Move an existing installation to V2

The maintained Git branch is now v2. The former main is named v1 and is read-only. You can keep your current installation, datasets and settings.

Download LDS-Migrate-to-V2.zip.

1. Close LDS and its launcher. In Pinokio, click Stop first.
2. Extract the complete tool ZIP to a separate folder, outside the LDS installation.
3. Double-click migrate-to-v2.bat. Paste the path of your existing LDS folder (the folder containing backend and frontend).
4. Check the installation and data paths it shows. Type V2 to proceed.
5. When it says Done, start LDS with your usual launcher. In Pinokio, run Update before Start so its Python dependencies are refreshed too.
6. Check your datasets and settings. Choose the optional features you need in Plugins → Store; the tool does not install or activate plugins for you.

The tool uses the installation's Python, or an existing Python 3.10+ on your computer, and Git. It does not install either of them or request administrator rights.

The tool switches application code to the public v2 branch and configures future Git updates to follow it. Images, videos, datasets, installed plugins, configuration, API keys and Python environments remain in their existing folders. Custom absolute LDS_DATA_DIR, LDS_CONFIG, LDS_ENV and LDS_PLUGINS_DIR paths are checked too. Unusual environment expressions or ambiguous relative overrides require manual help. If your launcher sets a custom data path, run the helper with the same environment. The helper stops if it cannot find studio.db in the detected data folder; it does not guess a new location for your data.

Before switching, it saves studio.db and any WAL/journal sidecars, configuration and .env files under .git/lds-migration-backups/ in your installation. It also creates an lds-before-v2-… recovery branch for the old application code. Keep these until you have checked your installation in V2.

This is a database/settings backup, not a full media backup. Keep your normal backup of images and videos. The tool does not move those files, start LDS, or run database schema migrations. A new app version can migrate its database on first launch; switching Git branches alone is not a database downgrade procedure.

The backup includes private settings and may include API keys. Keep it local; do not attach it to a public issue or Discord message.

An open LDS process, occupied server port, local source edit, local commit, Git operation in progress, linked worktree, or file collision makes the tool stop. It never uses reset --hard, clean, an automatic stash or a forced checkout. An ignored file is protected from being overwritten too.

Keep the installation folder and read the message. Do not delete or re-clone it: that folder may contain your only copy of the datasets. Ask in Discord #help with the stop message, hiding local paths or other personal details. Keep LDS closed after an interrupted migration until its branch and backup have been reviewed.

Use migrate_to_v2.py from the same download, outside your installation:

python3 migrate_to_v2.py --root "/path/to/lora-dataset-studio" --check
python3 migrate_to_v2.py --root "/path/to/lora-dataset-studio"

The check fetches the public v2 reference, but leaves the current branch and application files unchanged. The second command shows the plan and asks you to type V2 before making a backup and switching.

• Installed from a release ZIP, without Git: there is no branch to switch. Use Update & restart in your existing LDS installation to get the current release. Do not delete its folder or copy your data into a fresh installation. The helper detects this case and leaves it unchanged.
• Docker: use the Docker update guide. This desktop tool does not migrate running containers or manage their volumes.

Tool source: Python helper, Windows launcher.