Skip to content
This repository was archived by the owner on Apr 6, 2026. It is now read-only.

GETTING_STARTED.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
256 lines (168 loc) · 5.25 KB

GETTING_STARTED.md

File metadata and controls

256 lines (168 loc) · 5.25 KB
Raw

Getting Started with Council AI

Welcome! This guide walks you through setup in 5-10 minutes.

System Requirements

  • Python: 3.9 or higher
  • Node.js: 18+ (for web UI)
  • Internet: For LLM provider API keys (optional for local LLMs)

Quick Setup (5 minutes)

1. Clone and Navigate

git clone https://github.com/doronpers/council-ai.git
cd council-ai

2. Set Up Python Virtual Environment

Choose your operating system:

macOS / Linux:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Windows (PowerShell):

python -m venv venv
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Windows (Command Prompt):

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate.bat
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

3. Configure Your First LLM

Create a .env file in the repository root:

cp .env.example .env

Then edit .env and add your LLM provider details. See Configuration section below.

4. Launch Council

Web interface (recommended):

python launch-council.py --web

Then open http://localhost:8000 in your browser.

CLI interface:

council --help

That's it! 🎉

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file with your LLM provider credentials:

# OpenAI (cloud)
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

# Anthropic (cloud)
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Google Gemini (cloud)
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIzaSy...

# LM Studio / Ollama (local)
# No API key needed; just set the provider in the web UI

Configuration Precedence

Council AI checks settings in this order (first match wins):

  1. Command-line arguments (e.g., council --provider openai)
  2. Environment variables (e.g., OPENAI_API_KEY)
  3. Config file (config.yaml)
  4. Defaults (built-in values)

Configuration File

For persistent settings, create config.yaml in the repository root:

# Example config.yaml
provider: openai
model: gpt-4
domain: research
temperature: 0.7
web_search_enabled: true

For full configuration options, see CONFIGURATION.md.

Using Council AI

Web Interface

  1. Open http://localhost:8000
  2. Complete the onboarding wizard (first time only)
  3. Type your question in the consultation bar
  4. Add team members (personas) to help
  5. Click Submit to get a response

CLI Interface

# Start interactive session
council run

# Analyze with a specific domain
council run --domain research

# Use a specific LLM provider
council run --provider openai --model gpt-4

# See all options
council --help

Using Local LLMs

With LM Studio:

  1. Download LM Studio
  2. Start the LM Studio local server
  3. In Council AI: Select "LM Studio" as provider
  4. No API key needed

With Ollama:

  1. Install Ollama
  2. Pull a model: ollama pull llama2
  3. In Council AI: Select "Ollama" as provider
  4. No API key needed

Troubleshooting

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'council_ai'"

Your virtual environment isn't activated. Run:

source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
# or
venv\Scripts\activate     # Windows

Then reinstall:

pip install -e ".[dev]"

"Port 8000 already in use"

Another process is using port 8000. Either:

  • Stop the other process
  • Run on a different port: python launch-council.py --web --port 8080

Virtual Environment Activation Issues

Issue: Venv activation fails with script error

Solution:

  • Ensure you're using python3 (not python) to create the venv
  • Delete the venv and recreate: rm -rf venv && python3 -m venv venv
  • Activate again: source venv/bin/activate

Windows-specific:

  • If PowerShell says "cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled":

    Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteS igned -Scope CurrentUser

    Then try activating again

"LLM provider not responding"

  1. Verify your API key in .env is correct
  2. Check internet connection
  3. Test with a known-working provider (e.g., swap to local Ollama)
  4. See TROUBLESHOOTING.md for provider-specific issues

Other Issues?

See TROUBLESHOOTING.md for common issues and solutions.

Next Steps

Which Repository?

Are you using the right one?

  • council-ai: The main open-source framework
  • council-ai-personal: Personal agent templates for individual use

See REPOSITORY_STRUCTURE.md for details on which to use.

Getting Help

Happy researching! 🚀