Offline internet
Keep your own copy of the internet's most useful parts
Project NOMAD is free software that stores Wikipedia, world maps, books, and courses on a PC on your home network. When the internet goes down, every phone, tablet, and laptop in the house can still open them in a web browser.
What you can keep offline
You pick what to download in a setup wizard, from a small starter set up to a full library. All of it comes from free, openly licensed sources.
- Wikipedia
- The full English Wikipedia with images is about 125 GB. Smaller editions, such as text-only or a top-articles set, fit on almost anything.
- World maps
- Street-level OpenStreetMap data for the whole world or one country at a time, which you can browse and zoom offline. There is no turn-by-turn navigation.
- Books and references
- Project Gutenberg, medical references, repair guides, and survival manuals.
- Courses
- Khan Academy lessons and videos through Kolibri, for school-age kids and adults.
- An AI assistant, if you want one
- Optional, and it runs entirely on the same computer.
How It Works
Pull the plug. Watch it keep working.
NOMAD downloads everything while you're online, then runs entirely on its own. No internet, no cloud, no signal required. Go ahead, cut the cord.
While it's connected, NOMAD pulls down the Wikipedia, maps, AI models, and courses you choose and keeps them up to date with the latest information for as long as you stay online.
Why not just download Wikipedia yourself?
You can. Wikipedia is free to download, and Kiwix will open it. The work starts when you want maps, books, courses, and Wikipedia together, reachable from every device in the house, and kept up to date.
Project NOMAD puts those pieces behind one dashboard. The install is two commands, a setup wizard handles the downloads, and while you're online Project NOMAD checks for newer versions of your content, so the copy you fall back on isn't years old.
Installing and downloading need an internet connection, so set it up before you need it. Project NOMAD runs on a regular x86 PC with Ubuntu or Debian. For a Raspberry Pi, look at Internet-in-a-Box.
Offline internet questions
Can I use the internet offline?
Not the live internet, but you can keep a copy of the parts that matter. Project NOMAD downloads Wikipedia, maps, books, and courses while you are online and serves them from a computer in your home. When the connection drops, your devices still open them in a web browser.
How do my devices connect if the internet is down?
Project NOMAD lives on your local network, the same router your devices already use. Your phone, laptop, or tablet connects straight to the Project NOMAD computer through that router, and the router does not need an internet connection to do it. Both the router and the Project NOMAD computer need power.
How big is a download of all of Wikipedia?
The full English Wikipedia with images is about 125 GB. Text-only editions are far smaller. A full library with maps, courses, and AI models is comfortable on a 1 TB drive.
Does the offline copy go out of date?
Project NOMAD checks for newer versions of your content while the internet is available, so your copy is as current as it can be when you need it offline. Once you are offline, it stays as of the last update.
What do I need to run it?
A regular x86 PC running Ubuntu or Debian Linux, plus an internet connection for the install and the downloads. A refurbished mini PC works well. Project NOMAD is not built for the Raspberry Pi; for a Pi, look at Internet-in-a-Box.
Is it free?
Yes. Project NOMAD is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. There is no subscription and no telemetry.