Show HN: FIPS-Pad – The Notepad That Says "No"
keepamovin Wednesday, February 04, 2026This isn't your average "move fast and break things" text editor. It is an experiment in bureaucratic compliance as a feature.
The "Serious" Part: It is a minimalist, offline, encrypted notepad that aligns with FIPS 140-2/140-3 standards. It doesn't just "use" encryption; it acts as a gatekeeper. It relies entirely on the operating system's validated cryptographic modules (Windows CNG, macOS CoreCrypto, Linux FIPS mode) and refuses to implement its own crypto.
The "Fun" Part: It refuses to run if your computer isn't boring enough.
- Fail-Closed: If it cannot prove your OS is in a strictly FIPS-approved mode, it quits. No "best effort." No "continue anyway." Just "Goodbye."
- Zero Features: No plugins, no cloud, no scripts, no fonts, no fun. Just text and compliance.
- The Philosophy: It asks the question, "What if we treated a Notepad app like a classified information system?"
It is a "deliberately boring" tool for people who find comfort in the cold, hard embrace of NIST SP 800-53 controls. I made it as an experiment to understand FIPS, and SP 800-53 better, and I always like my experiments to be some likely-minimal, proof-of-concept that actually works.