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Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing, configuring, and using HALO Core for the first time.

Prerequisites

Before running HALO Core, make sure you have:

  • Python 3.10+ (3.11 recommended)
  • FFmpeg — required for audio/video transcription
  • OpenAI API key — for full AI features
  • Optional: Node/npm for frontend tooling

Installation

1. Create Virtual Environment

python -m venv .venv
. .venv/Scripts/activate        # Windows PowerShell
# or
source .venv/bin/activate       # Linux/macOS

2. Install Dependencies

pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configure Secrets

Create .streamlit/secrets.toml:

OPENAI_API_KEY = "sk-..."

Additional optional keys:

# For memory backend
HALO_AGENT_DB = "sqlite:///data/memory.db"

# For custom data directory
HALO_DATA_DIR = "data"

Running the App

streamlit run app/main.py

The app opens in your browser at http://localhost:8501.

First-Use Flow

Follow these steps for your first successful workflow:

Step 1: Add Sources

  1. Open Sources panel (left column)
  2. Click + Quellen hinzufügen
  3. Upload one or more files (PDF, DOCX, TXT, MD, CSV, XLSX, PPTX, images, audio, video)
  4. Wait for ingestion to complete

Step 2: Select Sources

  1. Mark sources via checkboxes
  2. Or use "select all" for bulk selection

Step 3: Ask a Question

  1. Open Chat panel (center column)
  2. Enter a prompt in the text input
  3. Optionally attach an image or record audio
  4. Press Enter or click Send

Step 4: Review the Answer

  • The response appears in the chat area
  • Expand Agent Actions or Tool Calls for details
  • Check source citations if applicable

Step 5: Save as Note

  1. Click In Notiz speichern below the response
  2. The note appears in the Notes section

Step 6: Generate Output

  1. Open Studio panel (right column)
  2. Choose a template (e.g., Bericht)
  3. Click the generate button
  4. Review the output in Studio-Ergebnisse

Expected Result

You now have a complete source-to-output workflow:

  1. ✅ Sources imported and selected
  2. ✅ Question asked and answered
  3. ✅ Answer saved as note
  4. ✅ Structured output generated

Account and Identity

There is no mandatory account sign-up in the UI:

  • Default user identity is local-user
  • Advanced users can set a custom user_id in configuration
  • Memory backend enables persistent user memory across sessions

Next Steps

  • Sources — Learn about source management
  • Chat — Deep dive into chat features
  • Studio — Explore output generation
  • Workflows — Common task recipes