Installation
BibexPy ships as a single pure-Python wheel with the web interface precompiled inside. The only requirement is Python 3.10+ — no Node.js, no compiler, no Git.
Install
pip install bibexpy # macOS / Linux: pip3 install bibexpy
macOS / Linux: python3 and pip3
On most macOS/Linux systems the commands are python3 / pip3 — plain python/pip may
not exist or may point to an old Python 2. If pip3 itself is missing, install it first
with python3 -m ensurepip --upgrade (Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3-pip).
Launch
python -m bibexpy # macOS / Linux: python3 -m bibexpy
python -m bibexpy is the recommended way to start the app — it works on every setup
with no PATH configuration. Your browser opens automatically; if it doesn't, visit
http://127.0.0.1:6060.
The short bibexpy command works too once your Python Scripts folder is on PATH — on
Windows, the first interactive launch offers to add itself to PATH (answer Y, open a
new terminal, done). Details in Troubleshooting.
Command-line options
python -m bibexpy --port 8080 # custom port (default 6060)
python -m bibexpy --no-browser # server only, don't open the browser
python -m bibexpy --storage ./data # custom storage folder
python -m bibexpy --add-path # Windows: add the bibexpy command to PATH
python -m bibexpy --version
Where your data lives
| What | Location |
| --- | --- |
| Projects & datasets | ~/.bibexpy/storage |
| Settings & API keys | ~/.bibexpy/.env (managed from the in-app Settings page) |
Everything is local. BibexPy makes outbound requests only when you run enrichment or optional LLM-assisted harmonization — and only to the providers you configure.
Upgrade
pip install -U bibexpy
Your projects and settings are preserved across upgrades.
Prefer pipx?
pipx installs CLI tools in isolated environments and manages PATH
for you: pipx install bibexpy.