Requirements

A Nifty server needs a Linux computer with at least 2 GB of memory.

System

• install.sh needs Linux on x86_64 or arm64, with systemd. Nifty is one program with no other dependencies.
• It also needs curl, tar, systemctl, journalctl, useradd and runuser, which most distributions have.
• You can also install minisign, so that install.sh checks the release's signature.
• On a Mac, use the Mac app, on Apple silicon with macOS 14 or later (Install on a Mac).
• On Windows 11, use Nifty for Windows (Install on Windows).

Memory

Nifty uses about 25 MB when it's idle. Making a document's thumbnail, or reading an image's text, takes more memory while it works, one document at a time, and then gives the memory back. An image's text is read in a separate process that ends when it's done.

When	Peak
The first thumbnail after an install or update, while the renderer is prepared	About 300 MB
Every thumbnail after that	About 50–90 MB
A huge or broken PDF	About 300 MB (the renderer is capped at 256 MB)
Reading an image's text	About 50–200 MB, the most for a large photo (the reader is capped at 512 MB)

2 GB leaves plenty of room for that and for the system.

Disk

Your notes take little room. Documents and images take up their own size: documents, images among them, up to 50 MB each, and images in notes up to 20 MB. The compiled PDF renderer and text reader take about 30 MB more. Each backup takes the database's size, and each file is stored once.

Ports

Port	When
127.0.0.1:4000	Always, by default: only this machine reaches it
443	Nifty serves HTTPS itself
80	The same, to redirect http:// and for Let's Encrypt

Tailscale and a proxy don't need any ports opened for Nifty.

Nifty connects out to these services.

• download.thenifty.app, once a day, for updates.
• Let's Encrypt and Cloudflare's API, if you use them for HTTPS.
• Your calendar feeds and AI providers, if you add them.