Singular3

Obsidian

2 min read

TL;DR: A local-first knowledge base using plain Markdown files. Your notes, your computer, no subscription required.

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on local Markdown files. It’s become my primary tool for knowledge management.

Why Obsidian?

Local-First

Your notes are plain Markdown files on your computer:

vault/
├── daily/
│   └── 2024-01-02.md
├── notes/
│   └── Obsidian.md
└── projects/
    └── Personal Website.md

No cloud lock-in. No subscription required for core features.

Linking

Obsidian excels at connecting ideas:

  • [[Page]] - Basic link
  • [[Page|Alias]] - Link with custom text
  • [[Page#heading|Heading]] - Link to section
  • ![[Page]] - Embed entire note
  • ![[Image.png]] - Embed images

Graph View

Visualize connections between notes. The graph reveals:

  • Clusters of related ideas
  • Orphan notes needing links
  • Central hub concepts

Core Plugins I Use

PluginPurpose
Daily NotesJournaling and capture
TemplatesConsistent note structure
BacklinksSee what links here
Graph ViewVisualize connections
Quick SwitcherNavigate with Cmd+O
SearchFind anything instantly

Community Plugins

Essential Community Plugins

  • Dataview: Query your notes like a database
  • Templater: Advanced templates
  • Calendar: Visual daily notes navigation
  • Excalidraw: Diagrams and sketches

My Workflow

graph TD
    A[Capture in Daily Note] --> B{Worth developing?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Create Atomic Note]
    B -->|No| D[Leave in daily]
    C --> E[Link to existing notes]
    E --> F[Review weekly]

Daily Notes Template

# {{date}}
 
## Tasks
- [ ]
 
## Notes
-
 
## Gratitude
-
 
## Links Created
- [[]]

Publishing with Quartz

Obsidian vaults can be published with Quartz:

  1. Point Quartz at your vault (or a subfolder)
  2. Build with npx quartz build
  3. Deploy to GitHub Pages

This is how this digital garden is published.

Tips

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Cmd+O: Quick switcher
  • Cmd+Shift+F: Search all files
  • Cmd+E: Toggle edit/preview
  • Cmd+Click: Open link in new pane

The Philosophy

Obsidian embodies principles from:

Backlinks