Help

Troubleshooting

Messages you may see, what they mean, and how to fix common problems in both versions of Mossnote.

Messages are quoted as the app shows them. Wherever one says Nothing you wrote is lost, that is true: Mossnote only shows it when your journal has not been changed.

Mossnote will not open#

“Mossnote is open in another tab.” (web version): A journal can be open in only one tab. Close the other Mossnote tab or window, then choose Try again.
“This browser can't keep your journal.” (web version): The browser refused storage. The usual cause is a private window. Open Mossnote in a normal window, in an up-to-date Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox, on an HTTPS address. The message names what is missing: secure connection, web workers, WebAssembly or file storage.
“Mossnote couldn't open your journal.” (web version): Startup failed for another reason; the message includes what the browser said. Choose Try again. If it keeps failing, try another browser, and restore from a downloaded copy if you have one (Import).
“Can't reach your journal.” (computer version, or a phone): Mossnote may not be running. Start it again (open the program, or run mossnote / npm start in a terminal) and choose Retry. The page tries again by itself every five seconds. On a phone, check the computer is on and phone access is still on.
The computer version refuses to start and names a snapshot: The start-up integrity check failed. Restore that snapshot by hand: stop Mossnote, copy it from backups/ over the journal's .db file, delete that journal's .db-wal and .db-shm, and start again. See Starting safely.
The Linux program says version `GLIBC_2.34' not found, or does not start at all: The system is older than the program supports. It needs glibc 2.34 or newer (check with ldd --version): Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 35 or RHEL 9 or newer. Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11 and RHEL 8 are too old. On Alpine, the program cannot run at all, because it is built for glibc. On either, use the Node or Python route instead.
“Mossnote could not unpack itself”: The program unpacks a copy of the app (about 60 MB) into a cache folder on its first start: ~/.cache/Mossnote/app on Linux, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Mossnote\Cache\app on Windows. Free some space there, fix its permissions, or point the cache somewhere you can write to with XDG_CACHE_HOME (Linux) or LOCALAPPDATA (Windows). Deleting the cache folder is always safe.
Windows says “Windows protected your PC” when I start the program: The program is not code-signed yet, and SmartScreen warns about programs it has not seen much. That is not a verdict that the file is harmful. Check the file against its .sha256 file ((Get-FileHash .\mossnote-v<version>-win-x64.exe).Hash in PowerShell), then choose More info and Run anyway. If an antivirus program removed the file, restore it, or use the Node or Python route.
A second copy will not start: Only one copy of Mossnote can have a journal open at a time, so a second copy on the same journal refuses to start and says "already running". Close the first one (look for a program window or a terminal that is still running it). If nothing is running, a crash left a lock file behind: the message names it (for example journal.lock in your data folder). Delete that file and start again. A lock left from before the computer was last started is ignored on its own.
Port 4317 is busy: Another program is using the port. Mossnote says so and exits, and the message names the option: start on another port with mossnote --port 4400. Implemented
“Something went wrong on this page.”: Your journal is safe. Reload the page. The page offers the technical details to copy if you want to report it.

Journals#

“Made with a newer Mossnote. Update the app to open it. Nothing was changed.”: That journal was saved by a newer version than the one you run. Update Mossnote. It is never changed by an older version.
“Mossnote can't read this file. Nothing was changed.”: The file is damaged or is not a journal. Restore a snapshot from backups/ or import an export.
“You switched journals in another window. Reload to keep working here.”: You (or another device) switched journals elsewhere. Choose Reload so this window does not write into the wrong one.
I made a journal with the wrong template: A journal keeps its template. An import takes the template and the calendar from the file, so importing into a new journal turns it into a copy of the old one, wrong template included. To move your notes into a different template, make a new journal and copy what you need by hand, or export it as Markdown to keep a readable copy. Implemented

Writing and saving#

“Couldn't save. Your text is still here.”: Choose Retry. It saves the same note, never a second copy.
“Too long: … of 50,000 characters.”: Shorten the note, or split it in two. Save stays off until it fits.
“Drafts won't be kept in this browser.”: The browser cannot keep drafts (often a private window). Notes you save are kept if the journal itself opens; only unsaved drafts are at risk.
⌘/Ctrl+Enter does not save: The cursor must be in the note box. If you just clicked a button in the options row (Discovery, Question…), click back into the text first.
The #, @ or [[ list does not open: It opens for typed characters only, not for pasted text or input-method text. # and @ must start the line or follow a space. For /, it must be the first character on its line. Or use the Tag and Link buttons. After pressing Esc in a list, the same spot will not reopen it.
My #tag stayed as text: Only choosing a row from the list creates a tag, or putting #tags alone on the last line of a new note. A tag typed in the middle of a sentence and not chosen stays plain text.
I deleted a note by mistake: Choose Undo in the message (or press u), or restore it from Settings → Recently deleted within 30 days.

I cannot find something#

The Journal looks short. A filter may be on. Active filters show as highlighted choices; choose Clear filters if the page offers it, or open /journal with nothing after it. Note that Questions starts on Open.
A note is missing from Today. Today shows the notes for the current in-game day. Check the date chip, or look in the Journal. Notes with no date appear under Not dated.
A section disappeared. You may have hidden it: Settings → Template and sections → tick Show.
The Farm is missing. Only Stardew Valley journals have one. A Default journal shows Not found at /farm.
Search does not find a word. Typo tolerance helps but is not magic. Try fewer words, remove - exclusions, check the tabs under the search field, and remember search covers notes, people, farm entries, maps and tags.
Something I deleted is gone. Look in Settings → Recently deleted. After 30 days it is removed for good; a snapshot may still hold it.

Keyboard shortcuts do not work#

Single-key shortcuts need the cursor outside a text box. Today focuses the note box when it opens, so press Esc first.
They are off while a dialog or menu is open, with ⌘, Ctrl or Alt held, and when Single-key shortcuts is unticked in Settings.
g and d are two-key sequences: press the second key within a second.

Dates#

New notes have no date. No in-game date is set. Choose Set date on Today.
The picker changed the year, not the day. In the season picker the cursor starts in the Year field; click a day in the grid.
“3 notes use day 3 of Spring.” A calendar change would strand those dates. Move those notes' dates first, or keep that season's length.
“Only the last seasons can be removed.” Dates are stored by season position, so removing a middle season would relabel every later date. Rename seasons instead, or remove from the end. Save any renames first, then remove.
The date moved by mistake. Press Undo in the Now Day … message.

Backup, import and export#

“That file isn't valid JSON.” Import needs the JSON file from Export JSON. Markdown exports cannot be imported.
“That file isn't a Mossnote export.” or a list of problems: the file is not one of ours, or was edited. Nothing was changed. The list shows where each problem is.
“That file is larger than 50 MB, so it was not opened.” The import limit.
The import failed. The message names the snapshot saved just before; your journal is as it was.
The download did not start. Check the browser's download permission and where it saves files. The web version's file is made in the browser; nothing is fetched.
I want to undo a restore or import. Both take a snapshot first (Before a restore, Before an import); restore that one.

Maps#

“That file isn't a map Mossnote can open.” Use a .mossmap.json file from the map's Export → Editable project file. A whole-journal export is a different file.
A rough drawing turned into a clean shape. That is tidy-up. Choose Keep my drawing in the message, or turn it off in View → Tidy up rough shapes.
Things will not move or select. They may be locked, or their layer is. Check the Layers tab.
I can't see an object. It may be hidden or on a hidden layer. Use the eye buttons in Layers.
Measure shows odd angles. Snapping rounds angles to 15°. Hold Alt or turn snapping off.
The PDF's text cannot be selected. The PDF holds the map as a picture. Use SVG for a vector version.
Lost recent drawing. Maps autosave; look at History for an earlier version and use Undo.

Phone and tablet#

The phone cannot connect. Same Wi-Fi? Not a guest network? Computer on, Mossnote running, phone access on? Firewall allowing private networks? See Phone access.
“This device isn't paired anymore.” It was removed from the computer's list. Pair again under Settings → Phone.
A pairing code does not work. A code works once and expires after ten minutes. Make a new one.

Still stuck?#

See the project's support page, and report a bug with the issue form. Please never paste your notes into a public issue.