Vault backups and Git version control

Because Oyma saves all data as plain Markdown files in a folder you control on your Mac, you have absolute freedom to choose your backup and version control strategy. There are zero proprietary database files or cloud silos.

1. Apple Time Machine backups

The simplest automated backup solution on macOS is Apple Time Machine:

1. Connect an external APFS storage drive or configure a network backup target.
2. In System Settings › General › Time Machine, add your backup destination.
3. Time Machine automatically creates hourly snapshots of your vault, allowing you to restore accidental note deletions or revert edits via macOS’s native version browser.

2. Version control with Git

For engineering teams and technical writers, Git provides full commit history, branching, and cryptographic auditability:

Initializing a vault repository

Open Terminal and navigate to your vault folder:

cd ~/Documents/my-notes-vault
git init

Recommended .gitignore

Create a .gitignore file to exclude temporary system files and large audio caches:

.DS_Store
*.tmp
.obsidian/workspace.json
attachments/temp-audio/

Automated commit script

Automate daily commits with a simple shell script or launchd timer:

#!/bin/bash
cd ~/Documents/my-notes-vault || exit
git add -A
git commit -m "Vault backup: $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')"

3. Offsite backup with encrypted rsync

Mirror your vault to a secondary local drive or personal NAS using rsync:

rsync -avz --delete ~/Documents/my-notes-vault/ /Volumes/SecureBackup/vault/

Related guides

• Prepare your vault in Prepare an Obsidian vault.
• Export archives in Exporting notes to PDF and DOCX.
• Verify privacy in Local-only mode.