I think the blog naturally breaks into Base Setup and Quality-of-Life / Integrations. That makes it easy for readers to stop wherever they want.

1. Install Termux

• Install the latest GitHub release.
• Grant storage permissions.
• Update packages.
• Install Git and OpenSSH.

pkg update
pkg upgrade

pkg install git openssh

2. Configure SSH

Phone → Laptop/VPS

• Generate an SSH key.

• Copy the phone’s public key to:

  • laptop
  • VPS

This allows the phone to SSH into your other machines.

Laptop → Phone

• Configure sshd.
• Add your laptop’s public key to the phone’s authorized_keys.

Now your laptop (or an automation agent) can manage your phone remotely.

3. Configure Git

• Configure username.
• Configure GitHub noreply email.
• Add the SSH key to GitHub.
• Convert repositories from HTTPS to SSH.

4. Android storage

Run

termux-setup-storage

Now scripts can access

Downloads
Documents
Pictures
Music
Videos

5. Automatic Git sync

Create a small script that

• pulls
• stages changes
• commits if necessary
• pushes

Schedule it using

termux-job-scheduler

6. Scheduled jobs

Use Android’s JobScheduler instead of cron.

Example:

Every 2 hours

↓

Run Git sync

↓

Phone automatically backs up notes

Add-ons

Termux:API

Install

• Termux:API app
• termux-api package

Useful commands include

• Battery
• Clipboard
• SMS
• Camera
• GPS
• Notifications
• Wi-Fi
• Flashlight
• Sensors
• TTS

This turns the phone into a remotely controllable Android device rather than just a Linux shell.

Termux:Boot

Install the Termux:Boot app.

Create a boot script that starts services automatically.

For example

Boot

↓

Start sshd

↓

Start automation

↓

Phone is immediately manageable

Networking

Install Tailscale

Join the phone to your tailnet.

Now every device has a stable private IP.

Example:

Laptop
    │
    │
 VPS ─── Tailscale ─── Phone

No port forwarding.

No dynamic DNS.

Works from anywhere.

Restrict SSH to Tailscale

Instead of exposing SSH publicly:

• don’t forward port 8022 on your router
• bind sshd only to the Tailscale interface, or use firewall rules to allow connections only from the Tailscale network
• use SSH keys only (disable password authentication)

Result:

Internet
     ✗

Tailnet
     ✓

That dramatically reduces the attack surface while still allowing remote management.

Obsidian setup

Create a Git repository for your vault.

Clone it onto:

• laptop
• phone

Use SSH remotes.

Your scheduled sync script keeps the phone copy up to date.

Vault organization

Examples:

Vault

Daily/

Projects/

Research/

Links/

Inbox/

Because it’s Git-backed, every device stays synchronized.

Community plugins

Useful plugins to mention:

Daily Notes

For maintaining a daily journal or work log.

Periodic Notes

Weekly, monthly, yearly notes.

Calendar

Quick navigation between daily notes.

Git (optional)

If someone doesn’t want to use your Termux automation, the Obsidian Git plugin is an alternative.

Your approach is nicer because it works independently of the Obsidian app and can run even when Obsidian isn’t open.

Future improvements

Because everything is already reachable over SSH, it’s easy to extend the setup.

Examples:

• AI agent managing Downloads
• AI organizing screenshots
• AI summarizing notifications
• Automatic Git sync for multiple repositories
• SMS automation
• Clipboard synchronization
• Phone as a remote development node
• Scheduled backups
• Triggering scripts from your laptop or VPS
• File cleanup and organization
• Camera or sensor automation via termux-api