tes export
+Export a tessera as a self-contained directory.
+Usage
+tes export <HASH> <DEST>
+Arguments
+
+
+
+
+
+| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
<HASH> | Tessera content hash (64 hex characters) |
<DEST> | Destination directory |
Options
+
+
+
+
+
+| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--data-dir <PATH> | Base directory for data storage (default: ~/.tesseras) |
Output structure
+The export creates a directory named tessera-<hash> inside the destination:
tessera-9f2c4a1b.../
+├── MANIFEST # Plain text index with checksums
+├── README.decode # Human-readable decoding instructions
+├── identity/
+│ ├── creator.pub.ed25519 # Creator's public key
+│ └── signature.ed25519.sig # Signature of the MANIFEST
+├── memories/
+│ ├── <content-hash>/
+│ │ ├── media.jpg # Primary media file
+│ │ ├── context.txt # Human context in plain UTF-8
+│ │ └── meta.json # Structured metadata
+│ └── .../
+├── schema/
+│ └── v1.json # JSON schema for metadata validation
+└── decode/
+ ├── formats.txt # Explanation of all formats used
+ ├── jpeg.txt # How to decode JPEG
+ ├── wav.txt # How to decode WAV
+ └── json.txt # How to decode JSON
+Example
+tes export 9f2c4a1b3e7d8f0cabc123def4567890... ./backup
+Exported to ./backup/tessera-9f2c4a1b3e7d8f0cabc123def4567890...
+Key feature: self-contained
+The exported directory is designed to be readable without Tesseras software. It includes:
+-
+
- MANIFEST — a plain-text file listing every file with its BLAKE3 checksum, readable by any text editor +
- README.decode — human-readable instructions for understanding the contents +
- decode/ — detailed explanations of every file format used (JPEG, WAV, JSON, UTF-8) +
This means someone thousands of years from now, with no knowledge of Tesseras, can still understand and access the memories.
+Use cases
+-
+
- Backup — export to an external drive, USB stick, or cloud storage +
- Sharing — give someone a complete copy of a tessera +
- Archival — store on write-once media (DVD, Blu-ray, tape) +
- Migration — move tesseras between machines without needing the database +