= 3 note-taking applications for Sysadmins

Whether it's for a class I'm taking, a meeting I'm in, or just random thoughts that pop into my head, I'm often jotting down a note about something.
The problem is that once I've made a note, I have to save that note somewhere, and worse still I have to _find_ it again later.
I took to using the `.note` extension for my notes so that with one quick http://LINK-TO-MY-FIND-ARTICLE[find command], I could locate all the notes I had scattered around my system.
Then I wanted to be able to browse through the notes, so I saved my note files in a `notebook` directory instead, and used `less` to browse as needed.
But inevitably, I'd end up taking a note on my desktop or my phone instead of my laptop, and lose track of it for days.
So then I started hunting for synchronization solutions.
Eventually, I decided it was time to stop reinventing the wheel and start using a proper notebook application.

With a good notebook application, you can take notes arbitrarily, and then sort through and organize them later.
You can search through notes for a keyword or phrase you remember writing down, but can't remember when or where or why.
In the best case, you can take notes on any device and have those notes appear on all your other devices.
Here are my favorite three note-taking articles.


== 1. Joplin

image:joplin.webp[Joplin]

Joplin is an open source notebook application that not only lets you write notes in Markdown, but also lets you self-host those notes so you can keep them synchronized between devices.
Joplin's desktop interface is simple and intuitive.
Notebooks are listed in the left panel.
A notebook contains any number of notes, listed in the next panel to the right.
In the editor panel, you can write in Markdown and even add images, and then view the rendered note by toggling your view mode.

You can search through your notes using the search field, and you can also assign tags to notes to help you focus in on common topics.

All of that makes for a natural and efficient system for taking and organizing notes, but what's even better is the high availability of Joplin.
Joplin has applications for all major platforms, including all the usual desktop operating systems and both Android and iOS mobiles.
You can synchronize your notes (they're Markdown files) to any WebDAV service, Nextcloud, Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, One Drive, and more.
Personally, I have a Joplin-specific user on my Nextcloud instance, and all Markdown files are synchronized to it.
The result is that no matter where you are, no matter what device you happen to have at hand when inspiration strikes, you have access to your notebook.
No more scribbling a note into a random file that you _promise yourself_ you'll integrate into your notes as soon as possible.
Add your notes to Joplin, and have your digital notebook whenever you need it.

== 2. Nextcloud

image:nextcloud-notes.webp[Nextcloud notes]

Sometimes it seems like there's nothing Nextcloud doesn't have.
 There's a notebook application available from the Nextcloud *Apps* menu, in the *Office & text* section.
 Install it and then launch it from the top left toolbar.

image:nextcloud-toolbar.webp[Nextcloud toolbar]

To use the Notes app, click on *Settings* in the bottom left of your Nextcloud interface and define the folder you want to use to store your note files in.
Then create notes using standard Markdown syntax.
The display of Notes is a sort of hybrid betweer Markdown and rendered text.
Headings appear large, code is given a monospace font, you can see bold and italic text, and links are active.
However, you can also still see the Markdown characters, in a subdued color.
This gives you the best of both worlds, in a way, and I tend to enjoy being able to have both a stylized note and the ability to see the Markdown that defines it.
However, not everyone wants to see the Markdown syntax, and so there's a *Preview* mode in the top right menu, which displays only the rendered text.

Notes isn't (yet?) as dynamic as Joplin, so if you're a visual thinker and you want to integrate graphics with your typed notes, Notes may not be for you.
However, if you do make primarily text notes and you don't mind the default hybrid view, Notes is a great application to have running in a browser tab during the work day.
You can switch over to it at a moment's notice, enter some text, and because it's in your own Nextcloud instance you'll have access to it on whatever device you're using.

== 3. Org-mode

image:emacs-org-mode.webp[Emacs org-mode]

Both Joplin and Nextcloud do best with a GUI.
That's not to say they require a GUI, because technically there are ways to type Markdown into even something as basic as a `heredoc` command and send a note through WebDAV so it'll show up in you application of choice.
But that's not really how they're designed to be used.
If you're averse to graphical interfaces, org-mode might be the notebook you've been looking for.

Org-mode is primarily an Emacs extension, but its real strength is its syntax, and syntax is extremely portable.
In fact, there's a https://github.com/jceb/vim-orgmode[Vim org-mode] available for those who don't care for Emacs, and at least two org-mode apps for Android.
This is possible because "org-mode" is ultimately a markup language, which enables developers to program specific behaviors based on text.
For instance, expansion (sometimes also called "folding") is possible in lists, and a list is recognized as a sequence of lines each starting with one or more asterisk.

[source,bash]
----
* List item one
** Subitem one
*** Sub subitem one
* List item two collapsed...
* List item three
** Subitem three
*** Sub subitem three
----

Using simple text combinations like that, you can create todo lists (and mark items complete), you can https://opensource.com/article/19/4/calendar-git[manage your calendar], and much more.
My org-mode notebook file is currently 1,810 lines, with the earliest entry dated 2019-03-19.
Some entries get rotated out as tasks are accomplished, but others are evergreen notes that I refer to often.
The search function (that's `C-s` in Emacs) is all it takes for me to find a note or a topic.
I use Git to synchronize my notebook with my mobile phone's notebook, so I have it handy no matter where I am.

Org-mode is a big project with more functionality than you're likely to use.
Start simple by using the intuitive list functions, and then expand to todo lists.
Once you have those techniques down, you'll be able to pick and choose what other features are worth learning.

== Take note

I've listed thtree notebook applications because in real life I use more than one solution.
Joplin is great as a shared notebook.
I maintain notes in Joplin for some volunteer work I do at a community center, and I'm able to share these notes with the staff members who also need daily access to the information there.
I use org-mode for personal notes.
I don't actively use Nextcloud Notes, but I used it almost exclusively for about 3 years before discovering Joplin.

Any one of these three applications is an excellent way to organize the arbitrary data in your life.
Give one a try, and reclaim your random access brainspace.
