Migration Guide: Obsidian CLI → NotesMD CLI

This guide will help you migrate from obsidian-cli (v0.2.3 and earlier) to notesmd-cli (v0.3.0+).

Why the Rename?

With the release of the Official Obsidian CLI, this project has been renamed from "Obsidian CLI" to "NotesMD CLI" to avoid confusion.

Key difference: NotesMD CLI works without requiring Obsidian to be running, making it perfect for scripting, automation, and terminal-only environments.

What's Changed?

• Binary name: obsidian-cli → notesmd-cli
• Package names: Updated in Homebrew, Scoop, and AUR
• Config directory: ~/.config/obsidian-cli → ~/.config/notesmd-cli
• Go module path: github.com/Yakitrak/obsidian-cli → github.com/Yakitrak/notesmd-cli

Migration Steps

1. Uninstall the Old Version

Choose the method that matches how you installed obsidian-cli:

Windows (Scoop)

scoop uninstall obsidian-cli

Mac/Linux (Homebrew)

brew uninstall obsidian-cli

Arch Linux (AUR)

# Using yay
yay -R obsidian-cli-bin

# Using paru
paru -R obsidian-cli-bin

Manual Installation

If you installed manually, remove the binary:

# Find where it's installed
which obsidian-cli

# Remove it (common locations)
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/obsidian-cli
# or
rm ~/bin/obsidian-cli

2. Install NotesMD CLI

Follow the installation instructions in the main README:

Windows (Scoop)

scoop bucket add scoop-yakitrak https://github.com/yakitrak/scoop-yakitrak.git
scoop install notesmd-cli

Mac/Linux (Homebrew)

brew tap yakitrak/yakitrak
brew install yakitrak/yakitrak/notesmd-cli

Arch Linux (AUR)

# Using yay
yay -S notesmd-cli-bin

# Using paru
paru -S notesmd-cli-bin

3. Migrate Your Configuration

Your default vault settings and preferences are stored in a config file. You have two options:

Option A: Copy the Old Config (Preserves All Settings)

Linux/Mac:

# Create new config directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/notesmd-cli

# Copy your old config
cp ~/.config/obsidian-cli/preferences.json ~/.config/notesmd-cli/preferences.json

Mac (Alternative Location): If your config was in your home directory:

# Create new config directory
mkdir -p ~/.notesmd-cli

# Copy your old config
cp ~/.obsidian-cli/preferences.json ~/.notesmd-cli/preferences.json

Windows:

# Create new config directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\notesmd-cli"

# Copy your old config
Copy-Item "$env:APPDATA\obsidian-cli\preferences.json" "$env:APPDATA\notesmd-cli\preferences.json"

Option B: Set Your Default Vault Again (Fresh Start)

If you only had a default vault configured, simply set it again:

notesmd-cli set-default "{vault-name}"

4. Verify the Installation

Check that notesmd-cli is working:

# Check version
notesmd-cli --version

# Verify your default vault
notesmd-cli print-default

5. Update Your Scripts (If Applicable)

If you have any shell scripts, aliases, or automation that references obsidian-cli, update them to use notesmd-cli:

# Example: Update a shell alias in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
# Old: alias obs='obsidian-cli'
# New: alias obs='notesmd-cli'

6. Clean Up (Optional)

After confirming everything works, you can remove the old config:

Linux/Mac:

rm -rf ~/.config/obsidian-cli
# or
rm -rf ~/.obsidian-cli

Windows:

Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:APPDATA\obsidian-cli"

Troubleshooting

"Command not found: notesmd-cli"

Make sure you've installed notesmd-cli and that it's in your PATH. Try:

# Reload your shell
exec $SHELL

# Or check if it's installed but not in PATH
which notesmd-cli

Config Not Working

If your settings aren't being recognized:

1. Check the config file exists: notesmd-cli print-default
2. Verify the config directory location for your OS
3. Try setting your default vault again: notesmd-cli set-default "{vault-name}"

Need Help?

Open an issue on GitHub if you encounter any problems during migration.

For Developers

If you've been using obsidian-cli in your Go projects:

Update Go Module Imports

# Update go.mod
go get github.com/Yakitrak/notesmd-cli@latest

# Update imports in your code
# Old: import "github.com/Yakitrak/obsidian-cli/pkg/..."
# New: import "github.com/Yakitrak/notesmd-cli/pkg/..."

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Welcome to NotesMD CLI! 🎉 If you have any questions or feedback about the migration, please open an issue.