The Problem
If you use Obsidian for your notes, you might have noticed that sharing those notes online isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You want to showcase your markdown content without the hassle of manual conversion to HTML or other formats. Plus, having an interactive graph to visualize your notes is a nice touch, but the built-in options in Obsidian can be limiting. Enter Perlite.
What This Does
Perlite is a web-based markdown viewer that lets you drop your entire Obsidian vault right into a web server and voilà! It auto-generates your site without needing to fuss over configuration. You just need to place your files in the web directory, and the magic happens. It's built using PHP, so you’ll find files like index.php and content.php handling your markdown parsing.
The folder structure is pretty straightforward. The perlite directory contains the main logic, while the .github folder houses your CI/CD workflows. You’ve got docker-compose.yml files for different environments and a README.md that lays out everything you need to know to get started.
Real-World Use
Imagine you’ve been working on a project in Obsidian, complete with a rich array of notes, tasks, and links. You slap your vault into the web directory, fire up your Docker container using the provided docker-compose.yml, and immediately have a live demo of your project. The interactive graph feature lets users navigate through your notes visually, which adds a layer of engagement that static HTML simply can’t match.
Now, anyone can access your notes without needing Obsidian installed, and you can still utilize all your favorite themes from Obsidian.
The Bottom Line
Perlite is a nifty solution for anyone looking to share their Obsidian notes online. It’s simple to set up, especially if you go the Docker route, and the auto-building feature is a time-saver. On the downside, it might be overkill if you only have a handful of markdown files to share. If you're deep into the Obsidian ecosystem, though, this tool is worth a shot.