Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with NotebookLLM in just a few minutes.

Prerequisites

Required Software

  • Node.js 18+ and pnpm
  • Python 3.12+
  • Docker (for local services)
  • Git

Required Accounts

  • Supabase (database & auth)
  • Qdrant Cloud (vector database)
  • Google AI Studio (Gemini API)

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-repo/notebookllm.git
cd notebookllm

Step 2: Set Up Backend

Navigate to the backend directory and install dependencies:

cd backend
python -m venv .venv
# Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
# Mac/Linux: source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Copy the environment file and configure your variables:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API keys

Step 3: Start Services

Start the required services using Docker:

# Start Qdrant (vector database)
docker run -d --name qdrant -p 6333:6333 qdrant/qdrant

# Start PostgreSQL (if not using Supabase)
docker run -d --name postgres -p 5432:5432 -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password postgres

Step 4: Run the Backend

Initialize the database and start the backend server:

# Apply database migrations
alembic upgrade head

# Start the development server
uvicorn src.app:app --reload

The backend will be available at http://localhost:8000

Step 5: Run the Frontend

In a new terminal, set up and run the frontend:

cd frontend
pnpm install
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration
pnpm dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000

Next Steps