How to keep a private journal in plain Markdown files

A private journal needs two different protections: control over where entries are stored and a recovery plan if the device fails. Keeping entries only on a laptop may reduce network exposure, but it is not enough if one damaged disk can erase years of writing.

Octarine stores notes as Markdown files in a workspace folder selected by you. You can keep that folder only on the device, place it in an encrypted volume, or sync it through a service you choose. Octarine does not require the journal to be copied into a proprietary cloud account.

Set up the journal as a normal folder

Create a new Octarine workspace in a location you understand. If you already have Markdown journal entries, choose Open existing workspace and point Octarine at their folder. Opening a workspace does not move or rename its contents.

For dated writing, use Daily Desk. It gives daily notes a repeatable path while keeping each entry as a Markdown file. A simple journal does not need an elaborate taxonomy. A date, a title when one helps, and a small number of meaningful tags are usually enough.

You can also use Quick Capture or the Inbox for thoughts that arrive before you are ready to write an entry. Review those fragments later and move only the ones worth keeping into the journal.

Understand what “private” covers

Core note-taking works offline. Octarine does not upload the contents of your notes to its servers. Your workspace search and retrieval index stay on the device. Those boundaries cover ordinary writing, linking, browsing, and search.

They do not mean the app never uses the network. Octarine can connect for update and changelog checks, an anonymous install count, and license activation. Three features deserve closer attention because you control whether note content crosses the device boundary:

1. File sync. If the workspace lives in iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or another synchronized folder, that provider receives the files according to its own service and encryption model.
2. Public sharing. Publishing a note is an explicit request to put that selected content online. Do not use sharing for a private journal entry.
3. AI. AI features are optional. With a cloud model, prompts and the selected context are sent to the provider you configure. With a supported local model, inference can stay on the device.

Local-first does not mean air-gapped. Decide which optional services fit the sensitivity of the journal.

Back up the complete workspace

The Markdown files are the most important part, but a complete Octarine backup should include the entire workspace folder, including hidden folders such as .octarine, .attachments, .files, and .templates. Those folders can hold workspace configuration and supporting assets. The storing data documentation lists the relevant locations and distinguishes workspace data from rebuildable on-device indexes.

There are several reasonable backup strategies:

• Use an encrypted local backup tool that copies the workspace to another disk.
• Put the workspace in a synced folder, accepting that provider’s privacy model.
• Use Octarine’s Git Sync to keep a version history in a repository you control.
• Combine one local backup with one off-device copy so a lost or damaged computer is not a single point of failure.

Test recovery at least once. Copy the backed-up workspace to a temporary folder and open it in Octarine. Also open several entries with a plain text editor. A backup you have never restored is an assumption, not a plan.

Add device-level protection

Plain Markdown is portable; it is not encrypted merely because it is plain text. Anyone who can read the device or backup can potentially read the journal. Use the operating system’s full-disk encryption, a strong login password, and an encrypted backup destination. Lock the computer when it is unattended.

If you share the device with other people, consider a separate operating-system account or an encrypted container. Octarine does not claim to provide a second password or per-note encryption layer, so device and filesystem controls remain important.

What happens if you stop using Octarine

Uninstalling Octarine does not automatically delete the workspace. The entries remain Markdown files and can be read by another editor. This is the main reason to prefer an ordinary folder for long-lived personal writing: access to the journal does not depend on an active subscription, a server export, or the continued existence of one app.

Before settling on the workflow, create a week of sample entries, attach a file, make a backup, and restore the copy. Keep the setup only when you can identify where every entry is stored and recover it without relying on a marketing label.