My Note-taking Setup

After years of using dedicated note apps that either weren't compatible with all the devices I used, or wouldn't support my file syncing software of choice, I've finally realized that I really didn't need most of the features that those apps had. As it turns out, a simple folder containing my notes in Markdown format is more than enough to allow me to record my thoughts from any of my devices without too much fuss.

I use a folder named "Notes" in my home directory that just contains markdown files and subfolders to organize them. I don't need a WYSIWYG interface, since Markdown is already pretty readable on its own. This means that I can just use any code editor to manage my notes, rather than a dedicated note-taking app. On my phone, I use Markor, and on my desktop, I use KDE's built-in Kate editor, or PHPStorm if I need more powerful editing features (VS Code also works well). I can add internal links between notes, and globally search through all of their contents. These editors can also provide a nicely rendered file preview if I'm just reading my existing notes.

Finally, I'm able to access my notes across all my devices using Syncthing. Since my notes are so low-tech, I could use just about any file syncing technology, but for now, I like the decentralization and privacy Syncthing provides, which encrypts all data before transporting it. This way, I don't have to worry about third parties who might want to peek at my valuable ideas 😉.

I really like this setup so far. It means that I'm never locked into any one app to manage or sync my notes. It also means that my notes can be as structured or as freeform as I need. Sometimes I just need to jot something down without worrying about committing to some complicated note-taking system, and sometimes I need to keep a big chunk of writing well-organized. I can accomplish both goals with this workflow.

As a bonus, I also use Caleb Porzio's scratch.md technique, which lets me keep an untracked scratch file for temporary notes on any Git project I'm working on. Anything more complicated goes in ~/Notes.