perplexica-search-tui

🔮 Perplexica Search TUI

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Beautiful terminal interface for the Perplexica API – AI-powered search in your terminal.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd main
   

2. Set up a Python virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv ~/venv/perplexica
   source ~/venv/perplexica/bin/activate
   

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

4. Install to system PATH (optional but recommended):

   # Move files to a permanent location
   sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/perplexica
   sudo cp search.sh perplexica-search-tui.py /usr/local/bin/perplexica/
      
   # Set execute permissions
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/perplexica/search.sh
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/perplexica/perplexica-search-tui.py
      
   # Add to PATH (add this line to your shell profile like ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
   export PATH="/usr/local/bin/perplexica:$PATH"
   

5. Configure your API endpoint:

   • Edit perplexica-search-tui.py and set API_URL to your own Perplexica API endpoint.
   • Edit search.sh and set VENV_PATH to your Python virtual environment path if different from the default.

Usage

Interactive Mode

./search.sh

• Use /mode to switch focus modes (web, academic, writing, etc.).
• Use /speed to change optimization mode (speed/balanced).
• Use /clear to clear history.
• Use /help for help.
• Use /exit to quit.

Direct Query (Non-interactive)

./search.sh --query "What is quantum computing?"

Command-line Options

• --mode MODE - Set focus mode (e.g., webSearch, academicSearch)
• --query QUERY - Run a direct query
• --speed MODE - Set optimization mode (speed/balanced)
• --version - Show version

FAQ

Q: How do I set my API endpoint? A: Edit perplexica-search-tui.py and set API_URL to your Perplexica API server.

Q: How do I set my Python virtual environment path? A: Edit search.sh and set VENV_PATH to the path where your venv is located.

Q: I get 'Python interpreter not found' errors. A: Make sure your virtual environment exists and VENV_PATH is correct.

Q: How do I pass system instructions? A: In interactive mode, use | to separate your query and instructions, e.g. translate this to French | write in formal tone

Q: What Python version is required? A: Python 3.8 or newer.

Q: How do I install dependencies? A: Run pip install -r requirements.txt inside your virtual environment.

Q: How do I exit? A: Use /exit in interactive mode or press Ctrl+C.

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For more details, see comments in the scripts. If you encounter issues, check your API endpoint and venv configuration.

Links

• Perplexica on GitHub - Set up your own Perplexica server with docker and docker-compose! Use other cloud hosts, or just locally-hosted Ollama!