Build Your Own Private Note-Taking System with Obsidian and Seafile

Obsidian is a cross-platform knowledge management software supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux, with recent additions for mobile platforms (Android and iOS). The official version is free for personal users. Obsidian uses a Markdown editor, so if you are already familiar with Markdown, you will find Obsidian intuitive.

Download Obsidian

Visit the official homepage: https://obsidian.md/ to choose your platform and download the installer, or go to GitHub: obsidianmd/obsidian-releases/releases/.

iOS users can search for "Obsidian" in the Apple App Store, while Android users can search in the Google Play Store.

Obsidian Data Storage

Obsidian stores data locally in its original format (.md files), so you don't need to worry about the company going out of business or data migration issues. Privacy is also better protected. Upon first use, you will be prompted to select or create a directory to store your Obsidian data.

Getting Started with Obsidian

Set Language to Chinese

Go to Settings > About > Language, select "Simplified Chinese," and then relaunch the application (the same applies to mobile devices).

Install Themes

If you don't like the default theme, go to Settings > Appearance > Themes to view community themes and apply them as shown below.

Install Plugins

Obsidian supports a wide range of third-party plugins to expand its functionality. First, disable Safe Mode in Settings > Third-party plugins, then browse community plugins.

I recommend the "Obsidian Tabs" plugin, which allows multiple tabs for note windows (a feature not supported by default). You can choose other plugins based on your preferences.

Data Synchronization

There are two ways to synchronize data: purchasing the official "Obsidian Sync" service for $4/month, which is relatively expensive for personal users compared to other note apps like Youdao or Wiz.

Alternatively, you can use third-party cloud storage that supports WebDAV, such as a self-hosted Seafile or坚果云 (Jianguoyun). The reasons are:

1. Seafile and Jianguoyun support rendering .md files by default, allowing you to preview files directly in the cloud.
2. On mobile devices, you can use FolderSync + Seafile to keep data synchronized.
3. It is recommended to set mobile synchronization to one-way (network to mobile), using the mobile device only for preview. Avoid two-way synchronization or editing on mobile to prevent file conflicts or data loss.

Publish to Seafile Repository

Seafile has the advantage of supporting "repositories." If you choose to use Seafile for backup or synchronization, you can publish your Obsidian documents to a Seafile repository, making your documents fully accessible via the web.

To do this, open Seafile Tools > Published Repositories > Publish Repository, and select the main Obsidian directory.

The final result looks like this:

Unfortunately, Seafile repositories can only publish the top-level parent directory, not custom subdirectories, and access permissions cannot be set for individual directories. If you do not want your documents to be publicly accessible, do not do this.

Limitations of Obsidian

Based on my current experience with Obsidian, there are some limitations (my personal opinion, feel free to discuss in the comments):

• Obsidian does not natively support third-party synchronization; you need to find your own solution. I hope the official version will support built-in WebDAV synchronization in the future.
• Documents do not support custom sorting (you can work around this by naming files in order, e.g., 1, 2, 3).

Other Self-Hosted Solutions

If you don't like Obsidian but still want a self-hosted solution, consider these alternatives:

• Joplin: Built-in support for multiple third-party sync services, supports web clipping plugins, and is actively maintained.
• Ant Note (蚂蚁笔记): Similar to Wiz and Youdao Notes, but the open-source version hasn't been updated in a long time.
• Wiz Notes Private Deployment: Free for up to 5 private users, which should be enough for personal use, but the search functionality is somewhat lacking.

Conclusion

Obsidian also supports bidirectional linking, which I am still exploring. Obsidian is more complex to set up than conventional note apps like Youdao or Wiz Notes. If you prefer simplicity, Obsidian might not be the best choice. However, its main advantage is that it stores source files directly, giving you full control over your data without worrying about the company going out of business.

Here is a screenshot of my personal Obsidian setup:

In the next article, I will discuss how I migrated my Wiz Notes to Obsidian. Stay tuned.

Obsidian Official Website: https://obsidian.md/