Syncing your Obsidian

There exist various techniques to sync Obsidian, yet I selected to outline the approach I adopted, both for my own reference and to assist others seeking a suitable synchronization solution. In this endeavor, we shall employ the Obsidian LiveSync plugin: vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync.

To establish a VPS on MagaluCloud, the first step is to create a virtual machine manually via the console. Though it is possible to carry out all procedures using the mgc (MagaluCloud command line interface), manual operation offers greater transparency. Open the console and commence by creating a new virtual machine. Navigate to Virtual Machines, then click Create Instance.

Choose the desired Availability Zone (such as br-se1-a in this instance), along with the operating system (Debian 13 LTS was selected). Opt for the most affordable option—a server with 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM (BV1-1-20). Allocate a 20 GB local disk for enhanced safety. Ensure a public IPv4 address is assigned, and select an existing SSH key or add a new one if necessary.

Safeguard the generated keys, as misplacement will hinder access to the machine. Assign a meaningful name to the instance and click Create instance.

Once the server is provisioned, access it via SSH using the command: ssh debian@your-ip-here.com. For this project, Docker must be installed. Follow the installation instructions provided in the project's documentation, adding Docker's official GPG key and sourcing Docker's repository to Apt. Afterwards, install Docker CE, containerd.io, docker-buildx-plugin, and docker-compose-plugin.

Next, create a designated directory for your Obsidian LiveSync data and configuration: mkdir -p ~/obsidian-livesync/{couchdb-data,config}. Navigate to this directory and create the file ~/obsidian-livesync/config/local.ini. In this file, specify the CouchDB settings, including single_node configuration, maximum document size, HTTP request size, CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) settings, and authentication. Don't forget to set a strong password for your CouchDB user.

Finally, configure a reverse proxy and SSL certificate with Caddy. Create the file ~/obsidian-livesync/Caddyfile and input the necessary directives for routing traffic to CouchDB and facilitating secure connections. With these steps completed, your Obsidian LiveSync server should be operational, providing a robust solution for syncing your notes across devices.