Syncthing + Git Setup Checklist for Obsidian

Recommended path: local vaults on each device, synced privately; no public share required.

Use Syncthing for continuous device sync and Gitea for an extra Git backup/sync path when that is useful.

Before you start

• ☐ Choose the canonical vault folder name and keep it stable.
• ☐ Back up the vault before making sync changes.
• ☐ Decide which devices participate: desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, home box.
• ☐ Turn on Tailscale on the home machine and any remote devices when pairing or troubleshooting.
• ☐ Decide whether you want a single source of truth or equal peers. For Obsidian, equal peers are usually fine.

Install the tools

• ☐ Install Obsidian on every device that will edit the vault.
• ☐ Install Syncthing on every device that will hold a copy of the vault.
• ☐ Install Git on every device that will commit to the vault.
• ☐ Make sure the devices can reach one another over Tailscale before trusting discovery.
• ☐ Keep the Syncthing UI reachable only over LAN/Tailscale.

Create the vault layout

• ☐ Create the vault folder on the primary device.
• ☐ Put notes and attachments inside the vault so links remain portable.
• ☐ Keep the vault path simple and consistent across devices.
• ☐ Avoid mixing unrelated data into the same folder.

Configure Syncthing

• ☐ Add the vault folder to Syncthing on the primary device.
• ☐ Share that folder with each other device you want to use.
• ☐ On each receiving device, choose the same local path for the vault.
• ☐ Pick a folder type that allows editing on all participating devices.
• ☐ Enable versioning on at least one always-on machine so you have a rollback path.
• ☐ Confirm file permissions look sane after the first sync.

Configure Git for Gitea

• ☐ Create a private repo on your Gitea server at git.local.grasfer.com.
• ☐ Decide whether you will use SSH or HTTPS for the remote.
• ☐ If you use SSH, add your public key to Gitea and test the SSH connection.
• ☐ If you use HTTPS, create a token/password method you are comfortable with.
• ☐ Initialize Git in the vault and make the first commit.
• ☐ Add the Gitea remote and push the initial branch.
• ☐ Confirm the repo is private and only visible to the intended account.

Recommended file rules

• ☐ Decide whether to sync `.obsidian/workspace*` files.
• ☐ If you want device-specific UI layout, exclude workspace files.
• ☐ Usually keep `.obsidian/` settings, plugins, themes, and snippets in sync.
• ☐ Exclude caches and temporary junk if they appear.
• ☐ Keep attachments in a folder you are happy to sync everywhere.

Tailscale posture

• ☐ Use Tailscale as the private path for setup, resyncing, and debugging.
• ☐ Do not expose Syncthing or the vault directly to the public internet.
• ☐ If you need remote pairing, connect both devices to the same tailnet first.
• ☐ If a device is not on the local network, use Tailscale rather than opening extra ports.

Test the sync

• ☐ Create a tiny test note on the primary device.
• ☐ Wait for Syncthing to report the folder as up to date.
• ☐ Open the note on a second device and confirm the content matches.
• ☐ Edit the note on one device and verify the change propagates cleanly.
• ☐ Check that timestamps and attachments survive the trip.
• ☐ Verify that Obsidian opens the vault normally on every device.

Test the Git path

• ☐ Make a small note change and commit it locally.
• ☐ Push the change to Gitea.
• ☐ Pull the repo on another device and confirm the change appears.
• ☐ Verify Git ignores generated junk and only tracks the note content you want.
• ☐ If you use both Git and Syncthing, confirm they do not fight over the same files.

Conflict and recovery checklist

• ☐ Make sure at least one device keeps version history.
• ☐ Decide how you want to resolve simultaneous offline edits before they happen.
• ☐ Keep the backup from before setup until you’ve tested restores.
• ☐ If a note forks, reconcile it before you do much more editing.
• ☐ Decide whether Git is the backup path and Syncthing the live sync path, or the other way around.

Nice-to-have follow-ups

• ☐ Add the vault to your Obsidian wiki MOC/index once it’s stable.
• ☐ If you use mobile, verify the mobile sync path separately.
• ☐ Document the chosen ignore rules so you don’t have to remember them later.
• ☐ Keep the Syncthing instance name and device labels readable.
• ☐ Keep the Gitea remote name and branch naming consistent across devices.

Quick sanity check

If all of these are true, you’re in good shape:

• ☑ Vault lives locally on each device.
• ☑ Syncthing syncs only to your devices.
• ☑ Gitea is reachable privately at git.local.grasfer.com.
• ☑ Tailscale is available for private remote access.
• ☑ The vault opens normally in Obsidian everywhere.
• ☑ You can recover from a bad change with versioning or backup.

If you want, I can turn this into a device-by-device checklist next: desktop, laptop, and phone.