Using Dendron - An Opionated Approach

My Dendron Setup

1. Initialize a Dendron work space
2. Organize notes based on privacy levels
3. Create a storage location for each privacy level
4. Create default templates for each note type

Step One - Initialize a Single Dendron Workspace

Goals

• A single location for all notes to reduce location confusion
• Backup for items not yet commited to a repo

Steps

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Install the Dendron extension
   • I skip Dendron Markdown Shortcuts because it re-maps Ctrl+B and I’m too lazy to re-map and re-learn
3. Run Dendron: Initialize Workspace from the command palette
   • I used /Dendron at the root of my Dropbox folder for extra backup

Step Two - Organize notes based on privacy levels

Storing information based on privacy level enforces good privacy practices, increases sharing options, and allows for multiple storage locations with their own access permissions.

I use three:

• notes-public (public Github repo)
  • blog posts
  • code snippets
  • reciepes
• notes-personal (private Github repo)
  • writing ideas
  • D&D notes and ideas
  • setup guides for my personal life
  • random scratch notes
• notes-<company> (private repo hosted on a company server)
  • meeting notes
  • company-specific setup guides
  • action items

My public and private repos live in a personal Github account and work notes live in a company hosted Azure Repo. This keeps work content seperate from personal while allowing me to pull down my public notes onto my work laptop.

Step Three - Create a storage location for each privacy level

Dendron stores notes in vaults and supports multiple vaults and vault locations. By default are local file-system vault is used, with files stored in the workspace root. It also supports git-based vaults, allowing easier sharing, backup, and providing a single source of truth. It also allows access to your notes on machines that only have a browser.

Using Dendron with Github and Git provides detailed steps for creating and connecting git-based vaults, here are the cliff notes.

For each privacy level:

1. Create a new Github repo
2. Open your Dendron workspace
3. Add each vault via Dendron: Vault Add
   • choose remote and custom
   • enter the clone URL of your repo

Work vaults should be created inside your company, we use Azure Repos.

Step Four - Initialize Dendron, Add All Three Vaults

Follow the excellent guide.

Step Five - Create Templates for Each Note Type

• notes-public/templates/reciepe

  • adds Food and Reciepe categories
  • adds Date
  • Provides basic template
  • lastupdated

• notes-public/templates/snippet

• notes-personal/templates/daily

• notes-personal/templates/writing

• notes-personal/templates/dnd

• notes-personal/templates/writing

• notes-private/templates/diary

Initiailze A Dendron Workspace

1. Install the Dendron VSCode extensions

3. I picked my Dropbox root: C:\Users\shawn\Dropbox\Dendron

   • provides an extra layer of backup
   • follows my existing pattern of using Dropbox as my main user “root” for documents
   • making it a folder off the root highlights it’s importance

Repos for Work Notes