🚀 Getting Started
Everything you need to install EUKOSMOS, launch it for the first time, and set up your ADS API token. Takes about 3 minutes from zero to a fully working research workspace.
Installation
Go to eukosmos.com → Download — the page auto-detects your platform. macOS gets a .dmg, Windows a setup installer, Linux an AppImage. Checksums and release notes are linked next to every build.
Beta builds are not yet code-signed, so the first launch needs one extra step (signed installers with auto-update are coming):
# macOS — drag to Applications, then once in Terminal: xattr -cr /Applications/EUKOSMOS.app # Windows — SmartScreen prompt → "More info" → "Run anyway" # Linux — make the AppImage executable, then run it: chmod +x EUKOSMOS-*.AppImage
EUKOSMOS opens in its own window in seconds. Your data lives in a plain local folder — no account, no cloud, works fully offline.
Create a free account at ui.adsabs.harvard.edu and copy your personal API token. This unlocks astronomy-specific enrichment: bibcodes, ADS citation counts, arXiv classification.
In the app, open ⚙ Settings → find the ADS API Token field → paste → Save. Stored locally on your machine. Only done once.
🔌 Browser extension — one-click paper capture
The EUKOSMOS Connector extension saves papers (metadata + PDF) from any publisher page straight into your library, and auto-detects the desktop app — zero setup. Chrome Web Store listing is in review; see the download section for current status.
🗺 App Overview
EUKOSMOS is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux that runs entirely on your own machine. It organises your research into 18 integrated sections — all data stays as plain files on your hard drive, never uploaded anywhere unless you turn on encrypted sync.
Interface at a Glance
Click item → Detail panel slides in from right
Edit inline · export · link to other sections
Your Data Is Plain Files
data_*.json — human-readable, editable in any text editor, Git-friendly.eukosmos.db powers search. Auto-rebuilt from JSON if deleted.📚 Literature Papers
The core section. Paste any paper identifier — DOI, arXiv ID, ADS bibcode, InspireHEP key, PMID or ISBN — and EUKOSMOS automatically fetches complete metadata from up to 7 databases. Or bulk-import your entire .bib library in one click.
Adding a Single Paper
DOI · arXiv:YYMM.NNNNN
ADS bibcode · InspireHEP key
Publisher URL
auto-identified
up to 7 databases
full metadata
The 7-Database Enrichment Cascade
Each database contributes only what the previous ones didn't find — no duplication, maximum coverage per query. The fetch log shows exactly which database contributed each field.
Bulk BibTeX Import
Select your .bib file. EUKOSMOS parses every entry and shows: total found, already in library, new to import.
Papers are enriched one by one (respecting API rate limits). A progress banner runs in the background — you can keep working while it runs. Pause/resume anytime.
EUKOSMOS checks arXiv ID, ADS bibcode, DOI, and normalised title before each import. Already-present papers are silently skipped — no duplicates ever created.
Reading Status
Click the status badge on any card to cycle through. Filter by status in the toolbar to build a personal reading queue.
📕 PDF Reader & Annotations
EUKOSMOS ships its own PDF reader and annotation editor. Open any paper's PDF right inside the app, highlight and comment, add text boxes and signatures — everything is written to the ISO 32000 PDF standard, so your annotations open in Acrobat, Preview and Firefox. Works fully offline.
Annotation Tools
📑 Reference Styles & BibTeX
Export your master .bib library — or a project-specific one — ready for Overleaf or any LaTeX editor. Format references in MNRAS, APA, Nature, and ~40 built-in styles instantly. Unlock all 10,000+ CSL styles with one click.
For Overleaf & LaTeX Users
EUKOSMOS generates properly formatted BibTeX with ADS-compatible citekeys. Drop master_library.bib into your Overleaf project or sync via Overleaf's GitHub integration. Every paper added in EUKOSMOS is immediately available as \cite{citekey}.
Two Export Levels
{ } .bib in the Papers toolbar. Downloads master_library.bib — every paper, complete metadata, auto-generated citekeys.Citation Style Tiers
Always available, fully offline
MNRAS · APA · Nature · Science · IEEE · AIP · Chicago · Harvard · Vancouver
Downloads full CSL repository (~40 MB) once
Every journal on Earth · Works offline after download
Auto-Generated Citekeys
| Source | Citekey format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ADS papers | FirstAuthor_ADS-bibcode | Venturi_2013A&A558A146V |
| InspireHEP | InspireHEP texkey | Rahaman:2022xkj |
| DOI-only | FirstAuthor_Year_Journal | Smith_2024_MNRAS |
| arXiv preprint | FirstAuthor_arXiv:YYMM.NNNNN | Jones_arXiv2401.12345 |
📝 Research Notes
A professional Markdown editor with live split-pane preview. Write equations using standard math syntax, embed images, link to papers, and export to PDF or Word .docx. Your running lab notebook — permanently local, instantly searchable.
$...$ (inline) and $$...$$ (display block). They render live in the preview pane — no mode switching, no separate compilation.Editor Modes
Full-width textarea
Fastest for writing bursts
Editor left · Preview right
Draggable centre divider
Scroll-synced automatically
Rendered preview only
Full reading width
Print from here
Markdown Quick Reference
# Heading 1 ## Heading 2 ### Heading 3 **bold** *italic* ~~strikethrough~~ `inline code` [link](url)  - Bullet list 1. Numbered > Blockquote --- (divider) | Table | Col | |-------|-----| | Cell | A | # Equations (render live in preview) $E = mc^2$ ← inline equation $$\int_0^\infty f(x)\,dx$$ ← display block $$F_\nu \propto \nu^{-\alpha}$$ ← spectral index
Adding Images
 for external images. Zero storage overhead.Keyboard Shortcuts
☑️ Checklists
Multi-step checklists with per-step due dates that feed directly into your unified calendar. Built-in templates for ALMA proposals, ERC grants, visa applications, and lab protocols. Generate any checklist from any document using the AI hint workflow.
Step Status System
Click any checkbox to cycle states. Overdue steps turn red automatically. Progress bar shows % done, blocked, and waived in real-time — updates on every click without page reload.
Built-in Templates
| Template | Category | Steps | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALMA Observing Proposal | telescope | 10 | Science case → technical setup → OT configuration → submission |
| ERC Starting Grant | grant | 16 | Eligibility → Part B1/B2 → budget → ethics → institute submission |
| NSF Research Proposal | grant | 10 | Pre-submission · documents · SPO review · submission portal |
| MOST / NSTC (Taiwan) | grant | 9 | Portal setup · co-PI · budget approval · institute sign-off |
| Schengen Short-Stay Visa | visa | 11 | Documents → travel booking → embassy appointment → tracking |
| US J-1 Research Visa | visa | 14 | DS-2019 → SEVIS fee → embassy appointment → interview prep |
| ApJ / ApJL Manuscript | publication | 10 | Draft → review → submission → referee rounds → proofs |
| Lab Safety Inspection | lab | 17 | Emergency · chemicals · electrical · PPE · documentation |
| PhD Thesis Submission | academic | 12 | Format check → admin → internal/external examiners → viva |
AI-Generated Checklists — From Any Document
copies a detailed prompt
attach your document
structured checklist format
instant checklist in EUKOSMOS
💼 Job Register
Track every academic job application from first click to offer. Manage referees across all applications, auto-generate deadline-aware email templates, and print complete per-referee document packages.
Application Lifecycle
spotted position
submitted
shortlisted
campus visit
success!
Reference Letter Types
Referee Workflow
In the job form, enter referee names and assign the reference type. Up to 5 referees per position.
Click Share → select a referee → EUKOSMOS generates a complete email listing all positions assigned to that person, with institution, deadline, and auto-calculated days remaining.
Click Print → select a referee → print-ready PDF with Section 1 (Standard: due now), Section 2 (Conditional: no action yet), Section 3 (No-ref: context only). Everything your referee needs in one clean document.
📋 Proposals
Track all grant proposals and observing time requests. A visual dashboard shows your portfolio at a glance: status counts, agency distribution, role breakdown, and upcoming deadlines — all automatically linked to the calendar.
📅 Calendar & Todo
One calendar that collects deadlines from every section automatically — you add a deadline once in Jobs or Checklists and it appears in the calendar without any extra step. Import external .ics feeds for department or collaboration schedules.
What Feeds In Automatically
🎓 CV Builder
Build your structured academic CV directly inside EUKOSMOS. Papers auto-populate from your library. Export as a formatted Word .docx ready for job applications — no copy-pasting, no reformatting.
🌐 Academic Website Builder
Generate a complete personal academic website from the data you already maintain in EUKOSMOS — publications with live citation metrics, CV, grants, research interests and photo gallery. Preview it live, then publish to profile.eukosmos.com/your-name in one click, or download the HTML and host it anywhere.
What Goes on Your Site
Publishing in 4 Steps
Every section is opt-in — nothing is published until you tick it. Reorder sections with the ▲▼ controls, choose a theme, and check the live preview in desktop or mobile view.
Publishing rides your sync account: ⚙ Settings → Account & Sync → sign in once. No tokens or configuration needed.
Pick a slug — lowercase letters, digits and dashes (3–32 characters). Your site goes live at profile.eukosmos.com/<slug>. One site per workspace.
Click Publish. While the app is open, edits republish automatically a few seconds after you change anything; otherwise a "stale" badge offers a one-click Update. Never copy-paste your paper list again.
💡 Ideas
A hypothesis tracker. Capture research ideas before they vanish, rate their feasibility, track their journey from "shower thought" to published paper, and link them to papers in your library.
⌨️ Code Library
A personal snippet library for analysis scripts, shell one-liners, Python functions, SQL queries, and useful tools. Searchable by language and tags. Never dig through old notebooks looking for that Astropy snippet again.
👥 Collaborators & 🖼 Photos
Collaborators
A contact book for your research network. Fields: Name · Institution · Country · Email · ORCID · Expertise tags. Link collaborators to proposals. Search by expertise to find the right person for a new grant.
Photos
A gallery for observation images, telescope photos, and research visuals. Photos are stored as original files in photos/ — the database only holds metadata. Captions, tags, and dates. Disk is source of truth.
✅ Todo List
Fast priority-based task manager. Todos with due dates appear in the unified calendar. For complex multi-step tasks, use Checklists — not Todos.
🔍 Full-Text Search
Global search across all 18 sections simultaneously. Powered by SQLite FTS5 with BM25 relevance ranking. Results return in under 50ms even with 10,000 papers.
Press ⌘K or Ctrl+K from anywhere — or click "Search everything" in the sidebar. Results from all sections, ranked by relevance.
Use commas: galaxy cluster, ICM, sloshing matches papers containing ANY of these terms, ranked by how many they match.
Papers: title, abstract, authors, BibTeX key · Notes: full content + tags · Jobs: title, institution · Checklists: title, step titles, description
Each section has its own search bar for deeper filtering within that section — searches more specific fields than the global search.
📄 BibTeX & Overleaf Workflow
EUKOSMOS fits naturally into any LaTeX/Overleaf workflow. Add papers in EUKOSMOS, export your .bib, drop it into Overleaf, cite with auto-generated citekeys. Re-export whenever you add more papers.
DOI · arXiv · ADS
export master_library.bib
drag & drop .bib file
auto-generated keys
💾 Backup & Sync
Your EUKOSMOS data is a folder of plain files, and EUKOSMOS ships with its own end-to-end-encrypted sync engine for multi-device backup — no third-party service needed, and no account required for purely local use.
.zip of all data as JSON. Restore button does the reverse. Good for before major changes.⚙ Settings. No third-party service needed.data_*.json (human-readable, always current) + eukosmos.db (SQLite for search — auto-rebuilt from JSON if missing or deleted). You can open, read, and edit the JSON files in any text editor at any time.🗑 Trash Bin
EUKOSMOS never permanently deletes your data. Every item you remove is moved to the Trash Bin first, where it stays for at least 6 months. You can restore anything at any time — permanent deletion only happens when you explicitly choose to erase from the Trash.
data_trash.json and removes it from the section. Your data is never silently lost.How Deletion Works
any section
"Move to Trash?"
crash-safe
restore any time
Retention Policy
data_trash.json
Trashed items are stored in data_trash.json alongside your other data files — human-readable JSON, editable in any text editor.
# Each item in data_trash.json: { "_trash_id": "uuid...", // unique trash record "_section": "papers", // original section "_trashed_at": "2025-05-13T10:30Z",// when trashed "_display_title": "Turbulence in ICM",// display name // ... all original fields follow unchanged ... }
.zip of all data (including data_trash.json) as a safety net before bulk-erasing.Ready to start?
Free desktop apps for Mac, Windows and Linux are available now (beta, unsigned — signed installers coming).
All feedback and suggestions are very welcome.