Multitenant desktop app/Sync desktop app with different servers

[hugener]

Hi everyone

I found this discussion about setting up multiple servers: https://github.com/orgs/TriliumNext/discussions/8
I run it in a similar way in Unraid.

The question is if it's possible to run multiple instances of the Desktop app and have each sync with the different server instances?

[dosubot[bot]]

Hi @hugener! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the Notes team.

Yes, you can run multiple instances of the TriliumNext desktop app, each syncing with a different server. To do this, launch each instance with its own data directory and port by setting the TRILIUM_DATA_DIR and TRILIUM_PORT environment variables. For example:

TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=/path/to/data1 TRILIUM_PORT=37841 trilium
TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=/path/to/data2 TRILIUM_PORT=37842 trilium

Each instance will have its own configuration and can be set up to sync with a different server via the sync settings in the app. This approach is supported and documented in the official user guide, which also notes that syncing is only supported via a sync/web server, and each instance must use a separate data directory and port (User Guide, Data Directory).

There are no technical limitations in the codebase preventing this setup, as long as each instance uses its own data directory and port. Just note that Trilium does not support multiple users per server instance, and each desktop instance can only sync with one server at a time (Multiple Server Instances).

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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[hugener]

Thanks for the quick answer!
I guess this would involve having two .bat files (I'm on Windows) to set the variables and then run the app?

I realized I could also do a PWA install from the two server instances and now have two "apps" this way. Would that be equivalent or are the advantages between the two approaches? Offline support, etc?

[dosubot[bot]]

Yes, using two .bat files on Windows to set the TRILIUM_DATA_DIR and TRILIUM_PORT environment variables and launch the app is a valid and supported way to run multiple TriliumNext desktop instances, each syncing with a different server.

Regarding PWA installs: while you can create shortcuts to the web interface from different servers, TriliumNext does not implement a true PWA (Progressive Web App) for its main app—there’s no service worker or offline persistence for the web UI. The desktop app, on the other hand, is fully offline-first: all your notes and data are stored locally and available even without a network connection, with robust sync and conflict resolution when you reconnect (Quick Start, Synchronization).

So, the desktop app approach gives you full offline support and local data storage, while the web/PWA shortcut approach only works when you’re online. If offline access is important, stick with the desktop app instances.

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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[hugener]

Thanks for clarifying!

[hugener]

Is it also possible to set them via command line?

[eliandoran]

@hugener , there are no command line arguments you can pass to the executable, but you could use the same commands as in the batch file to set the environment variable.