ObsidianQuickLaunch

Right-click menu integration to quickly open, or create and launch new vaults directly from Windows File Explorer

Overview

ObsidianQuickLaunch adds Windows Explorer context menu entries that allow you to quickly open any folder as an Obsidian vault. Right-click on a folder or within a folder and select "QuickLaunch Obsidian here" to instantly register and launch it in Obsidian.

Key Features:

• One-click vault creation and opening from Windows Explorer
• Preserves all currently open vaults and workspaces
• Automatic Obsidian installation detection
• Obsidian icon in context menu
• Template system with non-destructive vault initialization
• Template chooser dialog for selecting from available templates
• .md file association (opt-in) for opening markdown files in Obsidian
• Professional MSI installer with feature selection (Typical/Custom/Complete)

Quick Start

For complete installation and usage instructions, see User Documentation.

TL;DR:

1. Download and install ObsidianQuickLaunch-{version}.msi (requires Administrator)
2. Right-click any folder → "QuickLaunch Obsidian here"

Manual Installation:

1. Run .\src\scripts\install-context-menu.ps1 as Administrator
2. Right-click any folder → "QuickLaunch Obsidian here"

Repository Structure

ObsidianQuickLaunch/
├── src/scripts/          # Production PowerShell scripts
├── tools/
│   ├── build/            # Build scripts (build.bat, Build-Installer.ps1)
│   └── packaging/        # WiX build system and packaging module
├── tests/                # Development test scripts
├── notes/                # User documentation and project notes
├── .github/              # GitHub workflows and templates
└── README.md             # This file

Development

This project uses:

• PowerShell scripts for Windows integration
• WiX Toolset 3.x for MSI installer packaging
• Release-Please for automated versioning
• Conventional Commits for changelog generation
• GitHub Actions for CI/CD (planned)

Prerequisites

For Users:

• Windows 10/11
• Obsidian installed (any version)
• Administrator privileges (for installation)

For Developers:

• Windows 10/11
• PowerShell 5.1 or later
• WiX Toolset v3.14 (for building MSI installer)
• Git (for version control)

Building the Installer

See notes/BUILD.md for detailed build instructions.

Quick Build:

.\tools\build\build.bat rebuild

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Testing

Test scripts are located in /tests/ directory for development use.

Project Status

Current Version: See VERSION.md Phase 1: ✅ Complete - Core functionality and context menu integration Phase 2: ✅ Complete - Template system, template chooser, .md file association

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.

Documentation

• User Guide - Installation, usage, and troubleshooting
• TODO - Project roadmap
• CHANGELOG - Release history

License

MIT License - Copyright (c) 2025 Scott Kirvan

Contact

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• LinkedIn: Scott Kirvan
• Discord: cptvideo

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Project Link: github.com/ScottKirvan/ObsidianQuickLaunch