Some Background

I have been using zk for taking notes in plain markdown. While it lacks features compared to the well-known Obsidian, I prefer it over tools like Obsidian for the following reasons:

• Using your preferred editor is possible. I am an avid Neovim user and would prefer to do all of my writing with Vim key bindings if possible. I like it so much that I even created a language server to support BibTeX citations in my notes.

• Terminal-first workflow. zk’s nice fzf integration allows me to access my notes with just a single keyboard shortcut. This enables me to avoid using a mouse in general.

• Lightweight design. I like that zk provides the bare minimum tools for looking up your notes and providing editor-agnostic diagnostics highlighting through its LSP protocol. This enables me to quickly set up the note-taking workflow on any new desktop.

For maintaining my notes, I have a private GitHub repo that I regularly push to. I prefer this to cloud synchronization due to its simplicity.

Complaints

One of the pet peeves I have with the terminal + git workflow is that it is fundamentally difficult to synchronize and access your notes on mobile devices. All available options are not ideal.

For synchronization:

• Upload your notes to a cloud service and use syncthing to automatically synchronize. This means you must keep your notes in two places.

For reading/editing:

• Using a terminal emulator like termux. A keyboard is required which is only sometimes available on the go, and setting up is still a hassle.
• Directly accessing your notes through GitHub’s web interface. This results in a terrible editing experience.

In contrast, Obsidian has a dedicated mobile app that streamlines the experience on both desktop and mobile phones. Obsidian users might use Obsidian’s cloud service or the Obsidian git plugin to maintain their notes.

GitJournal

Recently, I encountered the GitJournal mobile application that solves the aforementioned issues. It simplifies notes synchronization and editing into a single mobile app:

• Markdown preview/editing support. The app prioritizes support for markdown notes in plaintext.
• Simplified git synchronization at the push of a button.
• Links between notes work! I can just press on a link, e.g., [[AkgiO4ax]], to visit the note. This is partly thanks to zk’s use of the file name (a random UUID) as notes link.

While there are still a few minor issues, I can live with them:

• The pricing for pro features is a bit steep, so I need some time to decide if it’s worth it.
• Note UUID generation scheme doesn’t match with my zk’s note ID system. Still, I can edit them when I get to my desktop.

Conclusion

GitJournal has filled a crucial gap in my note-taking system, allowing me to maintain the terminal-first, git-based workflow I love on the desktop while gaining seamless mobile access. It proves that we don’t always need to compromise between power-user preferences and mobile convenience. For those who prefer lightweight, text-based note-taking tools like zk but want better mobile integration, GitJournal offers an elegant solution that respects the simplicity and flexibility of plain markdown files while making them accessible on the go.