Learning Timeline
Key Insights
AI Model Flexibility
You are not restricted to OpenAI. By modifying the .env file, you can configure Robin to use Anthropic (Claude) or local LLMs via Ollama (Llama 3.1) depending on your privacy requirements and API key availability.
Visual Interface via Docker
Although the installation is heavily command-line based, the final Docker container spins up a GUI (Graphic User Interface) accessible via browser, rather than forcing you to operate the scraper entirely through text commands.
Step by Step
Installing Prerequisites & Cloning Repository
- Open your terminal (WSL for Windows or Terminal for macOS).
- If using macOS, type 'brew install tor' and press Enter.
- If using Windows (WSL)/Linux, type 'sudo apt install tor' and press Enter.
- Enter your sudo password if prompted.
- Navigate to the GitHub repository page for Robin AI.
- Copy the repository URL.
- In your terminal, type 'git clone' followed by the pasted URL.
- Press Enter to clone the files.
- Type 'cd [folder_name]' to navigate into the newly created directory.
Configuring AI Models and Environment Variables
- Verify the existence of the example configuration file by listing files (look for '.env.example').
- Type 'cp .env.example .env' to create a new editable configuration file.
- Type 'nano .env' to open the file in the text editor.
- Locate the 'OPENAI_API_KEY' variable line.
- Paste your valid OpenAI API key after the equals sign.
- Locate the 'OLLAMA_BASE_URL' variable line if you intend to use local models.
- Enter your local Ollama port/URL (e.g., http://localhost:11434).
- Press 'Ctrl + X' to exit the editor.
- Press 'Y' to confirm the changes.
- Press 'Enter' to save the filename.
Building and Running the Docker Container
- Ensure you are still in the root directory of the Robin project.
- Type 'sudo docker build -t robin .' (ensure there is a space and a period at the end).
- Wait for the Docker image to build (this may take time as it installs dependencies like Beautiful Soup).
- Locate the specific 'docker run' command provided in the repository README.
- Copy and paste the 'docker run' command into your terminal.
- Press Enter to start the application.
