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Installation

This guide covers everything you need to install and configure REMem for your use case.

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Requirements

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Python version

REMem requires Python 3.10 or higher. You can check your Python version: 
python --version
REMem has been tested with Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12. We recommend using Python 3.10+ for the best compatibility.

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System requirements

  • Memory: At least 8GB RAM (16GB+ recommended for large datasets)
  • GPU: Optional but recommended for faster embedding generation and offline LLM inference
  • Storage: Varies based on dataset size and caching

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Installation methods

1

Install from PyPI

REMem is not yet published to PyPI. Use the source installation method below.
2

Install from source (recommended)

Clone the repository and install in editable mode:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/intuit-ai-research/REMem.git
cd REMem

# Install in editable mode
pip install -e .
This installs REMem along with all required dependencies from pyproject.toml.
3

Install from requirements.txt

Alternatively, install dependencies from the requirements file:
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -e .

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Core dependencies

REMem automatically installs these core dependencies:

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Graph and numerical computation

  • networkx (3.4.2) — Graph algorithms and structures
  • python_igraph (0.11.8) — Fast graph operations
  • numpy (1.26.4) — Numerical computing
  • scipy (1.14.1) — Scientific computing

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Machine learning and embeddings

  • torch (2.6.0) — PyTorch for deep learning
  • sentence_transformers (3.3.1) — Embedding model interface
  • transformers (4.51.1) — Hugging Face transformers
  • nano_vectordb (0.0.4.3) — Lightweight vector database

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LLM integration

  • openai (≥1.0.0) — OpenAI API client
  • vllm (0.8.5post1) — Offline LLM inference
  • dspy (2.5.29) — DSPy for prompt optimization
  • tiktoken (0.7.0) — Token counting

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Utilities

  • tqdm (4.66.6) — Progress bars
  • tenacity (8.5.0) — Retry logic
  • pydantic (2.10.4) — Data validation
  • pandas — Data manipulation
  • nltk — Natural language processing
See pyproject.toml in the repository for the complete list of dependencies and version constraints.

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API keys and configuration

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OpenAI API

For online mode with OpenAI models: 
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
Optionally set a custom base URL: 
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://api.openai.com/v1"

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Azure OpenAI

For Azure OpenAI deployments: 
export AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY="your-azure-key"
export AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT="https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/"

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Environment variables

REMem respects these environment variables: 
# CUDA configuration
export CUDA_DEVICE_ORDER="PCI_BUS_ID"
export CUDA_VISIBLE_DEVICES="0"  # Specify GPU

# Tokenizer settings
export TOKENIZERS_PARALLELISM="false"  # Disable tokenizer warnings

# Logging
export LOG_LEVEL="INFO"  # DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR

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Embedding models

REMem supports multiple embedding models: 
config = BaseConfig(
    embedding_model_name="nvidia/NV-Embed-v2",
)
NV-Embed-v2 provides state-of-the-art retrieval performance and is the default choice for most use cases.

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OpenAI embeddings

config = BaseConfig(
    embedding_model_name="text-embedding-3-large",
)

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GritLM

config = BaseConfig(
    embedding_model_name="gritlm/gritlm-7b",
)

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Qwen3

config = BaseConfig(
    embedding_model_name="Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-7B",
)
Local embedding models (NV-Embed-v2, GritLM, Qwen3) will be downloaded from Hugging Face on first use. Make sure you have sufficient disk space.

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LLM backends

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Online mode (OpenAI API)

Default mode for development and smaller workloads: 
config = BaseConfig(
    llm_name="gpt-4o-mini",
    llm_base_url="https://api.openai.com/v1",
    llm_infer_mode="online",
)
Supported models:
  • gpt-4o-mini (recommended for cost-effectiveness)
  • gpt-4o
  • gpt-3.5-turbo

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Offline mode (vLLM)

For batch processing and local inference: 
config = BaseConfig(
    llm_name="meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct",
    llm_infer_mode="offline",
)
Offline mode is more efficient for large-scale indexing and benchmarking, as it batches requests and runs locally.

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Verify installation

Run this simple script to verify your installation: 
from remem.remem import ReMem
from remem.utils.config_utils import BaseConfig

print("REMem imported successfully!")

# Test basic initialization
config = BaseConfig(
    dataset="test",
    extract_method="openie",
    llm_name="gpt-4o-mini",
    embedding_model_name="nvidia/NV-Embed-v2",
)

rag = ReMem(global_config=config)
print(f"REMem initialized with working directory: {rag.working_dir}")
print("Installation verified!")
Expected output: 
REMem imported successfully!
REMem initialized with working directory: outputs/test/ReMem_2026-03-03-12:00:00
Installation verified!

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Troubleshooting

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Import errors

If you encounter import errors, make sure all dependencies are installed: 
pip install -e . --force-reinstall

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CUDA/GPU issues

If you have GPU issues, ensure PyTorch is installed correctly: 
# For CUDA 11.8
pip install torch --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu118

# For CUDA 12.1
pip install torch --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu121

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Embedding model download

If embedding models fail to download, you can pre-download them: 
from sentence_transformers import SentenceTransformer

# Pre-download NV-Embed-v2
model = SentenceTransformer("nvidia/NV-Embed-v2")

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Out of memory errors

For large datasets, reduce batch sizes: 
config = BaseConfig(
    embedding_batch_size=4,  # Reduce from default 8
    retrieval_top_k=100,     # Reduce candidates
)

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Development setup

For development, install additional tools: 
# Install development dependencies
pip install black ruff pytest

# Format code
black src/

# Lint code
ruff check src/
REMem uses:
  • Black for code formatting (line length: 120)
  • Ruff for linting (compatible with Python 3.10+)

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Next steps

Quickstart

Build your first REMem application

Configuration

Learn about advanced configuration options

Benchmarks

Run REMem on research benchmarks

Examples

Browse complete code examples

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