Obsidian LiveSync LXC for Proxmox

One-command deployment of self-hosted Obsidian sync using CouchDB in a Proxmox LXC container.

Sync your Obsidian notes across all devices instantly with end-to-end encryption - completely self-hosted on your own server.

Based on the Self-hosted LiveSync plugin by vrtmrz.

Features

• Instant sync between all your Obsidian devices
• End-to-end encryption - your notes stay private
• Self-hosted - no cloud services, your data stays on your server
• Lightweight - runs in a small LXC container (512MB RAM)
• Easy setup - interactive script handles everything

Quick Start

Run this command on your Proxmox host:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ril3y/obsidian-livesync-lxc/main/obsidian-livesync-lxc.sh)"

The script will:

1. Create an LXC container
2. Install and configure CouchDB
3. Apply all LiveSync-compatible settings
4. Create your Obsidian database

After completion, you'll see:

Container Details:
  ID:       102
  Hostname: obsidian-livesync
  IP:       192.168.1.110

CouchDB Admin Interface:
  URL: http://192.168.1.110:5984/_utils

Obsidian LiveSync Settings:
  URI:      http://192.168.1.110:5984
  Username: admin
  Database: obsidian

---

Configuring Obsidian

Step 1: Install the LiveSync Plugin

1. Open Obsidian on your computer
2. Go to Settings (gear icon, bottom left)
3. Click Community plugins in the sidebar
4. Click Turn on community plugins (if prompted)
5. Click Browse
6. Search for Self-hosted LiveSync
7. Click Install, then Enable

Step 2: Configure the Plugin

1. In Settings, find Self-hosted LiveSync in the sidebar

2. Click the 🛰️ Remote Database button (4th icon in the top row)

3. Enter your server details:

   Setting	Value
   Remote Type	CouchDB
   URI	http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:5984
   Username	admin (or your configured username)
   Password	Your configured password
   Database	obsidian (or your database name)

4. Click Test Database Connection

   • Should say: "Connected to obsidian successfully"

5. Click Check and Fix

   • All items should show checkmarks ✓

6. Click Apply

Step 3: Enable Live Sync

1. Click the 🔄 Sync Settings button (5th icon)
2. Set Sync Mode to LiveSync
3. Close settings

You should see Sync: ⚡ or Sync: zZz in the status bar - sync is now active!

Step 4: Enable Encryption (Recommended)

1. In LiveSync settings, scroll to End-to-end Encryption
2. Toggle it ON
3. Enter a strong passphrase
4. Click Apply

Important: Use the same passphrase on ALL your devices!

Step 5: Set Up Additional Devices

Repeat Steps 1-4 on each device (phone, tablet, other computers).

For mobile devices, see HTTPS Setup below.

---

Container Requirements

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
RAM	256MB	512MB
Disk	2GB	4-8GB
CPU	1 core	1 core

---

Alternative Installation Methods

Install on Existing LXC

If you have an existing Debian/Ubuntu LXC container:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ril3y/obsidian-livesync-lxc/main/scripts/install.sh)"

Use Pre-built Template

1. Download from Releases
2. Copy to Proxmox:

   scp obsidian-livesync-*.tar.zst root@proxmox:/var/lib/vz/template/cache/

3. Restore:

   pct restore 102 /var/lib/vz/template/cache/obsidian-livesync-*.tar.zst
   pct start 102
   pct enter 102
   /root/setup-couchdb.sh

---

HTTPS for Mobile Devices

Mobile apps (iOS/Android) require HTTPS. You need a reverse proxy.

Option 1: Nginx Proxy Manager (Easiest)

1. Install Nginx Proxy Manager

2. Add Proxy Host:

   • Domain: obsidian.yourdomain.com
   • Forward IP: Your CouchDB container IP
   • Forward Port: 5984
   • Enable SSL with Let's Encrypt

3. In Obsidian, use: https://obsidian.yourdomain.com

Option 2: Cloudflare Tunnel

1. Install cloudflared in the container:

   curl -L https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb -o cloudflared.deb
   dpkg -i cloudflared.deb

2. Create tunnel: cloudflared tunnel create obsidian
3. Route to: http://localhost:5984

Option 3: Caddy (Auto HTTPS)

apt install caddy
cat > /etc/caddy/Caddyfile << EOF
obsidian.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:5984
}
EOF
systemctl restart caddy

---

Multiple Users

Each user needs their own database. To add a new user:

pct enter YOUR_CT_ID
/root/obsidian-livesync/scripts/create-database.sh

Or via CouchDB admin UI: http://YOUR_IP:5984/_utils

---

Troubleshooting

"Failed to connect" in Obsidian

1. Verify CouchDB is running:

   pct exec CT_ID -- curl http://localhost:5984/

2. Check the URI has no trailing slash
3. Ensure it's http:// not https:// (unless using reverse proxy)
4. Try accessing http://YOUR_IP:5984/_utils in a browser

"Unauthorized" error

• Double-check username and password
• Try logging into CouchDB admin UI to verify credentials

Mobile app won't connect

• Mobile requires HTTPS - set up a reverse proxy first
• See HTTPS for Mobile Devices

Sync stuck or slow

1. Check CouchDB status:

   pct exec CT_ID -- systemctl status couchdb

2. Restart CouchDB:

   pct exec CT_ID -- systemctl restart couchdb

Check synced files

pct exec CT_ID -- bash -c "
source /root/.obsidian-livesync-credentials
curl -s http://\${COUCHDB_USER}:\${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@127.0.0.1:5984/obsidian/_all_docs
"

---

Backup

Full Container Backup

vzdump CT_ID --compress zstd --dumpdir /path/to/backups

Database Only

pct exec CT_ID -- bash -c "
source /root/.obsidian-livesync-credentials
curl http://\${COUCHDB_USER}:\${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@localhost:5984/obsidian/_all_docs?include_docs=true > backup.json
"

---

Files

obsidian-livesync-lxc/
├── obsidian-livesync-lxc.sh    # Main Proxmox installer
├── scripts/
│   ├── install.sh              # Standalone CouchDB installer
│   ├── create-database.sh      # Add databases for more users
│   └── create-template.sh      # Export as shareable template
├── docs/
│   └── troubleshooting.md
├── README.md
└── LICENSE

---

Credits

• Obsidian - The note-taking app
• Self-hosted LiveSync by vrtmrz
• CouchDB - The database
• Original guide from r/selfhosted community

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome!

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch
3. Submit a PR