Data and backups

Where your data lives

Tickoff stores tasks, projects, Daily Goals definitions, recorded daily progress and display options locally in:

~/.hello_gui/tasks.db

The folder is created on first launch. The name is retained from the earlier Rust app. There is no account, cloud sync or built-in backup/export command.

In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G) and enter:

~/.hello_gui/

The database contains your task titles and notes. Treat it and any copies as private data; do not attach them to public bug reports.

Make a safe backup

1. Quit Tickoff with Command-Q. Close any other Tickoff instances, older Rust builds, or database tools using the same folder.
2. In Finder, open ~/.hello_gui/.
3. Copy the entire folder, rather than moving it, into a dated backup location outside the original folder.
4. Verify the copy contains tasks.db. If present, keep tasks.db-wal, tasks.db-shm and tasks.db-journal with the same copy.
5. Reopen Tickoff after the copy finishes.

Do not copy a live database

SQLite may use journal or write-ahead-log (WAL) sidecar files. Copying only tasks.db while an app is writing can miss recent changes or produce an inconsistent backup. Do not delete sidecars to make a backup look cleaner. Quit every process using the database before copying the folder.

The current app does not force a particular journal mode; an existing database may retain settings from earlier tools or versions. A folder-level, app-closed backup avoids relying on the absence of sidecars.

Restore a backup

Restoring replaces all current data

A restore is not a merge. It replaces tasks, projects, daily progress and settings with the saved copy. Make a separate backup of your current folder first.

1. Quit every Tickoff instance and any tool using its database.
2. Make a dated copy of the current ~/.hello_gui/ folder.
3. Move the current folder aside so it remains available for recovery.
4. Copy the complete backed-up folder into your home directory and name it .hello_gui. Confirm that tasks.db is directly inside it, not in an extra nested folder.
5. Keep sidecars from the backup with that backup; never mix them with sidecars from the current database.
6. Open Tickoff and check the restored tasks and projects.

The app opens the current local day for Daily Goals. Earlier restored progress remains stored, but only Today is displayed.

Start fresh without destroying your backup

Quit all database users, make a backup, then move ~/.hello_gui/ to a safe location outside its original path. On the next normal launch, Tickoff creates a new folder and empty database with Inbox.

Do not delete your old copy until you are certain you no longer need it.

Upgrading from an older version

The Swift app uses the same database location as the Rust-era app. Existing tasks are adopted; adding Projects places older tasks into Inbox, and existing projects remain Tasks projects when Daily Goals support is added.

Updates preserve existing data when adding support for newer features. Still, back up before updating, and do not assume an older app understands newer features or can safely edit them. Prefer the current app for your current data.

See Troubleshooting if the app reports a database error.