian with AI superpowers.
- Tertiary: Teams and organizations wanting a shared knowledge base with AI-powered organization.
The Key Insight
Most note-taking apps treat AI as a feature. Mino treats the AI agent as a first-class user. The API, the file structure, the search capabilities — everything is designed so that an AI agent can efficiently navigate, understand, modify, and organize a vault of thousands of notes with minimal token usage and maximum accuracy.
This is a living blueprint. Update individual docs as decisions are made and the project evolves.
Web docs endpoint:
test.mino.ink/docsnow renders this blueprint track (/docs) together with implementation docs from/docstart.Last updated: 2026-02-11