Personal Journaling with Text Files: Self-Host Git or Use GitHub?

Question

I keep a journal with Obsidian.md, it's a folder of [[linked]] markdown files.I'm considering self-hosting a git server such as such as github.com/charmbracelet/soft-serve for it, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.I'm wondering what the security risks are of self-hosting a Git server for this, and if it's more risky to use something like a private GitHub repo instead.If I do decide to self-host, I'm planning to use an old laptop and only whitelist my IP addresses.Thanks in advance for any insights!Update: main goals are syncing the journal between devices, and privacy. Unsure on trusting github for privacy.

pythonhacker69 · Accepted Answer

If privacy is a main goal, you generally can't get any more private than self-hosting. Do you plan on syncing while away from your home network? That would complicate things greatly simply due to the fact that you'd need to expose your self-hosted git instance to the Internet.
If you're fine with only syncing on your home network, using your old laptop, I don't really see any real security risks.
If you don't want to expose git directly, you can always expose a VPN server (wireguard?) to the Internet. This is the strategy I use. Then you can VPN into your home network anywhere you have an Internet connection, while still remaining relatively secure.

daydream · Answer

What is your goal? Are you trying to self-host to publicly share your journal?