Set up a complete Obsidian plugin development environment with TypeScript, esbuild, and hot-reload capabilities.
set -euo pipefail
# Clone official sample plugin
git clone https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-sample-plugin.git my-obsidian-plugin
cd my-obsidian-plugin
# Remove existing git history for fresh start
rm -rf .git
git init
set -euo pipefail
# Install all dependencies
npm install
# Key dependencies included:
# - @types/node
# - typescript
# - esbuild
# - obsidian (types only - provided by Obsidian app)
# Create a dedicated development vault
mkdir -p ~/ObsidianDev/.obsidian/plugins/my-obsidian-plugin
# Link your plugin for development
# On macOS/Linux:
ln -s "$(pwd)" ~/ObsidianDev/.obsidian/plugins/my-obsidian-plugin
# On Windows (run as admin):
# mklink /D "%USERPROFILE%\ObsidianDev\.obsidian\plugins\my-obsidian-plugin" "%CD%"
{
"id": "my-obsidian-plugin",
"name": "My Obsidian Plugin",
"version": "1.0.0",
"minAppVersion": "1.0.0",
"description": "Description of your plugin",
"author": "Your Name",
"authorUrl": "https://your-website.com",
"isDesktopOnly": false
}
set -euo pipefail
# Build the plugin
npm run build
# Start development mode with hot-reload
npm run dev
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot find module 'obsidian' | Types not installed | Run npm install again |
| Plugin not showing in Obsidian | Symlink broken | Verify symlink path, restart Obsidian |
| Build failed | TypeScript errors | Check tsconfig.json configuration |
| Hot-reload not working | Missing BRAT or wrong path | Install BRAT plugin or verify symlink |
| Permission denied | Symlink requires admin | Run terminal as administrator |
my-obsidian-plugin/
├── src/
│ └── main.ts # Plugin entry point
├── styles.css # Optional: Plugin styles
├── manifest.json # Plugin metadata
├── package.json # Node dependencies
├── tsconfig.json # TypeScript config
├── esbuild.config.mjs # Build configuration
└── versions.json # Version compatibility
import { Plugin } from 'obsidian';
export default class MyPlugin extends Plugin {
async onload() {
console.log('Loading My Plugin');
}
onunload() {
console.log('Unloading My Plugin');
}
}
After successful setup, proceed to obsidian-hello-world for your first plugin feature.