Flashdown is the terminal interface supplied by the Essentialist project for studying flashcards stored in Markdown. A deck is simply a Markdown file, and every level-two heading starts a new card: the heading forms the prompt and the following content becomes the answer until the next card begins. That keeps card creation compatible with ordinary editors and existing note-taking workflows.
Scheduling uses the Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler (FSRS), while progress for each deck is stored locally in a hidden database file beside the Markdown source. The deck itself therefore remains readable and easy to move or edit, while scheduling state stays separate. There is no requirement to send study data to a remote service, which suits users who want a local workflow.
The command-line interface can work with one or several deck files and exposes options for controlling the review session, including whether to include all cards, which scheduling algorithm to use and how many cards to present. Flashdown is intentionally narrower than the graphical Essentialist application, concentrating on reviewing Markdown decks efficiently from a terminal rather than reproducing a desktop card manager.
Answers can take advantage of Markdown formatting such as lists, emphasis, code and tables, and the project also includes basic LaTeX-style mathematical notation support. Because Flashdown and Essentialist use the same underlying deck format, the same study material can be kept as plain files and used across the project’s terminal and graphical interfaces.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Uses ordinary Markdown files as flashcard decks.
- Treats each level-two Markdown heading as the start of a new card.
- Schedules reviews with the FSRS spaced repetition algorithm.
- Stores learning progress locally in a hidden database alongside each deck.
- Accepts one or multiple deck files from the command line.
- Lets you include all cards or limit the number presented in a study session.
- Supports Markdown formatting in answers, including lists, code and tables.
- Includes basic support for LaTeX-style mathematical notation.
- Uses the same deck format as the graphical Essentialist application.
- Does not require network access for normal study and storage.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Website: github.com/essentialist-app/essentialist
Support:
Developer: Ludovic Guegan
License: MIT License
Flashdown is written in Go. Learn Go with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Terminal-Based Flashcard Software | |
|---|---|
| hashcards | Plain text-based spaced repetition system for flashcards |
| repeater | Like a lightweight, text-based Anki you run in your terminal |
| mdfc | Learn with flashcards and spaced repetition |
| hascard | Minimal command-line utility for reviewing notes |
| HardV | Billed as a powerful cross-platform flashcard program |
| Vocage | Minimalistic terminal-based vocabulary-learning tool |
| Flashdown | Spaced repetition using flashcards in Markdown |
| carddown | Spaced repetition for markdown notes |
| terminal-anki | Keyboard-driven flashcards with spaced repetition and Anki imports |
| GoCard | Markdown-based flashcard system with spaced repetition |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
 LinuxLinks helps you discover the best free and open source software for Linux. Explore our extensive collection of recommended applications, including alternatives to popular proprietary software.We also publish software reviews, Linux tutorials, hardware reviews, free programming books and articles covering the wider open source community. Browse our Linux resources to discover more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application we haven't covered? Suggest a program for inclusion. Has your software been featured on LinuxLinks? Display one of our Featured on LinuxLinks badges on your website or GitHub README. |
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.