⚙️2.1.2 Getting Started

GPT Assistant is an open-source platform utilizing AI and Blockchain technologies. To get started, follow the steps below.

GPT Assistant 2.0

Initial Steps:

1. Clone the Repository: Start by cloning the GPT Assistant repository from GitHub (https://github.com/gptprotocol/gpt-assistant). This can be done by using Git commands or directly downloading the repository as a ZIP file.

2. Environment Setup: After cloning, create a .env.local file in the root directory. This file will hold important configurations such as the MongoDB URL and the Hugging Face API token. Follow the current .env example file pattern.

Database Configuration:

1. Setting Up MongoDB: MongoDB is crucial for storing the chat history. You can set up a local MongoDB instance or use a MongoDB Atlas instance. For a local setup, using Docker to run a MongoDB container is an easy option.

2. Configuring Database URL: In the .env.local file, specify the MongoDB URL (MONGODB_URL). For a local MongoDB instance, the URL would typically be mongodb://localhost:27017.

Installing Dependencies and Running the Application:

1. Install Dependencies: Run npm install in the terminal to install all the necessary dependencies.

2. Starting the Application: After setting up the environment and database, start the application using npm run dev. This will launch the GPT Assistant interface.

Additional Configurations:

1. API Keys for Web Search: If you want to enable web search capabilities, add the appropriate API keys (like YDC_API_KEY, SERPER_API_KEY) to your .env.local.

2. Custom Model Endpoints: You can also configure custom model endpoints in the .env.local file. This allows for greater flexibility in terms of the models you can use with the Assistant.

This overview provides a simplified guide to getting started with the GPT Assistant. For complete details and step-by-step instructions, refer to the repository's README and documentation.