Typemill

Typemill is an open-source, self-hosted web app and server designed for creating websites and eBooks. It functions as a flat-file content management system that uses markdown files to store data, making it a suitable choice for informational websites such as user manuals, knowledge bases, wikis, and handbooks.

The software is deployed as a web application on a server. It requires a web server such as Apache or Nginx and PHP 8.1 or higher. Installation options include downloading a ZIP file for FTP upload, cloning the repository via GitHub and using Composer to install libraries, or deploying through an official Docker image.

Key features

• Flat-file architecture that requires no database
• Visual block editor and raw markdown editor for authors
• PDF and ePUB conversion via the eBook plugin
• Twig templates and YAML definitions for developers
• Symfony event dispatcher for system extensibility
• Support for custom plugins and themes
• Lightweight footprint of 2MB when gzipped

Typemill is built using a modern stack consisting of Slim PHP, Vue.js, and Tailwind CSS. It targets both technical writers and developers by providing a flexible environment where content is managed in markdown but can be extended through a plugin system. The architecture relies on specific writable directories for cache, content, data, media, and settings to manage site configurations and assets. This setup allows for single source publishing, where the same markdown content is used to generate both a live website and downloadable eBook formats.

To ensure proper functionality, the system requires several standard PHP libraries, including mod_rewrite, gd, mbstring, fileinfo, session, and iconv. The use of Twig templates allows developers to customize the presentation layer without altering the core logic of the CMS, while the YAML definitions provide a structured way to handle site metadata and configuration.

This tool serves as a specialized publication system for those who prefer markdown-based workflows and flat-file storage over traditional database-driven CMS platforms.