Storage & Runtime Targets

Runtime targets

Notara runs in two main environments:

Target	Runtime	Key Features
Desktop App	Tauri 2 (Linux & Windows)	Full filesystem access, atomic writes, system tray background reminders, and native notifications.
Web Application	Modern Web Browser	Uses File System Access API to edit local folders without installation.

Desktop file engine & security

On desktop builds, all file operations run through a Rust backend engine designed with strict safety boundaries:

Path traversal & symlink guards

• Held root: When a workspace folder is chosen, its canonical path is held in secure backend state.
• Strict path verification: All commands receive relative paths from the webview and verify that the target resolves inside the approved workspace root.
• Symlink protection: Operations canonicalize symlinks before execution and refuse any path that escapes the workspace root.

Atomic write lifecycle

When saving a file:

1. A temporary file is written in the same directory (.filename.tmp).
2. Data is committed with sync_all to ensure physical disk persistence.
3. The previous file is copied to .notara/backups/.
4. The temporary file is atomically renamed over the target file.

Task reminders and background delivery

Notara 2.5.0 includes a native background reminder system for scheduled tasks:

Rust scheduler & ledger

• Reminder schedules and delivery state are tracked in .notara/reminders.json.
• The Rust runtime schedules precise OS timers for upcoming reminders.
• Completing or deleting a task immediately cancels its scheduled timer.
• Changing a task's due date or time automatically reschedules its timer.

System tray minimization

• When you close the Notara desktop window, the app minimizes to the system tray rather than exiting.
• Background timers remain active to deliver scheduled notifications on time.
• To exit the app completely, choose Quit Notara from the system tray context menu.

Startup reconciliation

If your computer was asleep or Notara was closed when a reminder was scheduled to fire:

• At next startup, Notara scans the reminder ledger for overdue items.
• It delivers a single overdue notice for missed tasks.
• It does not repeat or loop notifications.

AI transport layer

• Desktop runtime: Uses Tauri's native HTTP client to communicate directly with https://api.openai.com/v1/.
• Browser runtime: Connects to OpenAI via standard fetch with browser-stored API credentials.
• Zero intermediate servers: Notara never routes prompts through external proxy servers.