Fast Setup (Simple Fetch)

Fast Setup is a streamlined, user-friendly data retrieval and initialisation flow designed to simplify setting up secondary devices or recovering databases.

Instead of guiding the user through the detailed multi-step setup wizard dialogues, Fast Setup prompts the user with high-level sync decisions and automates database download and local storage scanning in one continuous process.

How It Works

When you import a Setup URI on a secondary device, or when a Fetch All operation is triggered (such as by placing a redflag3.md / flag_fetch.md flag file at the root of the vault), the plug-in schedules remote data retrieval.

On the next startup, the plug-in boots in scheduled fetch mode and opens a simplified dialogue: "Data retrieval scheduled".

Technical Characteristics

Fast Setup leverages several backend optimisations to make the retrieval fast, safe, and clean:

Stream-based Replication for Speed
- It fetches all remote metadata via stream reception, which is significantly faster than traditional chunk-by-chunk retrieval.
Delayed File Reflection to Prevent Corrupted Warnings
- By suspending file reflection during the download phase, it prevents the plug-in from raising temporary or false "corrupted data synchronisation" or "size mismatch" warnings that can occur during the chunk download process.
Time-Based Comparison is Generally Sufficient
- Since the vault is entering a fresh synchronisation or recovery state, comparing files based on their modification timestamps (newer-wins) is highly reliable and sufficient to reconcile files without needing complex manual conflict resolution.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Choose Data Processing Method

You will be prompted to choose how the retrieved remote data will interact with your existing local files:

Compare time and take newer (newer-wins)
- Compares the modified time of files and accepts the newer version.
- Recommended if: You have been using Self-hosted LiveSync and have made changes on multiple devices that you want to merge.
Overwrite all with remote files (remote-wins)
- Remote data is treated as the source of truth.
- Recommended if: You are setting up a brand new device with an empty or clean vault.
- Warning: This will overwrite local files with remote files. Please ensure you have a backup of your local vault before proceeding.
Use the detailed flow (legacy)
- Switches back to the detailed, traditional setup wizard dialogues.
- Recommended if: You want full control over the step-by-step database setup options.

Step 2: Configure Conflict & Deletion Rules

Depending on your choice in Step 1, you will configure how to handle mismatches:

If you chose "Compare time and take newer":

Delete local files if they were deleted on remote
- Keeps your local vault clean by removing files that have already been deleted on other devices.
Recreate remote files even if they were deleted on remote
- Preserves local files and uploads them back to the remote database, even if they were deleted on other devices.

If you chose "Overwrite all with remote files":

Delete local files if not on remote
- Removes local-only files so that your local vault matches the remote database exactly.
Keep local files even if not on remote
- Retains all existing local-only files, although this may result in duplicates that you will need to clean up manually after synchronisation.

Step 3: Automated Synchronisation

Once you confirm your choices:

The plug-in performs a fast download of the remote database (fetchLocalDBFast).
It automatically runs a full scan (synchroniseAllFilesBetweenDBandStorage) in the foreground to reflect database changes in your local vault files immediately.
The plug-in finalises the process and resumes normal operational status.

If Fast Setup Stops

Fast Setup records the last successfully stored remote position as it saves documents. A transient connection interruption is retried automatically from that position. The operation reports completion only after the captured remote state has been stored successfully.

If an error while decrypting data, reading the remote response, or writing to the local database stops the operation, LiveSync does not run the Vault scan or finalise the reconstructed local database. It retains the saved position and the fetch flag. Any valid stored choices remain available for confirmation on restart. File watching and database reflection also remain suspended so that a partly reconstructed database cannot be applied to the Vault or combined with new local changes.

Review the first specific error in Show log, correct its cause, then restart Obsidian to retry from the retained state. While you intend to continue the operation, do not remove the fetch flag or manually resume the Scram switches. If the same error remains after a restart, leave LiveSync suspended, preserve the available data, and collect a report.

Remembered choices in the fetch flag

Fast Setup stores its choices in a json code block inside flag_fetch.md (or redflag3.md when that is the only fetch flag). The file remains Markdown and can be opened and edited in Obsidian. Explanatory text outside the state block is preserved when the choices are updated. The entire flag file is temporary: it is removed when the operation completes or is cancelled.

After an interruption, a restart shows the current remote and the saved choices. We can continue with those choices, choose again, or cancel the scheduled Fetch. Saved choices are never applied without confirmation, even when the previous Fetch completed but its flag could not be removed.

Starting a new Join or scheduling another Fetch replaces flag_fetch.md with an empty flag and asks for new choices. If both filenames exist, flag_fetch.md takes precedence, including when it is empty; completion removes both aliases.

The generated block has type: "livesync-fast-setup", version: 1, and the two stable English choice values (stage1 and stage2). It stores no connection credentials. Only recognised combinations of the existing choices are accepted. The confirmation applies the choices to the currently selected remote, including after changing P2P connection settings.

An empty flag starts the normal choice dialogues. If a non-empty flag has no readable supported selection, the plug-in asks whether to choose new options and continue. This includes malformed JSON, unsupported versions, duplicate state blocks, and incomplete Markdown fences. Continuing leaves the file contents unchanged and uses the new choices only for that attempt. Another restart asks again; the plug-in does not repair the Markdown or append a replacement block. Completing or cancelling the Fetch removes the entire flag, including any explanatory text.

A storage read or write failure stops the operation; it is not treated as an empty flag. If flag deletion fails at the end, file watching and database reflection remain suspended until the failure is resolved. A remaining flag will ask for confirmation again on restart.

Older versions stored choices separately in device-local storage. Those values are no longer reused because they may have survived a completed Fetch. After updating during an interrupted operation, confirm the choices once more. This change does not itself remove downloaded data or the Fast Fetch checkpoint.

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