Frequently asked questions

Yes — SepiaLog is free to use. It runs entirely on your own computer.

The interface is available in English, German and 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese), switchable in Settings → Language. We're expanding the translation coverage over time; any untranslated text falls back to English.

Yes — on the Start screen, click Try a demo project. SepiaLog creates a small synthetic dataset with example notes and metadata so you can explore every feature risk-free. Delete it whenever you like.

No. You download SepiaLog, install it like any other app, and double-click to open it. The app starts everything it needs on its own — there are no commands to type.

SepiaLog can answer questions about your dataset and write summaries, READMEs and data‑management plans using an AI model that runs entirely on your computer, via a free tool called Ollama. It's optional and not bundled — you choose whether to install it. Without it, SepiaLog still works fully (the assistant falls back to surfacing your own matching notes, and exports use plain templates).

1) Download Ollama from ollama.com/download and open it once — on macOS & Windows it then runs quietly in the background and starts automatically. 2) In SepiaLog open the Local AI screen, pick a model, and click Download model. SepiaLog fetches it for you — no commands needed.

Everything runs locally. Your datasets, notes, and the AI all stay on your machine — nothing is uploaded. The only time data leaves your computer is if you deliberately publish metadata to GitHub or a repository.

Your projects live in folders you choose — never inside the app. Notes, metadata, and full version history are kept in those folders. Updating the app only replaces the program, so your data and logs are never touched.

The desktop app checks for updates automatically when it starts and shows a “Restart & update” prompt when one is ready. You can also check any time in Settings.

No. Your data files stay exactly where you put them, as normal files you can open and edit at any time. SepiaLog keeps a hidden version history alongside them, but it never converts your files into read‑only or “locked” copies, and it never moves them out of your folder. This is true on Windows, macOS and Linux.

No. Version history, the timeline and "open the data as it was" are built into SepiaLog — they work the moment you install the app, on any operating system, with nothing to set up and without ever locking your files.

Advanced (optional): if you specifically want full Git/DataLad interoperability, you can install git, git‑annex and datalad from Settings → Advanced. Most people never need to.

Just SepiaLog itself. Journaling, version history, metadata, exports and the dashboard all work out of the box — no terminal, no extra installs. Two features have optional helpers you only install if you want them:

• Local AI (the assistant, summaries, smart suggestions): Ollama.
• Voice notes: whisper.cpp (free, runs locally).

(Power users can also connect Git/DataLad from Settings → Advanced, but it's optional.) SepiaLog detects each helper and shows simple setup steps inside the app — and your data files are never locked or moved.

Yes — there's a microphone button next to the note boxes. Speech is transcribed entirely on your computer using the free, open‑source whisper.cpp (nothing is uploaded). Install it once and download a small voice model from the in‑app Voice notes setup. It's optional.

Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, on 2 types of media, 1 off-site. SepiaLog includes a one-click backup that copies your whole project — data, notes and history — to a folder you choose.

macOS, Windows and Linux. You download the version for your system from the download page.

macOS shows a standard one‑time confirmation for any app downloaded from the internet, and it confirms the app is fine — it reads “Apple checked it for malicious software and none was detected.” Just drag SepiaLog into Applications, double‑click it, and click Open. macOS won’t ask again. SepiaLog is signed and notarized by Apple, so there’s no Terminal workaround to run.

SepiaLog installs from the Microsoft Store, which signs and updates the app automatically — so there are no security warnings. On the download page, click Get it on Microsoft Store.

After downloading, make it executable and run it: Or right‑click the file → Properties → Permissions → tick Allow executing file as program, then double‑click it.

They’re already gone. The macOS app is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, and Windows installs from the Microsoft Store — so there are no blocking security warnings. The only thing you’ll see is macOS’s standard one‑time “Open” confirmation for any downloaded app, which is completely normal.

SepiaLog is in open beta and freely available — no invite code needed. Download it here for Windows (via the Microsoft Store), macOS or Linux.