I’m interested in emacs / org-mode / org-roam. My goal is to have a local notes solution (replacing Obsidian, Apple Notes), and have the notes automatically published on the web as a crosslinked personal knowledge base. I have somewhat achieved this with Obsidian/markdown files + git + Hugo + Render. I write stuff. Check it into git. Push, and it deploys as a website. Feel pretty good about cobbling that together. But Obsidian/markdown is tough to replicate the cross-link nature & ease or use of a wiki, and it still doesn’t help out with Task, calendar, etc.

I’ve taken a couple swings at setting up Emacs… oof, but as a newbie to the ecosystem, but frankly its just been tough to plow through. Each guide/tutorial seems to have a whole different set of packages, settings, etc; then we get into Doom emacs, etc. I’ve got keyboard shortcuts printed out - but I still end up in weird jams where Emacs has opened up 3+ panes (buffers), and I can’t figure how to even close/quit them.

Truly, it reminds me of when I jumped head first in the Java ecosystem, trying to figure out (1) java, (2) intelliJ, (3) Spring boot. Too many simultaneous brain battles…

What I’m hoping to find is a “Zero to Functioning personal information system (notes, todo, contacts, calendar, kb)” guide. I suppose, written for a willing & motivated newb?

From reddit, online tutorials, walkthru videos - it SEEMS the pieces are out there. But I’m hoping to find the guy who figured this all out a year ago, documented a functional-but-opinionated stack / workflow, and I could follow that for awhile (as training wheels).

Can anyone suggest something like this? I’d be even be willing to pair up with someone and document/publish this, if it doesn’t exist.

I mentioned it on another Emacs HN thread: I’m convinced of the power of this stack, but I’m hoping someone does the “Unix —> NeXT -> MacOS”, and puts together the Easy Button of this.

For example, my brother is writing a book - he’s not super technical but can get around. I can tell that he would benefit from this system - but I can’t fairly recommend it, because hell - I haven’t been able to coherently get it to work, and doubting he would want to be modifying init files and all that.

Hoping this plea for Emacs help reaches a previously frustrated newbie who figured it out, who can help me out (and others). Thanks!