How to Set Up BMO Chatbot with Ollama on Obsidian App

The Obsidian app is a powerful note-taking and knowledge management tool, and integrating AI into it can enhance productivity. The BMO Chatbot powered by Ollama LLM brings AI-driven assistance directly into your workflow, enabling tasks such as content summarization, idea generation, and automated writing assistance. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to setting up the BMO Chatbot with Ollama in Obsidian.

Step 1: Install Obsidian and Set Up Your Vault

Before integrating AI, ensure you have Obsidian installed and properly configured.

1. Download Obsidian: Visit the official Obsidian website and install the app on your device.
2. Create or Open a Vault:
   • Launch Obsidian and create a new vault, or open an existing one where you want to use the chatbot.

Step 2: Install the BMO Chatbot Plugin

To integrate the chatbot, install the BMO Chatbot plugin within Obsidian:

1. Open Obsidian Settings: Click on ‘Settings’ (gear icon) in the bottom-left corner.
2. Navigate to Community Plugins:
   • Click on ‘Community Plugins.’
   • Toggle Safe Mode OFF to enable third-party plugin installation.
3. Search for BMO Chatbot:
   • Click ‘Browse’ and type ‘BMO Chatbot’ in the search bar.
   • Select the plugin and click ‘Install.’
4. Enable the Plugin: After installation, click ‘Enable’ to activate the chatbot in Obsidian.

Step 3: Install and Configure Ollama

Ollama serves as the AI language model that powers the BMO Chatbot. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Download Ollama:
   • Visit Ollama’s website and download the appropriate version for your operating system.
2. Install Ollama:
   • Follow the installation instructions for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
3. Run Ollama’s API Server:
   • Open your terminal or command prompt and start the server by entering:ollama serve
   • The API server should now be running at http://localhost:11434.

Step 4: Configure BMO Chatbot to Connect with Ollama

Now, link the chatbot to the Ollama server:

1. Open BMO Chatbot Settings:
   • In Obsidian, go to Settings > BMO Chatbot.
2. Configure Ollama Connection:
   • Locate the ‘Ollama Connection’ section.
   • Enter the following in the OLLAMA REST API URL field:http://localhost:11434
3. Handle CORS Issues (If Required):
   • If you encounter CORS errors, start the Ollama server with:OLLAMA_ORIGINS="app://obsidian.md" ollama serve
   • This allows Obsidian to communicate with Ollama.
4. Reload Models:
   • In BMO Chatbot’s settings, click the reload button next to the model dropdown to refresh available models.

Step 5: Start Using BMO Chatbot in Obsidian

After setup, you can now use the chatbot:

1. Open the Chatbot Panel:
   • Click on the chatbot icon in Obsidian’s left sidebar.
2. Start Chatting:
   • Type a message or command and let the AI assist you with your queries.

Example Commands:

• /model gpt-4: Switches to the GPT-4 model.
• /prompt summarize: Summarizes the given text.
• /save: Saves the current chat history into a note.
• /clear: Clears the chat window.

Additional Tips and Features

Managing AI Models in Ollama

Ollama allows downloading and managing various language models. Use this command to add a new model:

ollama pull [model-name]

Replace [model-name] with the AI model you want to use.

Optimizing BMO Chatbot Usage

• Adjust temperature settings to control AI response randomness.
• Use predefined prompt templates for common tasks.
• Save and retrieve chat history for later reference.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can integrate the BMO Chatbot with Ollama into Obsidian, creating an AI-powered knowledge management system. This setup enhances note-taking, boosts productivity, and provides intelligent assistance tailored to your workflow. Whether summarizing articles, generating ideas, or automating tasks, this AI integration is a powerful addition to your Obsidian workspace.