Installation Guide
This guide provides instructions for installing TextLayer Core and setting up all necessary prerequisites before proceeding to the Quickstart section.
System Requirements
Hardware Requirements
- Processor: Multi-core processor (2+ cores recommended)
- RAM: Minimum 8GB (16GB recommended for development)
- Disk Space: At least 5GB of free disk space
Software Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10 or later
- Python: Version 3.12 or later
- Docker Desktop: Required for running OpenSearch
- PowerShell: Version 5.1 or later (included with Windows 10+)
- Terminal: Windows Terminal (recommended)
Hardware Requirements
- Processor: Multi-core processor (Apple Silicon or Intel)
- RAM: Minimum 8GB (16GB recommended for development)
- Disk Space: At least 5GB of free disk space
Software Requirements
- Operating System: macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
- Python: Version 3.12 or later
- Docker Desktop: Required for running OpenSearch
- Homebrew: Package manager for installing dependencies
- Terminal: Terminal.app or iTerm2 (recommended)
Hardware Requirements
- Processor: Multi-core processor (2+ cores recommended)
- RAM: Minimum 8GB (16GB recommended for development)
- Disk Space: At least 5GB of free disk space
Software Requirements
- Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, or other major distributions
- Python: Version 3.12 or later
- Docker: Required for running OpenSearch
- Docker Compose: Required for running OpenSearch
- Terminal: Bash or Zsh
Downloading TextLayer Core
You can download the latest version of TextLayer Core using the following command:
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://textlayer-core-latest.s3.amazonaws.com/textlayer-core-1.0.0.tar.gz" -OutFile "textlayer-core-1.0.0.tar.gz"
curl https://textlayer-core-latest.s3.amazonaws.com/textlayer-core-1.0.0.tar.gz -O
Installation Methods
Option 1: Python + uv (Recommended)
Installing Python
The recommended way to install Python is through the Microsoft Store:
- Open Microsoft Store
- Search for “Python 3.12”
- Click “Get” to install it
Installing uv Package Manager
TextLayer Core uses the uv package manager for fast dependency management:powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
Option 2: Conda
Installing Miniconda
Alternatively, you can use conda for Python environment management:
- Download Miniconda from docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html
- Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
- Restart your command prompt
- Verify installation:
- (Optional) Update conda:
Installing Docker Desktop
Download and install Docker Desktop from the official website.OpenSearch is required for vector search capabilities in TextLayer Core. Using Docker is the recommended way to run OpenSearch locally.
Option 1: Homebrew + uv (Recommended)
Installing Homebrew
If you don’t already have Homebrew installed:/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Installing Python
Install Python using Homebrew:brew update
brew install python@3.12
Installing uv Package Manager
Install uv using Homebrew:Option 2: Conda
Installing Miniconda
Alternatively, you can use conda for Python environment management:curl -O https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh
bash Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh
Installing Docker Desktop
Download and install Docker Desktop from the official website.OpenSearch is required for vector search capabilities in TextLayer Core. Using Docker is the recommended way to run OpenSearch locally.
Option 1: System Python + uv (Recommended)
Installing Python
Install Python 3.12 using your distribution’s package manager or compile from source. For Ubuntu, you can use a PPA:sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3.12 python3.12-venv python3.12-dev
Installing uv Package Manager
Install uv package manager:curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
Option 2: Conda
Installing Miniconda
Alternatively, you can use conda for Python environment management:curl -O https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
conda init bash
source ~/.bashrc
conda --version
Installing Docker and Docker Compose
Install Docker and Docker Compose:# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
# Install Docker Compose
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin
After installing Docker, make sure to add your user to the docker group:sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
Verification
To verify that your environment is set up correctly:
For Python + uv setup:
# Verify Python installation
python --version # Should show Python 3.12.x
# Verify uv installation
uv --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version
For Conda setup:
# Verify conda installation
conda --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version
For Homebrew + uv setup:
# Verify Python installation
python3 --version # Should show Python 3.12.x
# Verify uv installation
uv --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version
For Conda setup:
# Verify conda installation
conda --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version
For System Python + uv setup:
# Verify Python installation
python3.12 --version # Should show Python 3.12.x
# Verify uv installation
uv --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker compose version
For Conda setup:
# Verify conda installation
conda --version
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker compose version
Cursor MCP Integration (Optional)
If you’re using Cursor IDE, you can integrate TextLayer with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for enhanced AI assistance directly in your editor.
Installing MCP for Cursor
npx mint-mcp add textlayer
Configuring Cursor Settings
After installation, add the following configuration to your Cursor settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"textlayer": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["{path_given}/.mcp/textlayer/src/index.js"]
}
}
}
Replace {path_given} with the actual path provided by the installation command. This path will be displayed in your terminal after running the npx mint-mcp add textlayer command.
The MCP integration allows Cursor to understand your TextLayer project structure and provide more contextual AI assistance when working with your codebase.
Once all prerequisites and optional integrations are installed and verified, proceed to the Quickstart Guide to set up your TextLayer Core development environment.
