mdv

mdv is a simple Markdown app for your terminal.

You can open a file, type notes on the left, and see the formatted preview on the right. If you are new to TUIs, that is fine: mdv starts with a Home screen and an in-app guide.

Install

npm i -g @dhruv2mars/mdv

First run downloads the native mdv binary into ~/.mdv/bin/mdv. Binary artifacts are published on GitHub Releases per platform. Installer keeps verified cache under ~/.mdv/cache.

Supported release binaries:

• darwin-arm64
• darwin-x64
• linux-arm64
• linux-x64
• win32-arm64
• win32-x64

Quickstart

mdv

What happens next:

• Type a file name like notes.md
• Press Enter
• Start typing
• Press Ctrl+S to save

If the file does not exist yet, mdv creates it on your first save.

Open an existing file directly:

mdv README.md

Open the in-app docs any time:

• macOS: Cmd+,
• Windows/Linux: Ctrl+,

If You Are New To Markdown

You do not need to know Markdown to start. Plain text works.

Useful basics:

• # Heading makes a heading
• - item makes a bullet list
• A blank line starts a new paragraph

Example:

# Shopping List

- milk
- bread
- fruit

Everyday Tasks

Create a new note:

• Run mdv
• Type notes/today.md
• Press Enter
• Type your note
• Press Ctrl+S

Read a file without editing:

• Run mdv --readonly README.md

Watch streamed Markdown from another command:

tail -f notes.md | mdv --stream

Update the installed launcher:

mdv update

Uses the detected install manager and prefers the one that installed mdv.

Keybinds

In-app docs: Cmd+,/Ctrl+, (Docs + Settings modal).

Quick ref:

• Ctrl+Q quit
• Ctrl+S save
• Ctrl+R reload from disk
• Shift+Tab or Ctrl+T switch between typing and preview scrolling
• Ctrl+F search, Ctrl+H replace, Ctrl+G goto line
• F3/Shift+F3 next/prev search result
• Conflict flow: Ctrl+J/Ctrl+U hunk nav, Ctrl+E apply, Ctrl+K keep local, Ctrl+M merge

Beginner tip:

• If arrow keys or mouse wheel are moving the wrong side, press Shift+Tab to switch focus.

Flags

• --readonly disable editing
• --no-watch disable file watcher
• --stream read markdown from stdin (no PATH arg)
• --perf show perf info in status line
• --theme <auto|default|high-contrast> set color theme
• --no-color disable ANSI color
• --focus <editor|view> initial focused pane

Need Help?

• Start with mdv and follow the first-run guide
• Open in-app docs with Cmd+, / Ctrl+,
• Use Ctrl+Q to quit safely at any time

Installer Env

• MDV_INSTALL_DEBUG=1 local installer debug logs
• MDV_INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS request timeout (default 15000)
• MDV_INSTALL_RETRY_ATTEMPTS retries (default 3)

Dev/Contrib

See CONTRIBUTING.md.