How to sync Obsidian notes with NextCloud on Linux
Obsidian is a markdown-based knowledge base for Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and other platforms. It can be used to take notes and collect your thoughts in an organized way.
One of the best features that Obsidian has is its “Obsidian sync” feature. However, this feature isn’t free, and you don’t have control over where items are stored when they are synced.
If you love Obsidian on Linux, but would rather sync your own items to your own server there’s good news: you can. Using the “Remotely Sync” community plugin, you can sync your Obsidian notes from client to client over NextCloud. Here’s how to do it.
How to install Obsidian on Linux
You’ll first need to install Obsidian (if you don’t have it set up on your Linux system). To install Obsidian, launch a terminal window. You can launch a terminal window on the Linux desktop by searching for “Terminal” in the app menu.
Once the terminal window is open, the installation can begin. To get Obsidian working, follow the installation instructions outlined below that correspond with the Linux application you use.
Ubuntu instructions
To install Obsidian on Ubuntu, start by downloading the DEB package using the wget command below.
wget https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-releases/releases/download/v1.3.7/obsidian_1.3.7_amd64.deb
After you’ve downloaded the DEB package, you can install it using the apt install command.
sudo apt install ./obsidian_1.3.7_amd64.deb
Debian instructions
To get Obsidian working on Debian, start by downloading the DEB package to your computer using the wget command below.
wget https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-releases/releases/download/v1.3.7/obsidian_1.3.7_amd64.deb
Once the package is downloaded to your Debian system, you can install Obsidian using the dpkg command.
sudo dpkg -i obsidian_1.3.7_amd64.deb
Arch Linux instructions
If you wish to install the Obsidian application on your Arch Linux system, use the following pacman -S command in a terminal.
sudo pacman -S obsidian
Fedora instructions
If you use Fedora, you’ll need to install the Obsidian app as a Flatpak to get it working on your system.
OpenSUSE instructions
Those on OpenSUSE will need to install Obsidian as a Flatpak to use the program on their OSes.
Flatpak instructions
To start, you need to get the Flatpak runtime working on your system. You can get the Flatpak runtime working on your computer by following our in-depth setup guide.
Once you’ve gotten Flatpak up and running, you must add the Flathub app store to your computer. Do so with the command below.
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
With the Flathub app store enabled you can install Obsidian with the following flatpak install command.
flatpak install flathub md.obsidian.Obsidian
How to set up a NextCloud server
To sync from Obsidian to NextCloud, you need to have a NextCloud server. If you already have one set up, skip this part of the guide. However, if you want to self-host your Obsidian notes, but do not yet have NextCloud, we can help you out.
Follow along with our guide to learn how to deploy NextCloud on your Linux Server or Windows Server. Once you’ve got it working, you’ll be ready to use it to sync Obsidian notes to it.
Accessing your NextCloud webDAV link
Every NextCloud server provides each user with a private WebDAV URL. This URL allows users to upload/download their NextCloud files over WebDAV clients.
To access your NextCloud webDAV link, do the following. First, load up the NextCloud web UI, and log in. Then, access your files. Once you’ve accessed your files, select “File settings,” then copy your WebDAV URL to your clipboard.
Installing the Obsidian Remotely Sync plugin
Obsidian by default doesn’t have any plugins that enable WebDAV read/write access, so you’ll need to install a community plugin that allows this feature. Here’s how to do it.
- Launch Obsidian. Then, click on the gear icon in the bottom-left corner to access the Obsidian settings.
- Find “Community plugins,” and select it with the mouse to access that section.
- Enable “Community Plugins” in your Obsidian client. Then, click “Browse,” and install the “Remotely Save” plugin.
Once “Remotely Save” is installed, enable it in Obsidian through the settings area.
How to sync Obsidian notes with NextCloud on Linux
To sync your Obidian notes with NextCloud on Linux, do the following. First, open up Obsidian settings, select “Community Plugins,” and click on the gear icon next to “Remotely Save.”
After accessing the “Remotely Save” settings area, find “Choose a remote service,” and set it to “WebDAV.” Then, paste in your NextCloud’s WebDAV URL.
Once you’ve added your NextCloud WebDAV URL, to Remotely Save in Obsidian, enter your NextCloud username and password. You’ll then be logged in.
Configure your Remotely Save settings to automatically sync at startup and in increments (if you wish.) When you’re ready to sync your Obsidian notes to NextCloud, click the refresh button in the Obsidian left-hand sidebar.
