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Fork Information

About This Fork

This is an enhanced community fork of the original NoteBot project created by Federico Dossena.

Current Version: v2.6 | Release Date: December 23, 2025

Why This Fork Exists

The original NoteBot is an excellent lightweight alternative to Microsoft Sticky Notes. However, its UI design dates back to 2016-2019 and doesn't reflect modern design standards. This fork aims to:

  1. Modernize the UI - Bring Windows 11 Fluent Design aesthetics to NoteBot
  2. Improve usability - Make interactions smoother and more intuitive
  3. Maintain the philosophy - Keep it lightweight, open source, and privacy-focused

Key Differences from Original

What's Changed

  • ✨ Modern UI design - Windows 11 Fluent Design with rounded corners throughout
  • 🎨 Enhanced colors - 8 refreshed color schemes + new dark charcoal theme
  • 🖱️ Better resize - Custom handler with 40px edge detection (vs. 5px original)
  • 🎯 Improved feedback - Modern cursors, hover effects, and visual indicators
  • 📐 Better proportions - 280×280px default size (vs. original smaller size)
  • 🎭 Modern buttons - Rounded with hover effects instead of square flat buttons
  • 🌈 Enhanced color picker - Rounded swatches with modern selection display

What's Preserved

  • ✅ Lightweight architecture
  • ✅ No telemetry or tracking
  • ✅ No cloud synchronization
  • ✅ Open source (GPL-3.0)
  • ✅ Notes stick to desktop (no taskbar icon)
  • ✅ Cross-platform Java compatibility
  • ✅ High DPI support

Original Project

Creator: Federico Dossena
Years: 2016-2019
Website: http://notebot.fdossena.com/
License: GNU GPL-3.0

The original NoteBot source code and releases are available at the official website.

This Fork

Current Version: v2.6
Enhancement Focus: Modern UI/UX improvements
Release Date: December 23, 2025
License: GNU GPL-3.0 (same as original)
Base Version: NoteBot original codebase
Major Changes: See CHANGELOG.md
Download: GitHub Releases

Contributing

This fork welcomes contributions that align with its goals:

  • UI/UX improvements following modern design principles
  • Usability enhancements
  • Bug fixes
  • Performance optimizations

Please maintain compatibility with the original's lightweight philosophy.

Compatibility with Original

This fork is not a drop-in replacement for the original NoteBot. The UI changes may affect:

  • Visual appearance (intentional - this is the goal)
  • Default window sizes
  • Color scheme values

User data and note files should remain compatible, but always back up your notes before switching versions.

Credits

  • Original NoteBot: Federico Dossena (2016-2019)
  • Modern UI Enhancements: Community fork contributors (2025)
  • Design Inspiration: Windows 11 Fluent Design System
  • License: GNU General Public License v3.0