Welcome to the General Bots documentation. This guide explains how to install, configure, extend, and deploy conversational AI bots using General Bots' template-based package system and BASIC scripting language.
The following chapters now contain accurate, verified documentation: Chapter 02 covering the package system with its template-based `.gbai` structure, Chapter 06 documenting the Rust architecture including the single-crate structure and module overview, Chapter 09 explaining core features, and the Introduction providing architecture and capabilities overview.
Several areas have partial documentation that continues to improve. Chapter 05 on BASIC keywords includes working examples though the full reference needs expansion. Chapter 08 on tool integration has concepts documented while implementation details are being added. Chapter 11 on authentication reflects the implemented functionality but needs additional detail.
Documentation work continues on several modules. The UI module in `src/ui/`, the UI tree module in `src/ui_tree/`, the Riot compiler module in `src/riot_compiler/`, and the prompt manager in `src/prompt_manager/` all need comprehensive documentation. API endpoints, UI server routes, Drive integration details for S3-compatible storage, and LiveKit video conferencing integration are also being documented.
General Bots is an open-source conversational AI platform written in Rust. The platform enables users to create intelligent chatbots through several integrated capabilities.
BASIC Scripting provides simple `.bas` scripts for defining conversation flows without requiring traditional programming expertise. Template Packages organize bots as `.gbai` directories containing dialogs, knowledge bases, and configuration in a portable structure. Vector Search enables semantic document retrieval using Qdrant for intelligent information access. LLM Integration connects to local models, cloud APIs, and custom providers for natural language understanding. Auto-Bootstrap handles automated installation of PostgreSQL, cache, drive storage, and other dependencies. Multi-Bot Hosting allows running multiple isolated bots on a single server instance.
Getting started with General Bots follows a straightforward path. Begin with installation by following Chapter 01 on Run and Talk. Then explore the templates directory, particularly `templates/announcements.gbai/`, to see working examples. Create your own bot by copying a template and modifying it to suit your needs. Learn the BASIC scripting language through Chapter 05's reference documentation. Configure your bot by editing the `config.csv` file in your `.gbot/` directory. Finally, deploy by restarting General Bots to activate your changes.
Chapter 02 on About Packages provides an overview of the template-based package system. This includes the `.gbai` Architecture explaining package structure and lifecycle, `.gbdialog` Dialogs for BASIC scripts, `.gbkb` Knowledge Base for document collections, `.gbot` Configuration for bot parameters, `.gbtheme` UI Theming for web interface customization, and `.gbdrive` File Storage for S3-compatible drive integration.
Chapter 06 on gbdialog Reference provides the complete BASIC scripting reference including keywords like TALK, HEAR, LLM, SET CONTEXT, USE KB, and many more.
Chapter 07 on gbapp Architecture Reference documents the internal architecture. This includes the Architecture Overview explaining the bootstrap process, Building from Source for compilation and features, Module Structure describing single-crate organization, Service Layer with module descriptions, Creating Custom Keywords for extending BASIC, and Adding Dependencies for Cargo.toml management.
The core modules handle fundamental bot functionality. The auth module provides Argon2 password hashing and session token management. The bot module manages bot lifecycle and coordination. The session module maintains persistent conversation state across interactions. The basic module implements the BASIC interpreter powered by the Rhai scripting engine. The llm and llm_models modules handle LLM provider integration for multiple backends. The context module manages conversation memory and context window optimization.
### Infrastructure Modules
Infrastructure modules provide the foundation for bot operations. The bootstrap module handles auto-installation of all required components. The package_manager module manages PostgreSQL, cache, drive storage, and other services. The web_server module implements the Axum HTTP REST API. The drive module integrates S3-compatible storage and vector database access. The config module handles environment configuration loading and validation.
### Feature Modules
Feature modules add specific capabilities to the platform. The automation module provides cron scheduling and event-driven processing. The email module offers optional IMAP and SMTP integration. The meet module enables LiveKit video conferencing. The channels module supports multi-channel deployment across different platforms. The file module handles document processing for PDF and other formats. The drive_monitor module watches file system changes for automatic updates.
General Bots is built on a modern Rust technology stack. The application uses Rust 2021 edition for safety and performance. Web handling uses Axum combined with Tower middleware and Tokio async runtime. Database access uses the Diesel ORM with PostgreSQL as the backing store. Caching uses a Redis-compatible cache component for session and data caching. Storage uses the AWS SDK for S3-compatible drive operations. Vector database functionality uses Qdrant for semantic search when enabled. Scripting uses the Rhai engine to power the BASIC interpreter. Security uses Argon2 for password hashing and AES-GCM for encryption. Optional desktop deployment uses Tauri for native applications.
The current version is 6.0.8 released under the AGPL-3.0 license. The source repository is available at https://github.com/GeneralBots/botserver. The project is maintained by open-source contributors from Pragmatismo.com.br and the broader community.
If you find inaccuracies or gaps in the documentation, the best approach is to check the source code in `src/` for the ground truth implementation. Submit documentation improvements via pull requests on GitHub. Report issues through the GitHub issue tracker so they can be tracked and addressed.
Start with the Introduction for a comprehensive overview of General Bots concepts and capabilities. Alternatively, jump directly to Chapter 01 on Run and Talk to install and run General Bots immediately.
