Open a database in Obsidian as a vault?

Is there no way to open a DEVONThink ToGo database as a vault in Obsidian mobile?

No, and you would never want that to happen. Not only would Obsidian mobile or desktop be clueless on what to do with the DEVONthink database package, it would probably damage your data irreparably.

So, instead of inventing solutions – let’s ask the real question: what are you trying to accomplish? It’s likely the problem has been solved by others, if you could describe what’s needed.

6 Likes

I want the contents of my DTTG database (or, at least, the documents and images) to be accessible from inside my Obsidian mobile vault without having to duplicate these files and otherwise waste storage space.

The two apps have different and “incompatible” approaches to data storage and management. Inserting a DEVONthink database into a folder inside an Obsidian vault would likely have unexpected and disastrous results because Obsidian has no clue about how to manage all the infrastructure files and data in that database that DEVONthink requires to operate.

Obsidian only deals best with markdown documents and images, and in a minimal way with PDF files. You can index Obsidian folders (or whole vaults) in DEVONthink on the desktop and carefully sync those with DEVONthink to Go. (Not something I recommend, but it will work for some folks.)

6 Likes

Picking up from @korm, I have several entire Obsidian vaults indexed on MacOS into DT. It works well. Why? Because I preferred the Obsidian interface/workspace on IOS iPad for my recipe vault rather than the corresponding recipe group in DTTG.

I avoid duplication on IOS so where I have an Obsidian vault I don’t synchronise that database with DTTG (All my vault indexed groups tend to be in their own databases in DT so I can pick and choose what to sync). For example; I have a cookbook database, a diary database…all with corresponding indexed groups to a vault)

1 Like

In theory, DEVONthink To Go databases are exposed to the Files app (via the so-called file provider extension mechanism). That’s how sharing data between apps works on iOS. So if Obsidian can access DEVONthink To Go’s “virtual file system”, then you could give it a try.

AFAIK, Obsidian on iOS/iPadOS does not expose a method to open and browse Files. There might be a 3rd party plugin for Obsidian to do this, or a setting I’ve never explored, but I’m not looking. OTOH, one can browse DEVONthink files in Files, open one, then “share” it to Obsidian. This, of course, is a slog and I doubt it would spark joy in many users who demand full access to their DEVONthink database documents while using Obsidian on mobile devices.

(There’s always an easy way to access data, but the hard way is what generates conversation.)

2 Likes