71 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
71 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
# What is VaultLink?
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Self-hosted sync for Obsidian vaults with automatic conflict-free merging. Edit with any tool, collaborate in real-time, no conflict markers.
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## The Problem
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Syncing Obsidian vaults across devices or sharing with teammates sucks:
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- **Commercial services**: Lock-in, subscriptions, third-party access to your data
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- **Git**: Manual conflict resolution with `<<<<<<<` markers interrupting your workflow
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- **Cloud storage**: Last-write-wins data loss or manual conflict resolution
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- **CRDT solutions**: Only work if you edit inside Obsidian (break if you use Vim, VS Code, etc.)
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## VaultLink's Solution
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Differential synchronisation with operational transformation for Markdown and text files.
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Edit `.md` and `.txt` files with Obsidian, Vim, VS Code, or any editor. VaultLink compares versions and automatically merges all changes. No operation tracking required, no conflict markers.
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**Note**: Binary files (images, PDFs, etc.) use last-write-wins. [See limitations →](/guide/limitations)
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## How It Works
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1. **Server**: Rust WebSocket server with SQLite stores document versions
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2. **Clients**: Obsidian plugin or CLI client watches filesystem changes
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3. **Sync**: Changes upload to server, server broadcasts to other clients
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4. **Merge**: [reconcile-text](https://schmelczer.dev/reconcile) automatically merges concurrent edits
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No CRDT infrastructure. No operation logs. Just file comparison and smart merging.
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## Key Advantages
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**Editor agnostic**: Edit files with any tool. Other solutions break when you edit outside their ecosystem.
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**Self-hosted**: Your data, your server. No third parties, no subscriptions, no surprises.
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**Automatic merging**: Operational transformation handles conflicts without interrupting your workflow.
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**Production-ready**: Comprehensive tests, E2E tests, battle-tested. Many alternatives have zero tests.
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**Collaborative**: Real-time sync with cursor tracking. See where teammates are editing.
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## Not Tied to Obsidian
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VaultLink syncs Markdown files. Use it for:
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- Obsidian vaults (Obsidian desktop + mobile + CLI)
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- Technical documentation (VS Code, your-editor, CLI)
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- Academic writing (multiple Markdown editors)
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- Automated workflows (CLI client for backups/CI/CD)
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The Obsidian plugin is just a convenience wrapper around the sync client.
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## Quick Comparison
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| Feature | VaultLink | Git | Cloud Sync | CRDT Solutions |
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| ------------------- | --------- | --- | ---------- | -------------- |
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| Self-hosted | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Varies |
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| Any editor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
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| No conflict markers | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
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| Real-time | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
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| No subscriptions | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Varies |
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| Comprehensive tests | ✅ | N/A | N/A | ❌ |
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[Detailed comparison with alternatives →](/guide/alternatives)
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## Next Steps
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- [Get started →](/guide/getting-started) (5 minute setup)
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- [See the architecture →](/architecture/) (understand how it works)
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- [Compare alternatives →](/guide/alternatives) (why VaultLink vs others)
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