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Environment Setup Guide

This guide explains how to set up the environment variables required for the Pen2PDF application.

Backend Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

cd backend
touch .env

Add the following content to the .env file:

# Google Gemini AI API Key (Required for AI features)
# Get your API key from: https://ai.google.dev/
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key_here

# LongCat API Key (Required for AI Assistant LongCat models)
# Get your API key from LongCat
LONGCAT_API_KEY=your_longcat_api_key_here

Supported Variable Names

The application supports both naming conventions for compatibility:

Gemini API

  • GEMINI_API_KEY (recommended)
  • geminiApiKey (alternative)

LongCat API

  • LONGCAT_API_KEY (recommended)
  • longcatApiKey (alternative)

Getting API Keys

Google Gemini API Key

  1. Visit Google AI Studio
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. Create a new API key
  4. Copy the API key to your .env file

LongCat API Key

  1. Contact LongCat or visit their platform
  2. Get your API key from the documentation provided
  3. Copy the API key to your .env file

Important Notes

  • Never commit your .env file to version control - it's already in .gitignore
  • Keep your API keys secure and don't share them publicly
  • If you accidentally expose an API key, regenerate it immediately

Verifying Setup

After setting up your .env file:

  1. Restart your backend server:

    cd backend
node index.js

  2. Test the AI Assistant:

    • Open the AI Assistant from the main page
    • Try sending a message with Gemini models
    • Try sending a message with LongCat models

If you see error messages about API keys, verify:

  • The .env file exists in the backend directory
  • The API keys are correctly copied (no extra spaces or quotes)
  • The environment variable names match exactly

Troubleshooting

"LongCat API key not configured" error

  • Ensure LONGCAT_API_KEY is set in your .env file
  • Restart the backend server after adding the key

"Network error: Unable to connect to Gemini API" error

  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify your Gemini API key is valid
  • Check if there are any firewall/proxy restrictions

"Failed to get response from LongCat" error

  • Verify your LongCat API key is valid
  • Check the LongCat service status
  • Ensure you have proper internet connectivity