Obsidian Official CLI Headless

Install and adapt the official Obsidian CLI for headless Linux servers by using a non-root user, Xvfb virtual display, ACL-based vault access, and an obs wrapper command. Use when the user wants the official Obsidian CLI (not notesmd-cli) on a Debian/Ubuntu-like machine without a normal desktop session, or when root/GUI/display constraints break native CLI use.

Treat the official Obsidian CLI as a desktop-first app adaptation problem, not a normal CLI install.

Core rules

• Use this skill only for the official Obsidian CLI.
• Assume headless Linux needs a dedicated non-root user, Xvfb, and a wrapper command.
• Prefer ACLs over ownership changes when the vault lives under /root.
• Prefer one target vault.
• Keep the user away from su - obsidian and display details by exposing /usr/local/bin/obs.

Fast path

1. Confirm the vault path. Default to /root/obsidian-vault only if the user does not specify another path.
2. Run scripts/install_official_obsidian.sh as root.
3. Run scripts/configure_official_cli.sh <vault_path> as root.
4. Run scripts/verify_official_cli.sh [vault_path].
5. Report the wrapper path, active vault, verified commands, and remaining caveats.

What this skill owns

• Official Obsidian .deb install
• Headless runtime dependencies needed for field use
• Dedicated obsidian user
• Official CLI enablement via ~/.config/obsidian/obsidian.json
• Vault access via ACLs
• /usr/local/bin/obs wrapper
• Verification of help, vault, daily:path, daily:append, daily:read, and search

What not to do

• Do not use this skill for notesmd-cli or lightweight markdown-only workflows.
• Do not expand into plugins, sync setup, theme tuning, or full desktop environment work unless the user explicitly asks.
• Do not broaden permissions more than needed.

Wrapper model

The wrapper should effectively run:

bash

su - obsidian -c 'cd <vault> && xvfb-run -a /usr/bin/obsidian --disable-gpu ...'

That is the stable operating model on a headless host.

Verification commands

Use at minimum:

bash

obs help
obs vault
obs daily:path
obs daily:append content="skill verification"
obs daily:read
obs search query="skill verification"

References

• Read references/architecture.md when you need the rationale for non-root user, Xvfb, ACLs, or wrapper design.
• Read references/troubleshooting.md when the install works partially but CLI behavior still fails.

Report format

Keep the result short:

• installed version
• wrapper path
• active vault path
• verified commands
• remaining limits