README.md
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<!-- [![Contributors][contributors-shield]][contributors-url] --> <!-- [![LinkedIn][linkedin-shield]][linkedin-url] --> <!-- PROJECT LOGO --> <div align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook"> </a> <h3 align="center">Open Notebook</h3> <p align="center"> An open source, privacy-focused alternative to Google's Notebook LM!<strong>Join our <a href="https://discord.gg/37XJPXfz2w">Discord server</a> for help, to share workflow ideas, and suggest features!</strong>
<a href="https://www.open-notebook.ai"><strong>Checkout our website Β»</strong></a>
<a href="docs/0-START-HERE/index.md">π Get Started</a>
Β·
<a href="docs/3-USER-GUIDE/index.md">π User Guide</a>
Β·
<a href="docs/2-CORE-CONCEPTS/index.md">β¨ Features</a>
Β·
<a href="docs/1-INSTALLATION/index.md">π Deploy</a>
In a world dominated by Artificial Intelligence, having the ability to think π§ and acquire new knowledge π‘, is a skill that should not be a privilege for a few, nor restricted to a single provider.
Open Notebook empowers you to:
Learn more about our project at https://www.open-notebook.ai
| Feature | Open Notebook | Google Notebook LM | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy & Control | Self-hosted, your data | Google cloud only | Complete data sovereignty |
| AI Provider Choice | 18+ providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio, etc.) | Google models only | Flexibility and cost optimization |
| Podcast Speakers | 1-4 speakers with custom profiles | 2 speakers only | Extreme flexibility |
| Content Transformations | Custom and built-in | Limited options | Unlimited processing power |
| API Access | Full REST API | No API | Complete automation |
| Deployment | Docker, cloud, or local | Google hosted only | Deploy anywhere |
| Citations | Basic references (will improve) | Comprehensive with sources | Research integrity |
| Customization | Open source, fully customizable | Closed system | Unlimited extensibility |
| Cost | Pay only for AI usage | Free tier + Monthly subscription | Transparent and controllable |
Why Choose Open Notebook?
Option A: Download directly
curl -o docker-compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/main/docker-compose.yml
Option B: Create the file manually
Copy this into a new file called docker-compose.yml:
services:
surrealdb:
image: surrealdb/surrealdb:v2
# Credentials default to root:root for a zero-config local setup. Before
# exposing this instance to a network, set SURREAL_USER / SURREAL_PASSWORD
# in a .env file (see .env.example) β they are applied here and to the
# open_notebook service below, so the two always stay in sync.
# List (exec) form so each interpolated value stays a single argument β
# a password containing spaces would otherwise be split into several.
command: ["start", "--log", "info", "--user", "${SURREAL_USER:-root}", "--pass", "${SURREAL_PASSWORD:-root}", "rocksdb:/mydata/mydatabase.db"]
user: root # Required for bind mounts on Linux
ports:
# Bound to localhost only: the open_notebook service reaches this over
# the internal compose network regardless, so the host port is purely
# for local debugging (e.g. Surrealist, `surreal sql`). Exposing this
# on 0.0.0.0 would let anyone who can reach the host connect with the
# default root:root credentials.
- "127.0.0.1:8000:8000"
volumes:
- ./surreal_data:/mydata
environment:
- SURREAL_EXPERIMENTAL_GRAPHQL=true
restart: always
pull_policy: always
open_notebook:
image: lfnovo/open_notebook:v1-latest
ports:
- "8502:8502" # Web UI
- "5055:5055" # REST API
environment:
# REQUIRED: Change this to your own secret string
# This encrypts your API keys in the database
- OPEN_NOTEBOOK_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-to-a-secret-string
# Database connection. SURREAL_USER / SURREAL_PASSWORD default to root:root
# for local use; override them in a .env file before exposing the instance
# (the same values configure the surrealdb service above).
- SURREAL_URL=ws://surrealdb:8000/rpc
- SURREAL_USER=${SURREAL_USER:-root}
- SURREAL_PASSWORD=${SURREAL_PASSWORD:-root}
- SURREAL_NAMESPACE=open_notebook
- SURREAL_DATABASE=open_notebook
volumes:
- ./notebook_data:/app/data
depends_on:
- surrealdb
restart: always
pull_policy: always
Edit docker-compose.yml and change this line:
- OPEN_NOTEBOOK_ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-me-to-a-secret-string
to any secret value (e.g., my-super-secret-key-123)
docker compose up -d
Wait 15-20 seconds, then open: http://localhost:8502
Done! You're ready to create your first notebook.
Need an API key? Get one from: OpenAI Β· Anthropic Β· Google Β· Groq (free tier)
Want free local AI? See examples/docker-compose-ollama.yml for Ollama setup
Thanks to the Esperanto library, we support this providers out of the box!
| Provider | LLM Support | Embedding Support | Speech-to-Text | Text-to-Speech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | β | β | β | β |
| Anthropic | β | β | β | β |
| Groq | β | β | β | β |
| Google (GenAI) | β | β | β | β |
| Vertex AI | β | β | β | β |
| Ollama | β | β | β | β |
| Perplexity | β | β | β | β |
| ElevenLabs | β | β | β | β |
| Deepgram | β | β | β | β |
| Azure OpenAI | β | β | β | β |
| Mistral | β | β | β | β |
| DeepSeek | β | β | β | β |
| Voyage | β | β | β | β |
| xAI | β | β | β | β |
| OpenRouter | β | β | β | β |
| DashScope (Qwen) | β | β | β | β |
| MiniMax | β | β | β | β |
| OpenAI Compatible* | β | β | β | β |
*Supports LM Studio and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
See the open issues for a full list of proposed features and known issues.
<p align="right">(<a href="#readme-top">back to top</a>)</p>We welcome contributions! We're especially looking for help with:
Current Tech Stack: Python, FastAPI, Next.js, React, SurrealDB Future Roadmap: Real-time updates, enhanced async processing
See our Contributing Guide for detailed information on how to get started, including our guidelines for AI-assisted contributions. To understand what we're building (and what we'll say no to), read VISION.md.
<p align="right">(<a href="#readme-top">back to top</a>)</p>Open Notebook is MIT licensed. See the LICENSE file for details.
Community Support: