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BloomMDDE

Documentation

Desktop app

The recommended beta path — local and account-free on macOS and Omarchy/Linux.

The main beta path. It runs locally, without an account and without a network connection.

Download

The tester download page is bloommd.io/download. It shows the current desktop builds for macOS arm64 and Omarchy/Linux x86_64 or aarch64, with platform status and installation instructions.

The desktop builds are publicly linked and can be downloaded without an invitation or BloomMD account. The free trial account applies only to the Web app, cloud, sync and collaboration. If a download link does not work, contact feedback@bloommd.io.

Getting started: from download to your first map

  1. Download: Get the macOS arm64 build from bloommd.io/download.
  2. Open the DMG: Drag BloomMD to the Applications folder and double-click it there (details in the section “Installing the beta build” below).
  3. Open a folder: Open a folder with Markdown files from the menu, the file manager, or the command line (see the section “Opening files and folders”).
  4. First map: Select a file. Its headings become the map; the Markdown file stays unchanged.

Diagram, not a screenshot: the file list of the opened folder on the left, the map of the selected file with headings as nodes on the right

If something does not work as described, see Troubleshooting. Everything stays on your computer. What stays local, and what only goes to the cloud after an explicit choice, is explained in Local or cloud.

Working with nodes from 0.5.14

Clicking a node selects it without recentering the visible map. Arrow keys move between parents, children and siblings; an offscreen target is brought into view. In an open Markdown file, double-click the title or press R to rename a node, including resource nodes. Enter confirms and Escape cancels the edit. Tab creates a child and shows its title field.

Use Open resource to open linked files. In the read-only workspace overview, Open source file on a file node or heading takes you to the editable file. In the node editor, Cmd+I and Cmd+K apply italics and open the link editor; on the map Cmd+K opens the command palette. On Linux, use the corresponding Ctrl shortcuts.

Editing and saving files from 0.5.13

The folder overview is read-only. Select a file node and Open resource, or open the file in the file browser. Creating a mind map opens its editable file view directly. Add your nodes and save with Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+S (Linux).

Delayed folder and file updates no longer discard unsaved nodes. If an external application changes the file while you edit it, BloomMD keeps your edits and shows a conflict message. Compare both versions before saving or reloading.

When a file title matches a single top-level heading, the folder overview shows one file node with its children. The Markdown file remains unchanged.

Large local workspaces from 0.5.12

Folders containing at least 100 Markdown files open as a compact file/folder overview. Expand file nodes to see their headings. Individual files remain fully usable. Cross-links in the overview connect the visible ancestors of their endpoints.

“Arranging mind map …” indicates background layout. Changing folders discards outdated results. If layout fails, use “Try again” to repeat the calculation. External edits, including added and deleted .markdown files, refresh the view automatically.

Installing the beta build

The native client is available in the beta for macOS and Omarchy/Linux. The macOS build targets arm64; Omarchy 4 and other Arch-based systems have Pacman packages for x86_64 and aarch64. Windows follows as a separate beta release.

Starting with version 0.5.7, the macOS arm64 release is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Open the DMG, drag BloomMD to Applications, and double-click it there. This release does not require a manual Gatekeeper exception. If macOS blocks launch, report the version and message to feedback@bloommd.io; the steps are in Troubleshooting.

BloomMD 0.5.7 DMG window with the BloomMD app and the Applications shortcut

Installing Omarchy/Linux

  1. Download the x86_64 or aarch64 package from bloommd.io/download.
  2. Install it from your download directory:
sudo pacman -U ./bloommd-desktop-<version>-<arch>.pacman
  1. Start BloomMD:
bloommd-desktop

The package also registers the bloommd:// URI scheme, so files and folders can be handed to BloomMD directly.

Opening files and folders

Open a single Markdown file or a complete folder from the menu, the file manager, or the command line:

bloommd ./notes        # folder as workspace
bloommd note.md        # single file

Publishing a folder as a shared workspace

In local mode you can deliberately publish a whole folder to a cloud workspace. The sidebar entry Publish folder as a shared workspace is separate from Share this local file; neither path changes the other. You choose the folder, a server profile, and a writable workspace (viewer workspaces are locked), review the preview with file count, size, conflict strategy, and an exclude checkbox per file and subfolder, and only then confirm with Publish. Only the checked Markdown files are transferred; your local files stay the source, and the folder path never leaves your device. If the server withdraws access, syncing stops without changing or deleting any local file. The full flow is described under Collaboration.

Connecting to the Web app

Local work needs no account. To collaborate with someone in a cloud file, create a personal token under Account, open Connect to server in the desktop app, enter https://bloommd.app, paste the token, and open the same cloud file.

Windows is intentionally outside this beta. A separate release follows after installer, OS handoff, keyboard, and platform testing.