Mobile Workflow

Video walkthrough:

Mobile Obsidian + GitHub: Full Setup Walkthrough (for NadiKosh Contributors)

This guide explains how to use the GitHub app and Obsidian on your mobile phone to create and edit Markdown files for the NadiKosh (kosh) repository.

You can follow this as a written companion to the video tutorial.

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1. What You Need

Apps to install

Install these two apps on your mobile:

• GitHub (official GitHub mobile app)
• Obsidian (note‑taking and Markdown editor)

Optional but recommended: connect a physical keyboard to your phone for easier typing.

Why GitHub?

• Stores all NadiKosh content in one place
• Tracks every change (version control)
• Makes collaboration easy (branches, pull requests, reviews)

Why Obsidian?

• A powerful Markdown editor
• Simple mobile UI for writing
• Supports plugins (like Git integration) to sync with GitHub
• Great for structured writing and knowledge management

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2. Getting Access to the NadiKosh Repo

2.1 Log in to GitHub app

1. Open the GitHub app.
2. Log in to your account or sign up if you don’t have one.

2.2 Find and star the kosh repository

1. In the GitHub app, use Search.
2. Search for the organisation: nadi-stuti.
3. Open the organisation and go to All repositories.
4. Find the repo named kosh.
5. Open it and tap Star.

2.3 Send your GitHub username

To become a collaborator:

1. In the GitHub app, go to your profile to see your GitHub username.
2. Send your username to us on our WhatsApp channel.
3. Wait for an invitation to collaborate on the kosh repo.
4. Accept the invitation from your GitHub inbox / email.

Once accepted, you will have permission to push changes and create pull requests.

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3. First-Time Obsidian Setup (Mobile)

3.1 Open Obsidian as a new user

1. Open the Obsidian app.
2. When it asks how to start:
   • Create a new vault on your device.
   • You can name it something like NadiKosh or anything you prefer.

You will now be inside an empty vault.

3.2 Enable and install the Git plugin

Obsidian supports many plugins that extend its power.

1. Open Settings in Obsidian.
2. Go to Community plugins.
3. Turn on “Allow community plugins”.
4. Tap Browse and search for “Obsidian Git”.
5. Install and enable the Obsidian Git plugin.

Note: Obsidian has many useful plugins for writing. You can search the community plugins later to explore more tools that help with writing and organizing content.

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4. Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT)

To let Obsidian Git talk to GitHub, you need a Personal Access Token.

4.1 Open GitHub in browser

1. Open your mobile browser.
2. Go to: https://github.com
3. Log in with the same account you used in the GitHub app.

4.2 Create a personal access token - classic

The exact UI may change over time, but generally:

1. Go to your profile → Settings.
2. Scroll down to Developer settings.
3. Go to Personal access tokens (classic).
4. Create a new token (for general use with repos).
5. Give it:
   • A name (for example: obsidian-mobile).
   • Expiration (choose a reasonable duration).
   • Public Repo access permissions (select the public_repo option from repo access).
6. Generate the token.
7. Copy and save:
   • Your GitHub username
   • Your email (used on GitHub)
   • The personal access token

Keep your token secret. Treat it like a password.

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5. Configure Obsidian Git Plugin

1. In Obsidian, go to Settings → Community plugins → Obsidian Git (plugin settings).
2. Fill in:
   • Username: your GitHub username
   • Email: the email used in your GitHub account
   • Token: paste the personal access token you generated

Make sure these values are correct, otherwise Git operations will fail.

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6. Clone the NadiKosh Repository into Obsidian

You will now clone the kosh repo into your Obsidian vault.

6.1 Open command palette

1. In Obsidian, look for the hamburger menu at the bottom (three horizontal lines).
2. Tap it to open the Command palette.

6.2 Clone the repo

1. In the Command palette, search for the Obsidian Git clone command, for example: - Git: Clone an existing remote repo
2. When asked for the repo URL, enter: text https://github.com/nadi-stuti/kosh
3. When asked for folder name, use something like: nadikosh Obsidian will now clone the repo into your vault.

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7. Branch Workflow: Always Work on a Separate Branch

You should never edit directly on the master branch. Always create a new branch from the latest master.

7.1 The 3‑step rule for every new branch

Whenever you start a new piece of work:

1. Switch to the master branch
2. Pull the latest changes from remote
3. Create a new branch for your work

7.2 Switching to master and pulling

Use the Obsidian Git commands:

1. Switch to the master branch (e.g. Git: Checkout master).
2. Run pull (e.g. Git: Pull).

If you get an error about missing name or email:

• Go back to Obsidian Git settings.
• Make sure username and email are correctly set (matching your GitHub account).

7.3 Create a new branch

After master is updated:

1. From the command palette, run the create branch command (e.g. Git: Create new branch).
2. Give the branch a clear name, for example:
   • ganga-research-update-01
   • add-ganga-article-username

Make sure you are now on the new branch before editing any files.

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8. Navigating to the Ganga Research Folder

You will usually edit content inside the src folder of the repo.

1. Switch to folder view in Obsidian.
2. Navigate to:

   src/content/docs/thinking-grounds/river-research/ganga

3. Find the ganga folder.
4. Long press on the ganga folder.
5. Choose Create new note (or similar option).

This will create a new Markdown file inside the ganga folder.

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9. Writing and Editing in Obsidian

9.1 Add properties (frontmatter)

1. Open your new note.
2. Scroll to the editing area.
3. From the top‑right three dots, select Add property (or similar).
4. Add the required metadata/properties (title & description)

9.2 Use editing tools

• Use the heading buttons to create titles and sections.
• Use bold, italic, lists, and other tools in the bottom toolbar.
• Structure your article clearly:
  • Title
  • Introduction
  • Main sections (with headings)
  • References or notes if needed

Write your content normally in Markdown.

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10. Using Git Inside Obsidian (Stage, Commit, Sync)

After you make some changes, you must save and then sync them to GitHub.

10.1 Open Git source control in Obsidian

1. Tap the bottom hamburger menu.
2. Open the Git source control view (Obsidian Git panel).

10.2 Refresh, stage, commit, sync

1. Tap the refresh icon to scan for changes.
2. Use the + (plus) button to stage all changed files.
3. Tap the tick (✔) button to commit your changes.
   • Enter a clear commit message, e.g. Add new Ganga research note.
4. Tap the up arrow button to sync/push your commits to GitHub.

Your branch with changes is now on GitHub.

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11. Create a Pull Request (PR) in GitHub App

Now you will open a PR so your changes can be reviewed and merged.

1. Open the GitHub app.
2. Navigate to the nadi-stuti/kosh repository.
3. Switch to your feature branch (the one you created).
4. Tap to create a New pull request.
5. Fill in:
   • Title: short summary of the change.
   • Description: explain what you added/edited.
6. Tap Create pull request.

11.1 Assign the PR

• In the PR view, set an assignee (who should review it), as defined by your team process.

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12. Preview and Update Your Changes

After the PR is created:

1. Wait for the deployment/preview to be generated for the PR.
2. Open the PR preview link to see how your article looks on the site.
3. If something is wrong (formatting, content, etc.):
   • Go back to Obsidian.
   • Make changes in the same branch.
   • Repeat the stage → commit → sync steps.
   • The PR will update automatically with new commits.

You can push more changes to the same branch until everything looks good.

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13. Quick Edits Directly in GitHub App

For small and fast fixes (typos, small wording changes):

1. Open the kosh repo in the GitHub app.
2. Navigate to the file you want to edit.
3. Use the edit option in GitHub to change the content.
4. Commit the change directly from the app.

This is useful when you don’t want to open Obsidian for minor edits.

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14. Keeping Your Master Branch Updated

To avoid conflicts and stay in sync:

• Occasionally:

  1. Switch to the master branch in Obsidian Git.
  2. Run pull to update it with the latest changes.

• Always:

  • Create a new branch from the updated master before starting any new work.

This keeps your work clean and reduces merge issues.

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15. Summary

• Install GitHub and Obsidian on your mobile.
• Get collaboration access to the nadi-stuti/kosh repo.
• Use Obsidian Git with a personal access token for syncing.
• Always:
  • Update master
  • Create a new branch
  • Edit inside the correct folder
  • Stage → Commit → Sync
  • Create a Pull Request from the GitHub app
• Use PR previews to check your article and push more commits if needed.
• For small edits, you can directly change files in the GitHub app.