4 ms·

Org-mode has been nice the few times I've tried it, but without decent mobile support or multi-master syncing, it's hard to adopt it as my main productivity too

Org-mode has been nice the few times I've tried it, but without decent mobile support or multi-master syncing, it's hard to adopt it as my main productivity tool. I've tried a few mobile org-mode clients and been universally disappointed. I'm increasingly convinced that the right path forward is to give Emacs an Android port (it's not that hard) and let the mobile org just be the mainline org, perhaps with a layer of android.view.View widgets (orchestrated from lisp) as an interface.

calpaterson 9y ago
I use dropbox for multi-master syncing. Seems to work ok. Emacs even has some file locking stuff that seems to help prevent me from clobbering changes I've made on another machine
- akkartik 9y ago
  You mean you're modifying files stored in Dropbox from your phone? What sort of editor setup do you use?
  - calpaterson 9y ago
    Sorry no - I mean between desktop machines. There are a few different android apps for the phone (I think they are Dropbox based) though I don't use any.
secstate 9y ago
Check out orgzly: http://www.orgzly.com/ http://www.orgzly.com/
- Spivak 9y ago
  As a user of Orgzly it's fine for basic notes and task management but you hit the limits of what it can do fairly early. It's a small partial Java implementation of the Org file format.
  - kqr 9y ago
    I think you're being slightly unfair. Of course it doesn't compare to full Emacs Org. Nothing does. But if you (like me) keep your life in Org and would forget to eat without it but sometimes have only your Android device, Orgzly has picked a highly efficient 1% subset. The dev is responsive and moves very fast too -- if you tried it more than a few months ago, you should give it another try. I would not be where I am without Orgzly. Yes, I wish it was more complete. But given the very limited manpower behind it, it is excellent. It's also better than any other similar app I've tried, even non-Org ones. So it's the best note-taking/todo/planner app for Android, and then the fact that it uses Org files behind the scenes is just a great bonus.
qdot76367 9y ago
For iOS (which I realize isn't answering the parent but just putting this out there), there's now beorg, which is pretty good. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1238649962 https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1238649962
eadmund 9y ago
> without decent mobile support or multi-master syncing, it's hard to adopt it as my main productivity tool. I find that for a true productivity tool, I'm fine relying on my desktop & laptop. I'm actually dialling back what I use my phone for, simply because I can't trust either of the major mobile OSes to respect me & my privacy. It would be awesome to have all of org available on a phone though; you're not wrong at all there. I would kill for an emacs which makes sense on mobile, but I've not given enough thought to it to imagine what would make sense. Emacs without the key chords would be still powerful but also odd.
- _emacsomancer_ 9y ago
  On Android, Termux [https://termux.com/ https://termux.com/] gives you access to Emacs; and it enables using the volume buttons a bit like modifier keys.
  - dredmorbius 9y ago
    Termux is, hands down, the best thing to happen to Android. It's still pretty problematic and incomplete as a productive shell tool. Android will kill applications pretty indiscriminately, so your Termux session persistence isn't good. Terminal performance is poor, especially on scrollback, for some reason. I've bumped into numerous SSH issues. My general preference would be for a hybrid tablet/laptop system, running Linux, rather than Android (or iOS). We may eventually get there. The other thing tablet formats are good for is reading electronic document formats, with an 8" or better tablet size. Though a large eInk device might be better there (again, ideally with shell capabilities).
    - _emacsomancer_ 9y ago
      Termux of course is not the same as using a regular terminal on desktop Linux, but it's pretty damn good. I've had pretty good luck with SSH on Termux - it's great to be able to transfer things from my computer to my phone via rsync (I have some apps which do SAMBA, but they tend to be flaky; likewise physically plugging the phone in and transferring with adb isn't very convenient).
omaranto 9y ago
I've been pretty happy with Orgzly on Android, but that's probably because I don't want that much from it. I don't really like typing more than a sentence or two at a time on a phone, so I never expected to do any serious editing of Org mode files on a phone. What I do want, and feel Orgzly adequately provides, is the ability to read my Org files, mark things as DONE or put check marks in checklists, and capture one sentence notes that I later fill out and refile, once I'm sitting in front of a real keyboard.
JoshMnem 9y ago
I don't think phones are good for note-taking. There's even evidence that they may harm cognitive functioning.[1] It seems like it would be more productive to carry around a small pad of paper and transfer the paper notes to Org Mode later. [1] https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your...

calpaterson 9y ago

I use dropbox for multi-master syncing. Seems to work ok. Emacs even has some file locking stuff that seems to help prevent me from clobbering changes I've made on another machine

akkartik 9y ago
You mean you're modifying files stored in Dropbox from your phone? What sort of editor setup do you use?
- calpaterson 9y ago
  Sorry no - I mean between desktop machines. There are a few different android apps for the phone (I think they are Dropbox based) though I don't use any.

secstate 9y ago

Check out orgzly: http://www.orgzly.com/ http://www.orgzly.com/

Spivak 9y ago
As a user of Orgzly it's fine for basic notes and task management but you hit the limits of what it can do fairly early. It's a small partial Java implementation of the Org file format.
- kqr 9y ago
  I think you're being slightly unfair. Of course it doesn't compare to full Emacs Org. Nothing does. But if you (like me) keep your life in Org and would forget to eat without it but sometimes have only your Android device, Orgzly has picked a highly efficient 1% subset. The dev is responsive and moves very fast too -- if you tried it more than a few months ago, you should give it another try. I would not be where I am without Orgzly. Yes, I wish it was more complete. But given the very limited manpower behind it, it is excellent. It's also better than any other similar app I've tried, even non-Org ones. So it's the best note-taking/todo/planner app for Android, and then the fact that it uses Org files behind the scenes is just a great bonus.

qdot76367 9y ago

For iOS (which I realize isn't answering the parent but just putting this out there), there's now beorg, which is pretty good. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1238649962 https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1238649962

eadmund 9y ago

> without decent mobile support or multi-master syncing, it's hard to adopt it as my main productivity tool. I find that for a true productivity tool, I'm fine relying on my desktop & laptop. I'm actually dialling back what I use my phone for, simply because I can't trust either of the major mobile OSes to respect me & my privacy. It would be awesome to have all of org available on a phone though; you're not wrong at all there. I would kill for an emacs which makes sense on mobile, but I've not given enough thought to it to imagine what would make sense. Emacs without the key chords would be still powerful but also odd.

_emacsomancer_ 9y ago
On Android, Termux [https://termux.com/ https://termux.com/] gives you access to Emacs; and it enables using the volume buttons a bit like modifier keys.
- dredmorbius 9y ago
  Termux is, hands down, the best thing to happen to Android. It's still pretty problematic and incomplete as a productive shell tool. Android will kill applications pretty indiscriminately, so your Termux session persistence isn't good. Terminal performance is poor, especially on scrollback, for some reason. I've bumped into numerous SSH issues. My general preference would be for a hybrid tablet/laptop system, running Linux, rather than Android (or iOS). We may eventually get there. The other thing tablet formats are good for is reading electronic document formats, with an 8" or better tablet size. Though a large eInk device might be better there (again, ideally with shell capabilities).
  - _emacsomancer_ 9y ago
    Termux of course is not the same as using a regular terminal on desktop Linux, but it's pretty damn good. I've had pretty good luck with SSH on Termux - it's great to be able to transfer things from my computer to my phone via rsync (I have some apps which do SAMBA, but they tend to be flaky; likewise physically plugging the phone in and transferring with adb isn't very convenient).

omaranto 9y ago

I've been pretty happy with Orgzly on Android, but that's probably because I don't want that much from it. I don't really like typing more than a sentence or two at a time on a phone, so I never expected to do any serious editing of Org mode files on a phone. What I do want, and feel Orgzly adequately provides, is the ability to read my Org files, mark things as DONE or put check marks in checklists, and capture one sentence notes that I later fill out and refile, once I'm sitting in front of a real keyboard.

JoshMnem 9y ago

I don't think phones are good for note-taking. There's even evidence that they may harm cognitive functioning.[1] It seems like it would be more productive to carry around a small pad of paper and transfer the paper notes to Org Mode later. [1] https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your...