Skip to content

QUICKSTART.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
181 lines (128 loc) · 3.66 KB

QUICKSTART.md

File metadata and controls

181 lines (128 loc) · 3.66 KB
Raw

Quick Start Guide

Get the Zotero NotebookLM Plugin running in 5 minutes.

Prerequisites Check

# Verify you have the required tools
node --version   # Should be 18+
python3 --version # Should be 3.8+

If missing:

Installation Steps

1. Install Dependencies (2 minutes)

# Install Python dependencies
cd python
uv sync
uv run playwright install chromium
cd ..

# Install Node.js dependencies (for development)
npm install

2. Start the Server (30 seconds)

# Start the Python backend (keep this running)
cd python
uv run uvicorn server:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 5847

You should see:

INFO:     Uvicorn running on http://127.0.0.1:5847

Keep this terminal open! The server must run while using the plugin.

3. Build the Plugin (1 minute)

In a new terminal:

npm run build
npm run package

This creates dist/zotero-notebooklm-plugin-1.0.0.xpi

4. Install in Zotero (1 minute)

  1. Open Zotero 8
  2. Go to Tools → Plugins
  3. Click the gear icon → Install Plugin From File
  4. Select dist/zotero-notebooklm-plugin-1.0.0.xpi
  5. Click Restart Now

First Use

1. Add a Test Item with URL

  1. In Zotero, click New Item → Web Page
  2. Fill in:
  3. Save

2. Export to NotebookLM

  1. Right-click the item
  2. Select "Add to NotebookLM"
  3. On first use, you'll be prompted to login:
    • Click Yes
    • A browser opens
    • Sign in with your Google account
    • Close the browser when done
  4. Select a notebook from the list
  5. Wait for "Export Complete" message

3. Verify in NotebookLM

  1. Go to notebooklm.google.com
  2. Open the notebook you selected
  3. You should see your URL added as a source

Common Issues

"NotebookLM server not running"

Fix: Start the Python server:

cd python
uv run uvicorn server:app --port 5847

"No URLs found"

Fix: Make sure your items have URLs:

  1. Select item in Zotero
  2. Look for URL field in right panel
  3. Add a URL if missing

"Login failed"

Fix:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Make sure you have a NotebookLM account
  3. Try clearing credentials: 
    rm -rf ~/.notebooklm
  4. Restart the Python server
  5. Try logging in again

Port already in use

Fix: Kill the process using port 5847:

# macOS/Linux
lsof -ti:5847 | xargs kill

# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :5847
taskkill /PID <PID> /F

Daily Usage

Every time you use Zotero:

  1. Start server (in terminal):

    cd python
uv run uvicorn server:app --port 5847

  2. Use Zotero normally - the plugin is ready

  3. Export items: Right-click → "Add to NotebookLM"

Optional: Auto-start Server

macOS/Linux - Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

alias zotero-server="cd /path/to/zotero-notebooklm-plugin/python && uvicorn server:app --port 5847"

Then just run: zotero-server

Windows - Create start-server.bat:

cd C:\path\to\zotero-notebooklm-plugin\python
uv run uvicorn server:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 5847
pause

Double-click to start.

Next Steps

Getting Help

  • Check server is running: Visit http://127.0.0.1:5847/api/health
  • View Zotero errors: Tools → Developer → Error Console
  • Check server logs: Look at the terminal where uvicorn is running