Cerebr is a browser AI assistant extension designed to enhance productivity and learning by enabling users to chat with web content, PDFs, and images. It targets power users and researchers who need efficient information processing and deep understanding of digital content, offering a seamless and distraction-free experience.

How It Works

Cerebr utilizes a smart sidebar accessible via hotkeys for quick AI interaction. It supports multiple AI APIs (like Claude, OpenAI), allowing flexible switching. Core technologies include Chrome Extension Manifest V3, native JavaScript, PDF.js for PDF handling, KaTeX for LaTeX math rendering, and Marked.js for Markdown. Its design prioritizes a minimalist interface, real-time streaming responses, and state persistence for chat history and settings.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Installation: Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). Desktop application available (macOS .dmg). Web version deployable to Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, or GitHub Pages.
• Prerequisites: API keys for supported AI models. For macOS desktop app: pake and iconutil. For Cloudflare Pages deployment: Cloudflare account, API TOKEN, and Account ID.
• Setup: Extension installation is typically quick. Web deployment involves following specific build commands and environment variable configurations.
• Links: Web demo: https://cerebr.yym68686.top

Highlighted Details

• Supports Q&A for webpages, PDFs, and images.
• Features cross-browser configuration synchronization.
• Offers real-time response streaming and generation stopping.
• Includes customizable hotkeys and light/dark themes.

Maintenance & Community

The project welcomes contributions via Issues and Pull Requests. Specific community channels (like Discord/Slack) or prominent contributors are not detailed in the README.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: GPL-3.0 License.
• Compatibility: GPL-3.0 is a strong copyleft license, meaning derivative works must also be open-sourced under GPL-3.0. This may have implications for commercial or closed-source use.

Limitations & Caveats

The GPL-3.0 license may restrict integration into proprietary software. The README mentions a specific command (sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Cerebr.app) required for the macOS desktop application, indicating potential macOS security quarantine issues.