Get Started

Follow these simple steps to start using Open Notebook for your research and note-taking needs.

Docker Setup

We recommend using the Docker instalation as it will handle all packages necessary for running this tool.

Just create a file named docker-compose.yaml in a folder on your computer.

version: '3'

services:
  surrealdb:
    image: surrealdb/surrealdb:v2
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - surreal_data:/mydata
    command: start --user root --pass root rocksdb:/mydata/mydatabase.db
    pull_policy: always
    user: root

  open_notebook:
    image: lfnovo/open_notebook:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:8502"
    environment:
        - OPENAI_API_KEY=API_KEY
        - SURREAL_ADDRESS=surrealdb
        - SURREAL_PORT=8000
        - SURREAL_USER=root
        - SURREAL_PASS=root
        - SURREAL_NAMESPACE=open_notebook
        - SURREAL_DATABASE=open_notebook
    depends_on:
      - surrealdb
    pull_policy: always
    volumes:
      - notebook_data:/app/data

volumes:
  surreal_data:
  notebook_data:

Start the Application

docker compose up -d

Navigate to: http://localhost:8080 and start having fun.

More information on setup can be found in the Setup page on our docs

System Requirements

• Docker Engine running on your machine
• 4GB RAM minimum
• 2GB free disk space (the more the better)
• An API Key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Vertex or OpenRouter

Next Steps

1. Create your first notebook
2. Import some content
3. Try out the AI features
4. Write your notes
5. Generate a podcast