Show HN: OpenKnowledge – open source AI-first alternative to Obsidian/Notion

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Obsidian/Notion Migration and Feature Parity

  • Obsidian vaults can be opened directly since they are markdown; most syntax (e.g., wikilinks) is supported.
  • Users note Obsidian is more than “just markdown” (dataview, dashboards, queries); current gaps include database/query-style features and “Bases.”
  • Notion migration is via markdown export; no dedicated migration tool yet.
  • Some see OpenKnowledge as “yet another KM app” without strong differentiation from Obsidian + agents or VS Code workflows.

AI, MCP, and Local LLM Integration

  • Core value: built‑in MCP server and skills, auto-configured for tools like Claude, Codex, Cursor, with agentic search, virtualized filesystem commands, and an embedded terminal.
  • Several users strongly want first-class support for local LLMs and OpenAI-compatible endpoints; integrations with Zed/OpenCode, Pi, Hermes, etc. are discussed or “queued.”
  • Some argue this could have been an Obsidian plugin; others like having opinionated, out‑of‑the‑box AI workflows.

Sync, Collaboration, and GitHub Dependence

  • Content is local markdown; Git/GitHub is used for auto-sync and sharing, with GitHub as source of truth.
  • “Shared” vs “Local” just toggles whether OpenKnowledge config files are gitignored; nothing is pushed automatically.
  • Team-oriented flows use GitHub; concerns raised about relying only on GitHub, large binaries, git‑LFS, and lack of more granular/atomic change sets.
  • Real-time multiuser collab currently limited; CRDT is used locally (human↔agent), with git managing human↔human history.

Platform Support and App Architecture

  • Native desktop is macOS (Electron). Web viewer and CLI are available for Linux/Windows; some users want a full desktop app and suggest Tauri/AppImage/Flatpak.
  • macOS-first strategy is criticized as limiting; others argue multi-platform is essential.

Editing Experience and Knowledge Graph

  • Emphasis on “Notion-grade” true WYSIWYG over markdown, using tiptap + CodeMirror, while preserving underlying markdown and YAML frontmatter.
  • Knowledge graph exists via wikilinks, forward/backlinks, and semantic search; some users missed this from the readme.
  • Desired features include comments/suggestions (“red‑lining”), inline LLM feedback, and Obsidian-style plugins (charts, excalidraw, mermaid).

Compatibility, Naming, and Ecosystem

  • Can interoperate one‑way with tools like Slite via markdown import/export.
  • Some interest in Org Mode and Google’s Open Knowledge Format; templates are said to be OKF‑compliant, and further tooling (e.g., linters) is being considered.
  • Confusion and debate around the “Open Knowledge” name vs Google’s OKF and the long-standing Open Knowledge Foundation.

Critiques, Bugs, and Trust Issues

  • Reports of the app editing shell config files without explicit consent and overwriting a Codex config.toml.
  • Complaints about performance (slow file open/render), Electron UX, and marketing assets showing flows not yet available fully in-app.
  • Some users are enthusiastic about the direction (OSS, markdown, AI-first, Git-based team KB); others are sticking with tuned Obsidian/Outline setups, citing maturity, local models, and privacy.