Getting Started

Getting Started

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up the SafeMinds AI project for local development. Follow these steps to get the application running on your machine.

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1. Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Operating System: Linux or macOS is recommended. Windows users should use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2).
• Python: Version 3.12.3 or later. Verify your installation includes pip. [Download Python](https://www.python.org/)
• Git: Required for cloning the project repository. [Install Git](https://git-scm.com/)
• Virtual Environment Tool: Python's built-in venv is used.

Optional: Depending on your OS and specific package installations (like OpenCV), you might need system-level build tools or libraries (e.g., build-essential, libgl1-mesa-glx on Debian/Ubuntu). Check pip install logs for errors if they occur.

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2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/HackByte3-0/SafeMind-AI
cd SafeMind-AI

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3. Set Up the Python Environment

We use a virtual environment to isolate project dependencies.

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv

# Activate it:
# macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

# Windows (Git Bash/WSL):
source venv/Scripts/activate

# Windows (Command Prompt):
.\venv\Scripts\activate.bat

# Windows (PowerShell):
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

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4. Configure Environment Variables

We use a .env file in development, loaded with python-dotenv.

a. Create .env File

cp env.example .env

b. Edit .env

Fill in the required environment variables:

# Django Settings
SECRET_KEY='your_unique_django_secret_key_here'
DEBUG=True
ALLOWED_HOSTS=127.0.0.1,localhost

# External API Keys
GEMINI_API_KEY='your_google_gemini_api_key_here'
CLOUDFLARE_ACCOUNT_ID='your_cloudflare_account_id_here'
CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN='your_cloudflare_api_token_here'

Note: Never commit your .env file to Git.

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5. Set Up External Services (API Keys)

a. Google Gemini API Key

• Purpose: Powers the AI chatbot using the Gemini Flash model.
• Steps:
  1. Go to [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/) or [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/)
  2. Create/select a project.
  3. Enable the Generative Language API or Vertex AI API.
  4. Go to Credentials > Create API key.
  5. Copy and add to your .env as GEMINI_API_KEY.

[Get API Key Guide](https://ai.google.dev/tutorials/get_started_web#get-api-key)

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b. Cloudflare API Token

• Purpose: Used for:

  • Speech-to-text transcription.
  • Sentiment analysis.

• Steps:

  1. Login at [Cloudflare Dashboard](https://dash.cloudflare.com/)
  2. Get your Account ID (found in Overview or Workers section).
  3. Go to My Profile > API Tokens > Create Token.
  4. Use template or custom permissions:
     • Account → Workers AI → Read
  5. Scope the token to your account.
  6. Copy and add it to .env as CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN.

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6. Set Up the Database

For local dev, we use SQLite (auto-handled by Django).

# Apply DB migrations
python manage.py migrate

# Create a superuser for the admin panel
python manage.py createsuperuser

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7. Run the Development Server

python manage.py runserver

Should output something like:

Django version X.Y, using settings 'SafeMindsAI.settings'
Starting development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Quit the server with CONTROL-C.

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8. First Run Checks

• Admin Panel: Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/ and log in.
• Main App: Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ to check the app loads.

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🎉 Done! You now have a local SafeMinds AI environment running. Let the building begin!

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