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NEXUS Setup Guide

This guide provides the step-by-step instructions to get the NEXUS project running locally on your machine.

Requirements

  • Google Gemini API Key: You must have a valid API key from Google AI Studio.
  • Python 3.10+: Required for the backend and AI helper.
  • C Compiler: A C compiler like gcc (common on Linux/macOS) or MinGW (for Windows).
  • Web Browser: A modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

Step 1: Get Your Gemini API Key

This is the most important step.

  1. Go to Google AI Studio and create a new API key.

  2. Set an Environment Variable: You must set this key in your terminal. Do not hard-code it into the Python files.

    • Windows (PowerShell): 
      $env:GEMINI_API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
    • macOS / Linux: 
      export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

    Note: You must re-run this command every time you open a new terminal.

Step 2: Set Up the Python Environment

It is highly recommended to use a clean virtual environment to avoid conflicts.

  1. Create a Virtual Environment: From the NEXUS/ root folder:

    python -m venv venv

  2. Activate the Environment:

    • Windows: .\venv\Scripts\activate
    • macOS / Linux: source venv/bin/activate

  3. Install Python Libraries:

    # These are the only 3 libraries needed for this project
pip install google-generativeai
pip install flask
pip install flask-cors

    Troubleshooting: If you ever get a 404 v1beta error, your library is out of date. Run this: pip install --upgrade google-generativeai

Step 3: Compile the C-Core Engine

The C-Core must be compiled into an executable file that the Python backend can run.

  1. Navigate to the c_core directory: 
    cd c_core
  2. Compile all .c files using gcc: 
    # This command finds all .c files and compiles them into
# a single executable named "nexus_engine.exe"
gcc -Wall -Wextra -std=c11 -O2 -o nexus_engine.exe *.c
  3. Verify that nexus_engine.exe (or nexus_engine on macOS/Linux) is now present in the c_core folder.

Step 4: Run the Application

  1. Navigate back to the backend directory: 
    cd ../backend
  2. Set your API key in this terminal (if you haven't already). 
    # Windows
$env:GEMINI_API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
  3. Run the Flask server: 
    python app.py
  4. You should see the server running on http://127.0.0.1:5000.

Step 5: Open the Frontend

  1. Navigate to the frontend folder.
  2. Open the index.html file directly in your browser.
  3. You are ready to go. Upload a document to begin.

Troubleshooting

  • Error: 429 You exceeded your current quota

    • Cause: You are using the Gemini free tier, which is limited to 1-2 requests per minute. You uploaded too many files too quickly.
    • Fix: Stop your server, wait 60 seconds, and restart it.

  • Error: 500 Internal Server Error (in the browser)

    • Cause: The C-Core engine is missing or cannot run.
    • Fix: You forgot to do Step 3. Go to c_core and run the gcc command.

  • Problem: The Mind Map is just text (e.g., MINDMAP_DATA:...)

    • Cause: Your browser is using an old, cached version of the script.js file.
    • Fix: Do a "Hard Refresh" in your browser: Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).