Selfhosted · Open Source · Flask

ATHLOTES

A lightweight, self-hosted note-taking app with file tree navigation, habit tracking, and trash management.

localhost:5000 — your notes, your server ✦ one python file, zero databases ✦ docker · systemd · railway ready ✦ habit tracking · split view · zen mode ✦ localhost:5000 — your notes, your server ✦ one python file, zero databases ✦

FlaskBackend

Single UserAuth

File-BasedStorage

Docker ReadyDeploy

// Features

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Note Editor

Write and organize plain-text notes in a hierarchical file tree. Create, rename, nest freely.

Habit Tracker

Track daily habits with persistent JSON storage. Simple, no-frills, effective.

Trash & Restore

Deleted notes land in a time-stamped trash bin. Restore or purge at any time.

Auth & Session

Single-user login with Flask sessions. No database — credentials live in app.py.

Theme & Background

Persisted config for accent colors and up to 5 custom background images.

Self-Hosted

Runs anywhere Python runs. Docker-ready with /app/data mount.

// Project Structure

Simple by design.

athlotes/
├── app.py Flask backend
├── requirements.txt
├── templates/
│   ├── index.html Main UI
│   └── login.html
├── static/
│   ├── background1.webp required
│   └── background2–5.webp optional
└── data/ auto-created
    ├── config.json
    ├── habits.json
    ├── notes/
    └── trash/

// Setup

Up and running in minutes.

Clone & Install

# Clone
$ git clone https://github.com/Niko-GitGet/ATHLOTES-Selfhosted-NoteWebApp
$ cd ATHLOTES-Selfhosted-NoteWebApp

# Virtual environment
$ python -m venv venv
$ source venv/bin/activate

$ pip install -r requirements.txt

Set Credentials

Open app.py and update:

$ vim app.py

USERNAME = "your_username_here"
PIN      = "your_pin_here"

Run

$ python app.py

Open http://localhost:5000

Keep the repo private. Credentials are plain text in app.py.

Create Dockerfile

$ cat > Dockerfile
FROM python:3.11-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
COPY . .
RUN mkdir -p /app/data/notes /app/data/trash
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["python", "app.py"]
$ ^D

Build & Run

$ docker build -t athlotes .

$ docker run -d \
  -p 5000:5000 \
  -v athlotes_data:/app/data \
  --name athlotes \
  athlotes

Commands

$ docker logs athlotes   # Logs
$ docker stop athlotes   # Stop
$ docker start athlotes  # Start

Run on Server

Follow the Local steps. Binds to 0.0.0.0 automatically.

Find LAN IP

# Linux / macOS
$ ip a | grep "inet "

# Windows
$ ipconfig

Access at http://<SERVER_IP>:5000

systemd

$ sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/athlotes.service << EOF
[Unit]
Description=ATHLOTES App
After=network.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/YOUR_USER/athlotes
ExecStart=/home/YOUR_USER/athlotes/venv/bin/python app.py
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
$ sudo systemctl enable --now athlotes

Public web warning. Strong PIN, SECRET_KEY via env, private repo, HTTPS.

Add Procfile

$ echo "web: python app.py" > Procfile

Secret Key

# In app.py:
app.secret_key = os.environ.get("SECRET_KEY", "fallback")

# Generate:
$ python -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))"

Deploy

Railway auto-detects Python. Add volume at /app/data, set SECRET_KEY.

Setup	URL	Best For
Local Python	localhost:5000	Development
Local Docker	localhost:5000	Isolated dev
LAN Server	192.168.x.x:5000	Home network
Railway	your-app.up.railway.app	Public cloud

ATHLOTES

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Five moods. One is yours.

Built with.

Simple by design.

Up and running in minutes.

Pick your path.

Your notes. Your server.

Contact Me.