jochen.fyi

Syncthing to sync things

SyncThing to sync things Direct link to this section

A few month ago I rolled off one, began work on another account, and had to deal with the outcome of changing domains and stakeholders. This was demanding, but ultimately positive as I got introduced to new patterns and syntax which inspired me to improve my note taking.

Track solutions Direct link to this section

I use Obsidian to track feature work, but haven't tracked things I learned. Recently, I needed to filter API calls that weren't GET requests. While an if-else statement worked, a cleaner approach using .includes() in JavaScript was more efficient:

if (["PUT", "PATCH"].includes(request.type)) {
  // do something here
}

I used .includes() before but worried about forgetting it without documentation. To keep track of such, I wanted to create a system that could store notes on both my work and personal machines, but I hadn't found a good synchronization solution yet.

Vault organization Direct link to this section

Right now I have the below Vaults:

  1. Code: Everything related to my own progression. Notes I take on Books, Frameworks, Languages and Platforms.
  2. Life: Health Documents, Receipts, Green Card / Citizenship.
  3. Work: 401k docs, Interview questions, Review Documents.

Each Vault has a Root folder for assets (screenshots) and templates, along with a fleeting folder for temporary notes that may be discarded or transformed. The Root folder stores a general To-Do list as well. I don't want a separate app for that.

Synchronization strategy Direct link to this section

I could use Obsidian Sync or manually copy files. Obsidian Sync wasn't an option because it offers more than needed. I know that manually copying files will not be an option because... Well, because I don't have the time and in that case I am lazy. I would rather set up a system once and be done with it. So what is this system?

I saw SyncThing in my feed but never bothered looking at it in more depth until about a month ago and realized that it would be ideal. All I need to do is keep two folders between two machines synchronized. Installation and configuration was a breeze and I had both Code vaults connected in no time. Edits on one machine are now reflected on the other.