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Privacy and local data

Chithi has no project-operated backend for synchronizing your mail, calendar, contacts, or meetings. It communicates directly with the providers and servers you configure. Normal operation can also contact OAuth endpoints, account-discovery services, meeting APIs, WKD servers when fetching OpenPGP keys, and remote-image hosts when you choose to load images.

Data and log locations

Desktop data is stored below the platform's local application-data directory:

Platform Expected base directory
Linux ${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/chithi/
macOS ~/Library/Application Support/chithi/
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\chithi\

Linux uses XDG_DATA_HOME, defaulting to ~/.local/share. The application derives macOS and Windows paths from the operating system. Verify the exact location on a packaged build before scripting removal.

The base directory contains:

  • chithi.db, the local SQLite database
  • chithi.log, the application log
  • one directory per mail account, containing downloaded mail

UI preferences and onboarding state are stored in the WebView's local storage. Mobile platforms use their sandboxed application-data directory.

Credentials

On desktop, account passwords use the keyring service in.kushaldas.chithi; OAuth credentials use in.kushaldas.chithi.oauth. Android OAuth credentials are JSON files in the private application sandbox.

OpenPGP keys are separate. Chithi shares Tumpa's keystore, normally at ~/.tumpa/keys.db, unless TUMPA_DIR or TUMPA_KEYSTORE overrides it. Deleting that keystore can affect other software and can permanently destroy private keys. Export and verify a backup first.

Remove one account

In Settings, delete the account and confirm the warning. Chithi stops its worker, removes its database data, attempts to remove its downloaded mail directory, and attempts to remove its normal password credential. Mail-directory deletion errors do not make account deletion fail, so verify the account's directory is gone when secure erasure matters.

For Zoom, first delete related calendar events and verify that their meetings are gone in Zoom. Then delete the account in Chithi and finally remove Chithi from Zoom's installed-apps page. Removing the Marketplace app first can invalidate the token Chithi needs for meeting cleanup. Normal local deletion does not itself revoke Zoom-side authorization.

Chithi refuses normal Zoom account deletion while meetings still require the account. The Delete locally fallback removes local tokens and meeting associations but can leave remote meetings active, calendar events and join URLs in place, and Chithi unable to manage those meetings. Follow the complete Zoom removal instructions before using this fallback.

For Nextcloud Talk, delete related calendar events while Chithi still has its app password, verify the conversations are gone in Talk, delete the local account, and then revoke Chithi's app password in Nextcloud. See the Nextcloud Talk removal guide.

For Matrix / Element Call, deleting an event makes Chithi leave the room; it does not globally delete the Matrix room or erase it for other members. After cleanup and local account deletion, revoke the Chithi Matrix session or device. See the Matrix removal guide.

La Suite Visio's current external API cannot delete rooms. Remote rooms remain after event and account deletion, and must be managed directly in Visio. See the La Suite Visio removal guide.

Account deletion should not be treated as proof that every provider credential has been erased. If complete credential removal is required, inspect the operating-system credential manager for both Chithi service names after deleting the account.

Remove Chithi data as completely as possible

  1. Remove accounts in Chithi where possible, so provider-specific cleanup can run.
  2. Exit Chithi completely.
  3. Back up anything you may need to restore.
  4. Uninstall the application package.
  5. Remove Chithi's documented application-data directory.
  6. Remove entries for in.kushaldas.chithi and in.kushaldas.chithi.oauth from the operating-system credential manager.
  7. Remove the Tumpa keystore only if you intentionally want to delete the OpenPGP keys shared with other applications.

Uninstalling a desktop package alone does not reliably remove user data or keyring entries. Chithi does not currently provide a general Clear cache action or expose the WebView storage location. UI preferences can therefore remain in platform- and WebView-specific storage after these steps. Use the operating system's application-data management tools and the application identifier in.kushaldas.chithi to locate additional storage. A fully deterministic cleanup requires a future in-app data-removal action.