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Prerequisites

Before installing VectorDB, ensure you have:
  • Python 3.11 or higher - VectorDB requires Python 3.11+
  • uv package manager - VectorDB uses uv for dependency management
VectorDB requires Python 3.11 or later. Check your Python version with python --version

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Install uv

VectorDB uses uv for fast, reliable dependency management. If you don’t already have uv installed: 
pip install uv
uv is significantly faster than pip and provides better dependency resolution. Learn more at uv documentation.

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Install VectorDB

1

Clone the repository

Clone the VectorDB repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/avnlp/vectordb.git
cd vectordb
2

Install dependencies

Use uv to install all project dependencies:
uv sync
This command will:
  • Create a virtual environment in .venv/
  • Install all production dependencies
  • Install development dependencies (tests, linting, type checking)
The uv sync command reads from pyproject.toml and ensures all dependencies are installed with the correct versions.
3

Activate the virtual environment

Activate the virtual environment created by uv:
source .venv/bin/activate
You should see (.venv) in your terminal prompt when the environment is active.
4

Verify installation

Verify that VectorDB is installed correctly:
python -c "import vectordb; print('VectorDB installed successfully!')"

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Environment variables

VectorDB uses environment variables for API keys and database connections. Create a .env file in your project root:
.env
# Vector Database API Keys
PINECONE_API_KEY=your_pinecone_key
QDRANT_API_KEY=your_qdrant_key
WEAVIATE_API_KEY=your_weaviate_key

# LLM API Keys (for RAG)
GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key

# Database Paths (for local databases)
CHROMA_PATH=./chroma_data
MILVUS_URI=./milvus_data
You only need to configure the vector databases and LLMs you plan to use. VectorDB will work with whatever services you have credentials for.

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Optional: Install for production only

If you only need production dependencies (no testing or development tools), you can exclude the dev group: 
uv sync --no-dev

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Next steps

Quickstart

Build your first RAG pipeline

Configuration

Learn about configuration files

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