open-notebook/docs/0-START-HERE/quick-start-openai.md

Quick Start - OpenAI (5 minutes)

Get Open Notebook running with OpenAI's GPT models. Fast, powerful, and simple.

Prerequisites

1. Docker Desktop installed

   • Download here
   • Already have it? Skip to step 2

2. OpenAI API Key (required)

   • Go to https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
   • Create account → Create new secret key
   • Add at least $5 in credits to your account
   • Copy the key (starts with sk-)

Step 1: Create Configuration (1 min)

Create a new folder open-notebook and add this file:

docker-compose.yml:

services:
  surrealdb:
    image: surrealdb/surrealdb:v2
    command: start --user root --pass password --bind 0.0.0.0:8000 rocksdb:/mydata/mydatabase.db
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - ./surreal_data:/mydata

  open_notebook:
    image: lfnovo/open_notebook:v1-latest
    pull_policy: always
    ports:
      - "8502:8502"  # Web UI
      - "5055:5055"  # API
    environment:
      # Encryption key for credential storage (required)
      - OPEN_NOTEBOOK_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-to-a-secret-string

      # Database (required)
      - SURREAL_URL=ws://surrealdb:8000/rpc
      - SURREAL_USER=root
      - SURREAL_PASSWORD=password
      - SURREAL_NAMESPACE=open_notebook
      - SURREAL_DATABASE=open_notebook
    volumes:
      - ./notebook_data:/app/data
    depends_on:
      - surrealdb
    restart: always

Edit the file:

• Replace change-me-to-a-secret-string with your own secret (any string works)

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Step 2: Start Services (1 min)

Open terminal in your open-notebook folder:

docker compose up -d

Wait 15-20 seconds for services to start.

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Step 3: Access Open Notebook (instant)

Open your browser:

http://localhost:8502

You should see the Open Notebook interface!

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Step 4: Configure Your OpenAI Provider (1 min)

1. Go to Settings → API Keys
2. Click Add Credential
3. Select provider: OpenAI
4. Give it a name (e.g., "My OpenAI Key")
5. Paste your OpenAI API key
6. Click Save
7. Click Test Connection — should show success
8. Click Discover Models → Register Models

Your OpenAI models are now available!

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Step 5: Create Your First Notebook (1 min)

1. Click New Notebook
2. Name: "My Research"
3. Click Create

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Step 6: Add a Source (1 min)

1. Click Add Source
2. Choose Web Link
3. Paste: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
4. Click Add
5. Wait for processing (30-60 seconds)

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Step 7: Chat With Your Content (1 min)

1. Go to Chat
2. Type: "What is artificial intelligence?"
3. Click Send
4. Watch as GPT responds with information from your source!

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Verification Checklist

• Docker is running
• You can access http://localhost:8502
• OpenAI credential is configured and tested
• You created a notebook
• You added a source
• Chat works

All checked? You have a fully working AI research assistant!

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Using Different Models

In your notebook, go to Settings → Models to choose:

• gpt-4o - Best quality (recommended)
• gpt-4o-mini - Fast and cheap (good for testing)

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Troubleshooting

"Port 8502 already in use"

Change the port in docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8503:8502"  # Use 8503 instead

Then access at http://localhost:8503

"API key not working"

1. Go to Settings → API Keys
2. Click Test Connection on your OpenAI credential
3. If it fails, verify your key at https://platform.openai.com
4. Delete the credential and create a new one with the correct key

"Cannot connect to server"

docker ps  # Check all services running
docker compose logs  # View logs
docker compose restart  # Restart everything

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Next Steps

1. Add Your Own Content: PDFs, web links, documents
2. Explore Features: Podcasts, transformations, search
3. Full Documentation: See all features

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Cost Estimate

OpenAI pricing (approximate):

• Conversation: $0.01-0.10 per 1K tokens
• Embeddings: $0.02 per 1M tokens
• Typical usage: $1-5/month for light use, $20-50/month for heavy use

Check https://openai.com/pricing for current rates.

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