Lokus v1.3.4 Release Notes

Released: November 22, 2025 | Status: Production Ready Download: Latest Release

Overview

Lokus v1.3.4 is a major stability and feature release that brings production-ready improvements across the entire application. This release focuses on delivering a polished, reliable experience with powerful new features for power users while fixing critical bugs and improving performance across the board.

With 10 major features, 85-90% performance improvements, and comprehensive bug fixes, v1.3.4 represents a significant milestone in Lokus’s evolution as a professional knowledge management tool.

Highlights

Advanced Template System - 90+ features including date operations, filters, conditionals, loops, and JavaScript execution
Sync System Overhaul - Fixed auth-sync disconnect, simplified UI, unified token system
Block References - Obsidian-style block linking and embedding with auto-generation
Mermaid Diagrams - Native diagram support with live preview and theme integration
Auto-Updater - Seamless updates with download progress and manual check option
Page Preview - Hover over wiki links to preview note content
Image Viewer - Professional image viewing with zoom controls and metadata display
Critical Bug Fixes - Split view crash, Bases data loading, table scrolling
Performance Boost - 85-90% reduction in file system calls with intelligent caching
UI Polish - Keyboard shortcuts restored, responsive layouts, theme consistency

Major Features

Advanced Template System

Transform your note-taking with a comprehensive template system featuring 90+ functions and powerful automation capabilities.

Key Features:

File-Based Storage - Templates saved as individual .md files with YAML frontmatter
70+ Date Operations - Formatting, arithmetic, relative dates, properties, boundaries with method chaining
60+ Filters - Text, array, number, and date transformations with chaining support
Conditionals - If/else/elseif logic with comparison operators
Loops - Array iteration with special variables (@index, @first, @last, @length)
JavaScript Execution - Secure sandboxed JavaScript environment
Template Inclusion - Compose templates from other templates
HTML to Markdown - Automatic conversion when creating templates
Duplicate Detection - Overwrite protection with confirmation dialog

Example Template:

---
name: Daily Note
category: Daily
tags: [journal, daily]
---
 
# {{date | format: "dddd, MMMM D, YYYY"}}
 
## Tasks
- [ ] Review yesterday's notes: [[{{date | subtract: 1, "day" | format: "YYYY-MM-DD"}}]]
- [ ] Plan for tomorrow: [[{{date | add: 1, "day" | format: "YYYY-MM-DD"}}]]
 
## Weather
{{js: return new Date().toLocaleString('en-US', { timeZone: 'America/New_York' })}}
 
#{{date | format: "YYYY"}}/{{date | format: "MM"}}

Documentation:

Complete syntax reference in /docs/templates/
10+ real-world examples
Architecture documentation for developers

Learn more about Templates →

Sync System Overhaul

Complete reimplementation of the sync system fixing critical authentication and reliability issues.

Problems Fixed:

Auth-Sync Disconnect - Unified authentication and sync tokens (single token system)
Pull Operation Failure - Auto-create local branch on first sync
Token Refresh Races - Refresh lock with promise-based queuing
Confusing UI - Simplified from 6 fields to 3 clear inputs

Improvements:

Simplified Setup - Only 3 required fields: Remote URL, Username, Branch
Visual Feedback - Real-time operation status with progress indicators
Health Indicator - 6 states with color-coded icons (Healthy, Warning, Error)
Smart Error Messages - Actionable error messages with “how to fix” suggestions
Re-authenticate Button - Self-service recovery for expired sessions
Conflict Resolution - Per-file resolution with clear consequences
Debounced Auto-save - 500ms debounce prevents disk thrashing

User Experience:

Authenticate once, sync works immediately
Pull works on first sync
Clear error messages with actionable fixes
Real-time operation feedback
Visual health indicators

Learn more about Sync →

Block References

Obsidian-style block reference system enabling precise linking to specific content within notes.

Key Features:

Block IDs - Add ^blockid to any block (paragraph, heading, list, quote, code, table)
Block References - Link to specific blocks using [[File^blockid]]
Block Embeds - Embed block content inline with ![[File^blockid]]
Auto-Generation - System generates IDs when referencing blocks without explicit IDs
Block Backlinks - Track which files reference specific blocks
Real-time Search - Instant file and block suggestions as you type
Copy Reference - Right-click context menu to copy block references

Usage Example:

## Research Notes
 
Key finding: Machine learning excels at pattern recognition ^ml-insight
 
Later in another file:
 
As noted in [[Research^ml-insight]], pattern recognition is crucial.
 
Or embed the content:
 
![[Research^ml-insight]]

Technical Features:

Virtual IDs for content-based block search
File-based ID persistence (writes back to source files)
Multi-line block support (tables, nested lists, code blocks)
LRU caching for performance

Learn more about Block References →

Mermaid Diagrams

Native support for Mermaid diagrams with live preview and seamless theme integration.

Features:

Live Preview - Edit and view diagrams simultaneously
Theme Integration - Automatic light/dark mode adaptation
Edit/View Toggle - Switch between editing code and viewing diagram
Auto-Rendering - Diagrams render automatically on load
Persistence - Diagram state saved with note content

Supported Diagram Types:

Flowcharts
Sequence diagrams
Class diagrams
State diagrams
Entity relationship diagrams
Gantt charts
Pie charts
Git graphs

Example:

Learn more about Mermaid →

Auto-Updater

Seamless application updates with download progress tracking and manual check option.

Features:

Silent Updates - Automatic check 3 seconds after startup
Manual Check - Check for updates button in Preferences
Download Progress - Real-time progress bar during downloads
Signed Releases - Cryptographically signed updates via GitHub
Permission Management - Configured updater permissions and signing keys
GitHub Integration - Updates distributed through GitHub Releases

User Experience:

No manual downloads required
Updates apply seamlessly
Clear progress indication
Security verified signatures

Learn more about Updates →

Page Preview

Hover over wiki links to see a preview of the linked note’s content.

Features:

500ms Hover Delay - Appears after brief hover
Smart Positioning - Preview stays on screen near cursor
Auto-Close - Closes when clicking link or moving away
Theme Support - Works in both light and dark modes
Note Title Display - Shows linked note’s title

User Experience:

Quick content reference without navigation
Smart positioning prevents off-screen popups
Seamless integration with existing wiki links

Image Viewer

Professional image viewing system with zoom controls and metadata display.

Features:

Multiple Formats - PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG, GIF support
Click to View - Click images in editor to open viewer
Context Menu - Open from file tree right-click menu
Metadata Display - Dimensions, file size, format
Zoom Controls - Zoom in/out with smooth transitions
Tab Integration - View images in tabs alongside notes
Base64 Support - Handles both file paths and data URLs

User Experience:

Modal and tab viewing options
Professional zoom and pan controls
Metadata at a glance
Seamless editor integration

Critical Bug Fixes

Split View Infinite Loop (App Crash)

Problem: “Maximum update depth exceeded” error causing app restarts when using “Open to Side” Solution: Wrapped handleFileContextAction in useCallback with proper dependencies Impact: Split view now stable and reliable

Bases Data Loading

Problem: Only showing “Fallback File 1.md” instead of real workspace files Solution: Corrected method chain to propertyIndexer.getIndex().getFileProperties() Impact: Bases now displays actual workspace files with frontmatter properties

Table Horizontal Scrolling

Problem: Scrollbar being 99% wide, preventing horizontal scroll in Bases tables Solution: Calculated explicit table width by summing all column widths, removed wrapper div Impact: Tables now properly scroll to show all columns

Pull Operation Failure

Problem: Pull failed on first sync when local branch didn’t exist Solution: Auto-create local branch on first pull Impact: First-time sync now works seamlessly

Token Refresh Race Conditions

Problem: Multiple concurrent sync operations triggered duplicate token refreshes Solution: Refresh lock with promise-based queuing Impact: No more random sync failures or token invalidation

Performance Improvements

Intelligent Caching System

85-90% reduction in file system calls through comprehensive caching implementation.

Improvements:

Command Palette - ~200ms → instant (after first load)
Split View - ~400ms → ~200ms (or instant if same file)
File Operations - 70-80% reduction in read_workspace_files calls

Technical Implementation:

5-minute TTL cache in BasesDataManager.getAllFiles()
Eliminated 8x duplicate validate_workspace_path calls
Removed 2x duplicate read_workspace_files (39 files each)
Eliminated 4-8x duplicate Bases directory scans

File Reuse in Split View

Check if file already loaded in left pane before loading for right
Reuse editorContent when same file opened in both panes
50% reduction in redundant file reads

Command Palette Optimization

Only loads files if cache miss
Reuses cached data from BasesDataManager
No longer reloads on every fileTree change

UI/UX Improvements

Keyboard Shortcuts Restored

Restored all 52 keyboard shortcuts that were completely disabled
Fixed shortcut display on macOS (now shows ⌘N instead of “CommandOr^+N”)
Implemented Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab for tab switching (matches Chrome/VSCode)
Added capture phase listener to prevent browser interference

Recent Files Persistence

Last 5 opened files persist across sessions
Added recent_files: Vec<String> to SessionState (Rust backend)
Session loading/saving updated to handle recent files

Bases Responsive Layout

Fixed control area overflow when sidebar opens
Added flex-wrap to header container and controls
Removed double horizontal scrollbar
Single scrollbar at bottom only

File Rename Behavior

.md files: Opens file for rename in editor header
Other files/folders: Shows inline rename input (VSCode-style)
Canvas, kanban, images can now be renamed inline

Theme Consistency

Fixed table headers not adapting to dark/light themes
Removed hardcoded light theme default (#f8f9fa)
Now uses CSS fallback to theme’s --panel-secondary
Added migration logic to clean up old table header colors

Tag Management System

Complete tag management modal for markdown files
Right-click context menu integration (“Add Tag” and “Manage Tags”)
YAML frontmatter parsing and updating without breaking file structure
Automatic Bases view refresh after tag updates

Enhanced Features

Image Handling

Enhanced markdown export for embedded images
Added base64 data URL support in markdown compilation
Improved slash command image insertion
Image viewer works with both file paths and data URLs

Command Palette File Search

Integrated Bases data manager for faster file search
Real-time filtering as user types
Shows top 10 results with file path preview
Uses indexed data instead of file tree traversal

Titlebar Clean-up

Removed titlebar from Preferences window (was causing double header)
Conditional rendering: only shows in Workspace view
Clean headers in all views (Launcher, Preferences, Workspace)

Documentation

New Documentation

macOS Code Signing Guide - Comprehensive guide for developer ID certificates, notarization workflow, troubleshooting
Template Documentation - Complete syntax reference, examples, architecture docs
Migration Guide - Logseq and Roam Research import documentation

Updated Documentation

CLAUDE.md updated with template system information
Updated with sync system improvements
Enhanced troubleshooting guides

Technical Improvements

Architecture

React 19 optimizations
Tauri 2.0 integration improvements
TipTap 3.4 with latest ProseMirror updates
Improved bundling and code splitting

Developer Experience

Comprehensive inline documentation (266 lines added)
JSDoc for JavaScript functions
Rust doc comments with examples
Removed 38 lines of dead code

Testing

390+ unit tests for template system
Integration tests for storage and processing
E2E tests for critical workflows
Manual testing for complex interactions

Migration Guide

Upgrading from v1.3.3

v1.3.4 is fully backward compatible with v1.3.3 workspaces.

Recommended Steps:

Backup Your Workspace

# Create a backup before upgrading
cp -r ~/Documents/Lokus ~/Documents/Lokus-backup-v1.3.3

Download and Install
- Download v1.3.4 from GitHub Releases
- Install following platform-specific instructions
Review Sync Settings (if using sync)
- Navigate to Settings → Sync
- UI now simplified (3 fields instead of 6)
- Re-authenticate if prompted
- Test sync operation
Explore New Features
- Try block references with ^blockid syntax
- Create templates in Template Manager
- Add Mermaid diagrams to notes
- Hover over wiki links to see previews
Report Issues
- GitHub Issues

No Breaking Changes - All your existing notes, settings, and workflows continue to work.

Known Issues

In Progress

Template System macOS Paths - Some users may need to adjust template directory path
- Workaround: Check Settings → Templates for correct path
- Fix: Coming in v1.3.5
Mermaid Text Contrast - Dark mode text color needs improvement in some diagram types
- Workaround: Use light mode for complex diagrams
- Fix: Coming in v1.3.5