#Usage

This page helps you choose the right starting path. Aino LifeOS can open the example vault, an empty folder, an existing Markdown vault, or an Obsidian LifeOS vault. Do not start by changing many settings. Pick the path that matches your situation and make it work first.

#Which path should I choose?

#Choose an example vault

After extracting the complete LifeOS Pro package, open its Example Vault folder. It contains exactly five filled examples, from easiest to hardest: LifeOS Pro Memos Vault, LifeOS Pro IPO Vault, LifeOS Pro GTD Vault, LifeOS Pro PARA Vault, and OPC LifeOS Vault.

Each filled example has a matching Blank Vault beside it. Use the filled vault to learn, then use the blank one—with settings, folder skeletons, templates, and essential query pages only—as your own main vault. Detailed walkthroughs live in Example Vaults.

#Decide in 30 seconds

Stop at the first statement that matches:

1. You only need a daily bullet-and-task habit -> Memos.
2. You want the fewest categories needed to turn sources into useful output -> IPO.
3. Tasks, next actions, and waiting-for items are the main pain -> GTD.
4. Projects, ongoing responsibilities, and reference knowledge all need a home -> PARA.
5. Products, customers, revenue, and delivery need one operating system -> OPC.

This is the recommended order from easiest to hardest, not a feature ranking or a mandatory migration path. Choose the simplest template that removes today's bottleneck; skip directly to a later template when the need is already clear.

#How templates flow

Difficulty: Memos ──> IPO ──> GTD ──> PARA ──> OPC
Upgrades:   Memos may jump directly to IPO / GTD / PARA as needed
            IPO / GTD / PARA conversions need reviewed reclassification

Keep the periodic-note folder and every old daily note when Memos grows into IPO, GTD, or PARA; add only the target structure. IPO, GTD, and PARA conversions require each item's meaning to be reconsidered. OPC usually starts in its Blank Vault and receives selected material. Templates are not one-click skins, and a Blank Vault's .lifeos/settings.json must never overwrite working settings. See Upgrade from Memos.

#Let an agent run the migration

After installing the LifeOS Skill, ask:

Migrate this vault from Memos to PARA. Move only historical material that is useful now.
Show the folder and settings-field diff first. Do not overwrite settings or move files yet.

The agent first records whether the scope is new content only, selected history, or full history. It creates a resumable migration record, adds the target structure, merges only confirmed settings fields, and classifies material in reviewed batches. Periodic-note paths and custom templates remain unchanged by default, and secret activation, calendar, or AI fields are never shown in the diff. Linked, shared-attachment, ambiguous, or colliding files remain in place. The profile manifest changes only after entry points, task queries, and links have been verified.

#LifeOS Pro PARA Vault

Open the illustrated PARA walkthrough.

Recommended for new users who already need to manage real projects, ongoing responsibilities, and reference knowledge.

PARA organizes notes into projects, areas, resources, and archives. It is the easiest way to learn the basic LifeOS workflow: capture daily records, connect tasks to projects, and review regularly.

LifeOS Pro PARA Vault/
├── -1. Capture/
├── 0. PeriodicNotes/
├── 1. Projects/
├── 2. Areas/
├── 3. Resources/
├── 4. Archives/
└── 5. Express/

#LifeOS Pro IPO Vault

Open the illustrated IPO walkthrough.

Best for users who already understand input, topic, and output workflows.

IPO works more like a knowledge production pipeline: collect inputs, process them around topics, and turn them into outputs. If PARA feels too structured at first, try IPO after you understand the basic LifeOS concepts.

LifeOS Pro IPO Vault/
├── 0. PeriodicNotes/
├── 1. Input/
├── 2. Themes/
└── 3. Output/

#LifeOS Pro GTD Vault

Open the illustrated GTD walkthrough.

Best for users who want the execution system to work first.

The GTD vault keeps the project concept, but separates execution into inbox, next actions, waiting-for items, someday/maybe, reviews, and archive. Its goal is not to classify every piece of knowledge first. Its goal is to show what you can do now, what you are waiting on, and what should be parked.

LifeOS Pro GTD Vault/
├── 0. PeriodicNotes/
├── 1. Inbox/
├── 2. Actions/
├── 3. Projects/
├── 4. Reference/
├── 5. Reviews/
└── 6. Archive/

Core tags include #gtd/next, #gtd/waiting, #gtd/someday, and #ctx/*. Project notes keep the full background; action pages aggregate what should be done or followed up now.

#OPC LifeOS Vault

Open the illustrated OPC LifeOS walkthrough.

Best for users already operating a product, side business, consulting offer, or content business. OPC splits a one-person company into a CEO dashboard, seven departments, input/output pipelines, and .AI.md operating dashboards.

#LifeOS Pro Memos Vault

Read the Memos template guide.

Best for Logseq, flomo, and usememos users. It enables periodic notes only and disables PARA and theme notes by default. The filled vault demonstrates bullets, tasks, and review with two daily notes and one weekly note; use LifeOS Pro Memos Blank Vault afterward.

#Scenario 1: first time using Aino

1. Install Aino LifeOS
2. Download and extract the example vault
3. Click the folder icon in the bottom-left corner, then choose "Open Existing Vault"
4. Enter LifeOS Pro/Example Vault/ and use the 30-second decision above to open one specific inner example vault
5. Click "Today's Daily Note" and write one record
6. Write a - [ ] task and confirm it appears in the task panel
7. In PARA, open a project under 1. Projects/; in Memos, open the sample weekly note and inspect its record and task review

This path does not require an AI key or calendar connection.

#Scenario 2: existing Obsidian vault

Aino can directly open an Obsidian vault. You can keep your Markdown files, Wikilinks, Frontmatter, image attachments, and .obsidian folder.

Recommended steps:

1. Back up the vault first
2. Click Aino's bottom-left folder icon and choose "Open Existing Vault"
3. After opening, check the file tree, search, and tasks
4. Configure .lifeos paths, AI, vault sync, and calendar sync only when needed

#Scenario 3: migrate from LifeOS for Obsidian

If your vault already uses LifeOS Pro for Obsidian, Aino can read the old plugin settings and store Aino's vault-level settings in .lifeos/settings.json.

Check these items during migration:

• Periodic note folder
• Project, area, resource, and archive folders
• Section headers such as Daily Record, Project List, and Habit
• Whether calendar accounts need to be authorized again

See Migrating from Obsidian for the detailed path.

#Scenario 4: turn the example vault into your own vault

Do not erase or duplicate the filled learning vault. The download already includes one blank version for every workflow:

Learn in the filled example, then use the bottom-left folder icon to open its blank counterpart. You may rename the blank vault; keep .lifeos/, .obsidian/, and the template folders, then start writing your own material.

If you only want time-based continuous capture without PARA, themes, or GTD structure, learn in LifeOS Pro Memos Vault, then use LifeOS Pro Memos Blank Vault as your main vault.

#What not to do on day one

• Do not rename all folders immediately
• Do not configure every AI vendor first
• Do not connect iCloud / Google / CalDAV first
• Do not migrate years of old notes first
• Do not stay in settings trying to design the perfect structure

First make three things work: daily capture, visible tasks, and project review.

#Read next after setup

After you can create a daily note, add tasks, and open a project note, read these workflow articles. They are not installation steps. They show how to use Aino LifeOS in real work.

• My Day with Aino LifeOS — plan the day, schedule tasks, and close the loop
• Managing a Complete Project with Aino LifeOS — use theme notes as the project workspace
• Conducting Deep Research with Aino LifeOS — collect sources, process ideas, and publish output
• AI-Powered Note Workflows — use AI on top of working notes instead of configuring it on day one
• A High-Quality Weekly Review with Aino LifeOS — turn daily records into a review routine

#Next steps

• Getting Started — complete the first useful record in 10 minutes
• Sync Your Aino Vault (Experimental) — connect desktop and mobile with Koofr WebDAV or S3-compatible storage
• Open the Example Vault — learn the example structure and .lifeos settings
• Example Vaults — choose between PARA / IPO / GTD / OPC / Memos
• Migrating from Obsidian — open an existing Obsidian / LifeOS vault
• Theme Notes — understand how projects, areas, and resources collect related content