# Local Data Persistence

[Handbook](README.md) · [Workspaces](workspaces.md) · [Containers](CONTAINERIZATION.md)

DeepTutor's default installation does not require PostgreSQL, MySQL, or another
database server. Durable state is written below one runtime-home directory, so
a deployment has one tree to mount, inspect, and back up. Some state is stored
in SQLite, while settings, generated artifacts, knowledge-base indexes, caches,
and imported source files remain ordinary files.

## Where Data Lives

The runtime home is the directory from which you start DeepTutor. Set
`DEEPTUTOR_HOME` or pass `deeptutor start --home` / `deeptutor init --home` to
choose another directory. In the published container, the same tree is mounted
at `/app/data`.

The default admin scope uses this layout:

| Path | Contents |
| --- | --- |
| `data/user/settings/` | JSON/YAML settings and provider credentials |
| `data/user/chat_history.db` | SQLite sessions, messages, turns, question-bank entries, and practice data |
| `data/user/.runtime/` | Private runtime state such as `workspaces.sqlite3` |
| `data/user/workspace/` | Default Content Workspace and generated artifacts |
| `data/user/workspace/notebook/` | Favorite collections and their index as JSON files (legacy directory name) |
| `data/user/workspace/co-writer/documents/doc_<id>/manifest.json` | Authored note pages, blocks, revisions, and page metadata |
| `data/user/logs/` | Application logs |
| `data/knowledge_bases/` | Knowledge-base indexes and versioned source data |
| `data/parse_cache/` | Shared document-parse cache |
| `data/users/<user-id>/` | Per-user workspace roots when local multi-user auth is enabled |
| `data/partners/<partner-id>/` | Synthetic Partner workspaces |
| `data/system/` | Accounts, grants, audit records, indexes, and owner credentials |

A selected Content Workspace can be outside `data/user`. In that case its
private learning state is under `<workspace>/.deeptutor/data/`, while account
settings, credentials, Memory, and workspace registrations remain in the
runtime home. Run `deeptutor workspace show` to print the selected workspace
path.

Favorites and authored notes are separate stores. The legacy `notebook_entries`
SQLite table holds question-bank entries; it is not the storage for authored
note blocks or favorite collections. In a selected external workspace, those
file-based stores live under its private `.deeptutor/data/workspace/` tree,
using the same `notebook/` and `co-writer/documents/` subdirectories. Back up
the full workspace, including hidden `.deeptutor` files, to preserve both the
learning records and the note/favorite content.

## Database Support

SQLite is the supported local backend. There is no supported PostgreSQL or
MySQL connection setting; setting `DATABASE_URL` or a similar environment
variable does not redirect DeepTutor storage.

PocketBase is an optional integration configured through
`data/user/settings/integrations.json`. It stores supported session collections
in PocketBase, but it is not a PostgreSQL adapter and does not move all runtime
state into PocketBase. Settings, credentials, knowledge-base indexes, parse
caches, logs, and workspace artifacts remain in the runtime tree. Current
PocketBase mode is single-user; leave `integrations.pocketbase_url` blank for
the supported local multi-user JSON/SQLite layout.

## Inspecting and Backing Up State

From your runtime home, after DeepTutor has created data, list the SQLite
databases in the private runtime tree:

```bash
find data -type f \( -name '*.db' -o -name '*.sqlite3' \) -print
```

For a selected external Content Workspace, inspect its private database files:

```bash
workspace="$(deeptutor workspace show | sed -n 's/^Path: //p')"
if [ -d "$workspace/.deeptutor/data" ]; then
  find "$workspace/.deeptutor/data" -type f \
    \( -name '*.db' -o -name '*.sqlite3' \) -print
fi
```

Stop DeepTutor and any Partner processes before copying `data` or a workspace.
SQLite may have live write-ahead log files, so copying only `.db` files while
the app runs can lose recent transactions. Back up the complete runtime-home
`data` directory plus each separately configured Content Workspace. Treat every
copy as sensitive because it can contain credentials, private conversation
text, and uploaded learning material.

## Implementation and verification

- [deeptutor/runtime/home.py](../deeptutor/runtime/home.py)
- [deeptutor/services/path_service.py](../deeptutor/services/path_service.py)
- [deeptutor/services/workspace/context.py](../deeptutor/services/workspace/context.py)