常见问题解答

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.

高级（可选）：如果您特别希望获得完整的 Git/DataLad 互操作性，您可以从 设置 → 高级 安装 git、git-annex 和 datalad。大多数人永远不需要。

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:

• 本地 AI（助手、摘要、智能建议）：Ollama。
• 语音笔记：whisper.cpp（免费，本地运行）。

(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 会对任何从网上下载的应用显示一次性确认提示，而且它确认应用是安全的——提示写道“Apple 已检查其是否含有恶意软件，未发现任何问题”。只需将 SepiaLog 拖入“应用程序”文件夹，双击它，并在首次打开时点击“打开”。之后 macOS 不会再询问。SepiaLog 已由 Apple 签名并公证，无需在终端运行任何命令。

SepiaLog 通过 Microsoft Store 安装，商店会自动签名并更新应用——因此不会出现任何安全警告。在下载页面点击 Get it on Microsoft Store 即可。

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.

已经消失了。macOS 应用已使用 Apple Developer ID 签名并经 Apple 公证，Windows 通过 Microsoft Store 安装——因此不再有任何阻断性的安全警告。你只会看到 macOS 对任何下载应用显示的标准一次性“打开”确认，这完全正常。

SepiaLog 处于公开测试阶段并免费提供 — 无需邀请码。在此下载，支持 Windows（通过 Microsoft Store）、macOS 或 Linux。