Data, Attachments & Backups

Eidos Lite is built on a strict local-first architecture. Opening a Space simply opens an ordinary folder on your computer. All edits are saved directly to local files on your drive.

Local use requires no account registration, and your data is never silently uploaded to the cloud.

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1. Where Is Your Data Stored?

.eidos Files (Structured Documents)

An .eidos file stores your tables, fields, records, formulas, and view definitions. It is a completely self-contained file that you can copy, rename, or transfer just like any standard document.

Attachments & Images

To prevent large binary files from inflating databases and causing lag, attachments are handled cleanly alongside documents:

• Files & Media Attachments: PDFs, photos, and videos added to tables are stored as standalone files within your Space directory. The .eidos database only holds clean relative paths pointing to them.
• Images Pasted into Markdown: When pasting an image into a .md note in Eidos Lite, the file is automatically saved into an assets/ subfolder next to your document (e.g. assets/image.png), with standard relative links inserted into the text. This ensures your notes remain 100% portable and render perfectly in any other external Markdown editor.

Golden Rule for Moving & Sharing

If your workspace contains images or attachments, always move or copy the entire Space folder rather than just a lone .eidos file to ensure all relative paths remain intact.

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2. Safely Backing Up Your Space

Because a Space is an ordinary folder on your hard drive, backing it up is straightforward:

1. Ensure recent edits are complete.
2. In your file manager (macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer), right-click and copy your entire Space folder.
3. Paste the copy onto an external SSD, USB drive, NAS, or your operating system’s automatic backup destination (like macOS Time Machine).
4. Periodically backing up your Space ensures peace of mind against accidental deletion or hardware failure.

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3. Versions vs Sync vs Physical Backups

Users often wonder about the distinction between these three tools:

Tool	Purpose	Can It Replace Physical Backups?
Local Versions	Preserves historical snapshots on your machine, letting you travel back in time.	No. Versions live on the exact same drive as your active files; drive failure will impact both.
Cloud Sync	Automatically mirrors changes across multiple computers (e.g. laptop and desktop).	No. Sync replicates deletions and unwanted edits in real time.
Physical Backup	Copies the whole Space onto an isolated secondary drive or storage medium.	The Ultimate Safeguard. This is your only true defense against computer loss or hardware disaster.

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4. Avoiding Multi-App Lock Conflicts

.eidos files use standard filesystem locking to protect data integrity. Avoid opening and writing to the same .eidos file in two different applications (e.g. two separate windows or external SQLite editors) at the exact same moment. If Eidos Lite alerts you that a file is in use or locked, simply close other programs and re-open the document.