md² is one React app that can talk to three different backends. Which one you get depends on how you started it.
| Mode | Backend | Where files live | Can run actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Electron shell, local git |
Your disk | Yes |
| Remote control | Browser connected to a running desktop app | The desktop machine’s disk | Yes, on the desktop machine |
| GitHub | GitHub REST API | A GitHub repository | No |
The normal way to use md². The Electron app hosts the React UI and exposes a bridge to the file system and to git. Opening a project means picking a folder that contains a .git directory.
Everything works here: local commits, worktrees, agents, command actions, scheduled actions, folder watching.
The desktop app can start a small server on your LAN. Another device — typically a phone or tablet — opens the URL, gets the app served from the same port, and connects back over a WebSocket.
The remote browser is a full client: it reads and writes the desktop machine’s files and can run actions there. See Remote control for the connection flow and its security limits.
You can also connect manually from any md² web instance: Open project, source Remote, then endpoint, token, project root path, and branch.
With no desktop app around, md² runs as a plain website against the GitHub API. Sign in with a personal access token, pick a repository and branch, and edit cards. Commits are pushed through the API.
What you cannot do in this mode:
Action definitions can still be viewed and edited. Run buttons are disabled with an explanation.
The mode is decided when the app starts, not by a setting. Start the Electron app for desktop mode, open the LAN URL for remote-control mode, load the hosted web app for GitHub mode. The project you open must match: a local folder in desktop mode, a repository in GitHub mode.
See also: Open your first project, Git and commits.