Getting started

These pages describe what Halcyon does and how to drive it. They're written for someone with the app open, and they read perfectly well if you're still deciding.

Halcyon is in early testing. halcyonnotes.com is where to go for access and everything else about the app itself.

Already running? Open your first vault.

What it runs on

macOS	A recent version
Chip	Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't supported

Staying up to date

You update once, by hand, and never again. A few seconds after launch, and only while the window has focus, Halcyon looks for something newer. When there's an update you get a prompt, and Update and restart swaps the build in place.

Focus is the condition that matters: the check never fires while you're in another app, so an update prompt can't appear over whatever you were doing instead.

To ask on demand, use Halcyon → Check for Updates…, or run Check for updates from the ⌘K palette.

Note

Halcyon is in early testing, so builds move quickly and not every one is announced. Check for Updates… is the reliable way to know whether you're current.

The terminal command

Halcyon → Install Command Line Tool… adds a halcyon command that opens a folder or a file from wherever you already are:

halcyon .            # this directory, as a vault
halcyon README.md    # one file, in a window of its own

It needs no admin rights, and an app update carries through without you reinstalling anything. Full details in The halcyon command.

Where to go next

• Your first vault: point Halcyon at a folder and make a note.
• The three panes: the window you'll be looking at.
• The editor: rich markdown and the three view modes.
• Keyboard shortcuts: or press ⌘⇧/ in the app.