Toboggan is a modern, multi-platform slides system built in Rust. Write your slides in Markdown, run a lightweight WebSocket server, and control the presentation from any device.

Background and origin

Toboggan comes from the presentation Access Granted 01.4 - FCSC Challenge Retex : Shrimp-Say ! by BitK (in French). BitK and Kevin Mizu worked together on FCSC challenges. In the Q&A, around 00:16:10, BitK explains that his slides were homemade and names the tool “Toboggan”.

The original project was created by Igor Laborie (@ilaborie). I forked and significantly modified it: more accessible, easier to build, simpler to distribute, and practical for personal use. The current Toboggan repository is at https://github.com/Tednoob17/toboggan.

Why Toboggan

I prefer presentations that are easy to write and flexible to present. Toboggan was created to meet that need: write your slides in Markdown (or TOML if you prefer structured files), start a small WebSocket server, and control the presentation from any device. Rust provides a fast, portable foundation, which is useful when you want a reliable tool without heavy dependencies.

What it is (brief)

Toboggan offers:

• Authoring: write slides in Markdown or TOML.
• Distribution: a lightweight server that serves slides and accepts clients over WebSocket.
• Presentation: connect from a browser, terminal client, desktop app, or mobile device and control progress in real time.

The flow is intentionally simple: author -> server -> client(s). That makes remote demos, collaborative workshops and multi-screen setups easy.

Design principles

• Minimalism: few layers between the source file and final rendering.
• Interoperability: many client types (web, TUI, native) can communicate via WebSocket.
• Performance and safety: Rust enables a compact, fast binary with a reduced attack surface.

Quick example

1. Create slides.md:

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# Slide 1

- point 1

# Slide 2

2. Start the Toboggan server:

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toboggan serve slides.md

3. Open a browser at http://localhost:PORT or connect a third-party client.

Navigation commands (next/previous) are sent over WebSocket, so you can control the presentation from a second device.

Getting started (practical)

These steps show a typical workflow to build and run Toboggan. Check the repository README for exact commands if versions differ.

1. Prerequisites:

   • Install Rust toolchain (rustup + cargo).
   • Have git installed to clone the repository.

2. Clone the repository:

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git clone https://github.com/Tednoob17/toboggan.git
cd toboggan

3. Build (development):

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cargo run -- serve slides.md

This runs the project without producing a release binary and is convenient for development. For a release build:

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cargo build --release
./target/release/toboggan serve slides.md

Note: some builds can be resource-intensive; building in release mode may use a lot of RAM on some machines.

4. Start the server before connecting clients:

   • The server prints the listening address and port to stdout. Open that URL in a browser or connect a client.
   • Example: http://localhost:PORT (replace PORT with the value printed by the server).

5. Presenting and controls:

   • Connect a browser or other client to the server URL.
   • Navigation commands (next/previous) are typically available via UI buttons or keyboard (arrow keys, space). Remote clients send commands over WebSocket to control slide state.

6. Troubleshooting and tips:

   • If build fails due to resource limits, try cargo run for dev mode or use a machine with more RAM.
   • Look in the project’s README for flags (port, host, TLS) or examples of slide formats (Markdown/TOML).

Use cases

• Conferences and meetups: synchronize multiple screens or show a presenter view separately.
• Classes and workshops: let participants connect to follow or control the presentation.
• Quick demos: share a local link for code reviews or technical walkthroughs.

Limitations and roadmap

Toboggan favors lightweight workflows over WYSIWYG editing. If you need a heavy GUI editor (Keynote/PowerPoint style), this is not the goal. For developers and users who prefer source-first workflows (Markdown/TOML), Toboggan fits well.

Possible improvements: additional CSS themes, live annotation support, streaming integrations, or a native desktop app for easier distribution.

Contributing

Toboggan is open to contributions. If you’d like to help:

• Open issues and pull requests on the GitHub repository.
• Create slide templates or alternative client implementations (web, TUI, desktop, mobile).
• Improve documentation or test coverage.
• Help optimize build times and reduce memory usage.

The project is actively maintained and welcomes collaborators.

Learn more

For complete documentation, detailed guides, and advanced configuration, visit the Toboggan documentation.