Yeah, I initially faced similar challenges. I attempted to set up an image server (Chevereto) on my NAS and use frp to expose it, but it wasn’t entirely stable, still requiring internet access.
I settled on the following structure:
Typora/Physics
- Physics.md
- Quantum.md
- assets/Physics.assets
- assets/Quantum.assets
I placed all the images/attachments referenced in Physics.md into assets/Physics.assets (Typora has this feature to specify where to store images/attachments).
When moving the Markdown file, a simple bash script or manual relocation (moving physics.md and assets/physics.assets) suffices. Each attachment folder corresponds to a folder with the same name—simple and doesn’t lock your data within one OS (like Devon) or within a specific server (like Notion).
However, it comes at the cost of losing some advanced functionality provided by Devon or Notion, making it a tradeoff.
I suggest foregoing fancy functions; a combination of folders, Markdown, and attachments covers most tasks. Searching and tagging can still be achieved with a simple Python script. Within Mac, I continue to use Devon to index (without placing files inside its database; it renames files and organizes them into folders with random string names).
Again, it’s a tradeoff and a solution for Windows/Linux users. If you are a Mac user, and uses mostly only one Mac, DevonThink is very powerful.