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docs/services/individual/perplexica.md
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docs/services/individual/perplexica.md
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# Perplexica - AI-Powered Search Engine
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Perplexica is a self-hosted AI-powered search engine that combines traditional search with Large Language Models to provide intelligent, conversational search results.
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## Overview
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| Setting | Value |
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|---------|-------|
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| **Host** | Homelab VM (192.168.0.210) |
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| **Port** | 4785 |
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| **Image** | `itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest` |
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| **Web UI** | http://192.168.0.210:4785 |
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| **Settings** | http://192.168.0.210:4785/settings |
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| **Stack File** | `hosts/vms/homelab-vm/perplexica.yaml` |
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## Features
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- **AI-Powered Search**: Combines web search with LLM reasoning
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- **Multiple LLM Support**: OpenAI, Ollama, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, LM Studio
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- **Integrated SearXNG**: Self-hosted search engine for privacy
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- **Media Search**: Automatic image and video search
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- **Chat History**: Persistent conversation storage
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- **Custom System Instructions**: Personalize AI behavior
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## Current Configuration
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### LLM Providers
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Perplexica is currently configured with:
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1. **Transformers** (Built-in)
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- Embedding models for semantic search
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- No external API needed
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2. **Ollama - Atlantis** (Primary)
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- Base URL: `http://192.168.0.200:11434` (local network)
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- Public URL: `https://ollama.vish.gg` (Cloudflare proxy - may timeout)
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- Available models:
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- `qwen2.5:3b` - Fast, efficient
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- `qwen2.5:1.5b` - Very fast, lightweight
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- `llama3.2:3b` - Good balance
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- `mistral:7b` - Strong reasoning
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- `codellama:7b` - For code-related searches
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- And 15+ more models
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3. **Ollama - Seattle** (Secondary/Backup)
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- Base URL: `http://100.82.197.124:11434` (Tailscale VPN)
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- Hosted on Contabo VPS (CPU-only inference)
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- Available models:
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- `qwen2.5:1.5b` - Fast, lightweight
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- Purpose: Load distribution and redundancy
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- See: `hosts/vms/seattle/README-ollama.md`
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### SearXNG Integration
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Perplexica includes a built-in SearXNG instance:
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- Runs internally on port 8080
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- Aggregates results from multiple search engines
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- Provides privacy-focused web search
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- Automatically started with the container
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## Setup & Deployment
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### Docker Compose
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```yaml
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services:
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perplexica:
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image: itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest
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container_name: perplexica
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ports:
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- "4785:3000"
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environment:
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- OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://192.168.0.200:11434
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volumes:
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- perplexica-data:/home/perplexica/data
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restart: unless-stopped
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volumes:
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perplexica-data:
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```
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**Important:** The `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` environment variable configures which Ollama instance Perplexica uses.
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**Current Configuration (February 2026):**
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- Using Seattle Ollama: `http://100.82.197.124:11434` (via Tailscale)
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- This distributes LLM inference load to the Contabo VPS
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- CPU-only inference (~8-12 tokens/second)
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- Zero additional cost (VPS already running)
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### Recent Fixes
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#### January 2026 - Networking Simplification
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The configuration was simplified to resolve networking issues:
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**Before (❌ Had Issues):**
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```yaml
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services:
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perplexica:
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extra_hosts:
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- "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
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network_mode: bridge
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```
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**After (✅ Working):**
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```yaml
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services:
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perplexica:
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# Uses default bridge network
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# No extra_hosts needed
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```
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**What Changed:**
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- Removed `extra_hosts` configuration (not needed for external Ollama access)
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- Removed explicit `network_mode: bridge` (uses default)
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- Simplified networking works better with container DNS
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#### February 2026 - Cloudflare Timeout Fix
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Fixed LLM query timeouts by using local Ollama URL:
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**Problem:**
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- Using `https://ollama.vish.gg` caused Cloudflare 524 timeouts
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- LLM queries took longer than Cloudflare's timeout limit
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- Searches stuck in "answering" state indefinitely
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**Solution:**
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```yaml
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environment:
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- OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://192.168.0.200:11434
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```
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**Result:**
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- Direct local network connection to Ollama
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- No Cloudflare proxy delays
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- Fast, reliable LLM responses
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- Searches complete successfully
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## Configuration
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### Adding LLM Providers
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1. Navigate to http://192.168.0.210:4785/settings
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2. Click "Model Providers"
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3. Add a new provider:
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#### Example: Ollama Seattle (Secondary Instance)
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```json
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{
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"name": "Ollama Seattle",
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"type": "ollama",
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"baseURL": "http://100.82.197.124:11434",
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"apiKey": ""
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}
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```
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Benefits:
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- Load distribution across multiple Ollama instances
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- Redundancy if primary Ollama is down
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- Access to models hosted on seattle VM
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#### Example: Local LM Studio
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```json
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{
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"name": "LM Studio",
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"type": "lmstudio",
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"baseURL": "http://100.98.93.15:1234",
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"apiKey": "lm-studio"
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}
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```
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#### Example: OpenAI
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```json
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{
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"name": "OpenAI",
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"type": "openai",
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"apiKey": "sk-...",
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"baseURL": "https://api.openai.com/v1"
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}
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```
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### Custom System Instructions
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Add personalized behavior in Settings → Personalization:
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```
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Respond in a friendly and concise tone.
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Format answers as bullet points when appropriate.
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Focus on technical accuracy for programming questions.
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```
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## Usage
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### Basic Search
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1. Open http://192.168.0.210:4785
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2. Enter your search query
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3. Select search mode:
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- **Web Search** - General internet search
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- **Academic** - Research papers and publications
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- **YouTube** - Video search
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- **Code** - GitHub and programming resources
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### Advanced Features
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**Auto Media Search:**
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- Automatically finds relevant images and videos
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- Enable in Settings → Preferences
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**Weather Widget:**
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- Shows current weather on homepage
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- Toggle in Settings → Preferences
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**News Widget:**
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- Recent news headlines on homepage
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- Toggle in Settings → Preferences
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## Data Persistence
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Perplexica stores data in a Docker volume:
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```bash
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# Location: perplexica-data volume
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/home/perplexica/data/
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├── config.json # App configuration & LLM providers
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└── db.sqlite # Chat history and conversations
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```
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### Backup
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```bash
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# Backup perplexica data
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docker run --rm -v perplexica-data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar czf /backup/perplexica-backup.tar.gz /data
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# Restore
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docker run --rm -v perplexica-data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar xzf /backup/perplexica-backup.tar.gz -C /
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```
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## API Access
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### Configuration API
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```bash
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# Get current configuration
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curl http://192.168.0.210:4785/api/config
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# Returns LLM providers, preferences, etc.
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```
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### Search API
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```bash
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# Perform a search (requires authentication)
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curl -X POST http://192.168.0.210:4785/api/search \
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-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
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-d '{
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"query": "what is kubernetes",
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"mode": "web"
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}'
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```
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## Monitoring
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### Container Status
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```bash
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# Check if running
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docker ps | grep perplexica
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# View logs
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docker logs perplexica
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# Follow logs
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docker logs -f perplexica
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```
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### Health Check
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```bash
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# Test HTTP response
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curl -I http://192.168.0.210:4785
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# Expected: HTTP/1.1 200 OK
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```
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## Troubleshooting
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### SearXNG Errors
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If you see `ERROR:searx.engines` in logs:
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```bash
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# Check internal SearXNG
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docker exec perplexica curl http://localhost:8080
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# These errors are normal and non-critical:
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# - "loading engine ahmia failed" (Tor engine)
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# - "loading engine torch failed" (Tor engine)
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# - "X-Forwarded-For nor X-Real-IP header is set"
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```
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### LLM Connection Issues
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**Problem:** "Failed to connect to LLM provider"
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**Solution:**
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1. Verify the provider URL is accessible from the container
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2. Check API key is correct
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3. For Ollama, ensure models are pulled:
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```bash
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curl https://ollama.vish.gg/api/tags
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```
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### Container Won't Start
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```bash
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# Check logs for errors
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docker logs perplexica
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# Common issues:
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# - Port 4785 already in use
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# - Volume mount permissions
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# - Database corruption (delete and recreate volume)
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```
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### Database Issues
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If chat history is corrupted:
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```bash
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# Stop container
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docker stop perplexica
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# Backup and reset database
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docker run --rm -v perplexica-data:/data alpine rm /data/db.sqlite
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# Restart (will create new database)
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docker start perplexica
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```
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## Privacy Considerations
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### What Data Leaves Your Network?
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When using external LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.):
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- Your search queries
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- Chat history for context
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- Search results fed to the LLM
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### Keeping Everything Local
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For maximum privacy, use local models:
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1. **Use Ollama** (as currently configured)
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- `https://ollama.vish.gg` is your local Ollama instance
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- No data sent to external APIs
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- All processing happens on your hardware
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2. **Use LM Studio** (Tailscale network)
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- `http://100.98.93.15:1234/v1`
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- Local inference
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- Private to your network
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## Performance Tips
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1. **Choose appropriate models:**
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- `qwen2.5:1.5b` - Fastest, basic queries
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- `qwen2.5:3b` - Good balance
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- `mistral:7b` - Better quality, slower
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2. **Disable auto media search** if you don't need images/videos
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3. **Use SearXNG directly** for simple searches (bypass AI)
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4. **Limit context window** in system instructions to reduce token usage
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## Integration Ideas
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### Home Assistant
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Create a custom command to search via Perplexica:
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```yaml
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# In Home Assistant configuration.yaml
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shell_command:
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perplexica_search: 'curl -X POST http://192.168.0.210:4785/api/search -d "{\"query\": \"{{ query }}\"}"'
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```
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### Alfred/Raycast (macOS)
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Create a workflow to search directly from your launcher.
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### Custom Dashboard
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Embed the search interface in your homelab dashboard:
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```html
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<iframe src="http://192.168.0.210:4785" width="100%" height="800px"></iframe>
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```
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## Updates
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### Manual Update
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```bash
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# Pull latest image
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docker pull itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest
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# Recreate container (GitOps handles this)
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docker compose -f hosts/vms/homelab-vm/perplexica.yaml up -d
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```
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### Automatic Updates
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Managed via GitOps + Watchtower:
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- GitOps polls repo every 5 minutes
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- Watchtower updates `:latest` images automatically
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- No manual intervention needed
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## Related Services
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- **Ollama** (`Atlantis/ollama/`) - Local LLM inference
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- **OpenHands** (`homelab_vm/openhands.yaml`) - AI coding agent
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- **Redlib** (`homelab_vm/redlib.yaml`) - Reddit privacy frontend
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- **SearXNG** (Built into Perplexica) - Privacy-focused search
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## References
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- [Perplexica GitHub](https://github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Perplexica)
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- [SearXNG Documentation](https://docs.searxng.org/)
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- [Ollama Models](https://ollama.com/library)
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---
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**Status:** ✅ Fully operational
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**Last Updated:** February 2026
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**Maintained By:** GitOps (Portainer)
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