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

Quick Start - Cloud AI Providers (5 minutes)

Get Open Notebook running with Anthropic, Google, Groq, or other cloud providers. Same simplicity as OpenAI, with more choices.

Prerequisites

1. Docker Desktop installed

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

2. API Key from your chosen provider:

   • Anthropic (Claude): https://console.anthropic.com/
   • Google (Gemini): https://aistudio.google.com/
   • Groq (fast, free tier): https://console.groq.com/
   • Mistral: https://console.mistral.ai/
   • DeepSeek: https://platform.deepseek.com/
   • xAI (Grok): https://console.x.ai/

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 memory
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"

  api:
    image: lfnovo/open_notebook:v1-latest
    ports:
      - "5055:5055"
    environment:
      # Choose ONE provider (uncomment your choice):

      # Anthropic (Claude) - Excellent reasoning
      - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

      # Google (Gemini) - Large context, cost-effective
      # - GOOGLE_API_KEY=...

      # Groq - Ultra-fast inference, free tier available
      # - GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...

      # Mistral - European provider, good quality
      # - MISTRAL_API_KEY=...

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

  frontend:
    image: lfnovo/open_notebook-frontend:v1-latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:5055
    depends_on:
      - api
    restart: always

Edit the file:

• Uncomment ONE provider and add your API key
• Comment out or remove the others

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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:3000

You should see the Open Notebook interface!

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Step 4: Configure Your Model (1 min)

1. Go to Settings (gear icon)
2. Navigate to Models
3. Select your provider's model:

Provider	Recommended Model	Notes
Anthropic	claude-3-5-sonnet-latest	Best reasoning
Google	gemini-2.0-flash	Large context, fast
Groq	llama-3.3-70b-versatile	Ultra-fast
Mistral	mistral-large-latest	Strong European option

4. Click Save

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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 Content & Chat (2 min)

1. Click Add Source
2. Choose Web Link
3. Paste any article URL
4. Wait for processing
5. Go to Chat and ask questions!

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Verification Checklist

• Docker is running
• You can access http://localhost:3000
• Models are configured for your provider
• You created a notebook
• Chat works

All checked? You're ready to research!

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Provider Comparison

Provider	Speed	Quality	Context	Cost
Anthropic	Medium	Excellent	200K	$
Google	Fast	Very Good	1M+
Groq	Ultra-fast	Good	128K	$ (free tier)
Mistral	Fast	Good	128K
DeepSeek	Medium	Very Good	64K	$

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Using Multiple Providers

You can enable multiple providers simultaneously:

environment:
  - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
  - GOOGLE_API_KEY=...
  - GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...

Then switch between them in Settings > Models as needed.

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Troubleshooting

"Model not found" Error

1. Verify your API key is correct (no extra spaces)
2. Check you have credits/access for the model
3. Restart: docker compose restart api

"Cannot connect to server"

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

Provider-Specific Issues

Anthropic: Ensure key starts with sk-ant- Google: Use AI Studio key, not Cloud Console Groq: Free tier has rate limits; upgrade if needed

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Cost Estimates

Approximate costs per 1K tokens:

Provider	Input	Output
Anthropic (Sonnet)	$0.003	$0.015
Google (Flash)	$0.0001	$0.0004
Groq (Llama 70B)	Free tier available	-
Mistral (Large)	$0.002	$0.006

Check provider websites for current pricing.

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Next Steps

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

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