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RAG & Knowledge Systems

Textbook To Note

Textbook To Note is a local-first Python application that converts PDF and EPUB textbooks into searchable Markdown and supports structured, cited study-note generation from that material.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Textbook To Note — OpenViST project profile in RAG & Knowledge Systems.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use it when you want to turn textbooks you already have into a local searchable corpus, with the option to add cited note generation and semantic retrieval as separate stages.

Who it is for

  • Readers building a personal, searchable textbook library
  • Students and researchers who want structured notes grounded in textbook chapters
  • Obsidian users who want to incorporate textbook-derived notes into a vault

Documented uses

  • Convert textbook files into Markdown with page markers, tables and figure references.
  • Search converted material by keyword.
  • Generate structured notes with claims traceable to source books and chapters.
  • Add semantic cross-book retrieval through a separate indexing stage.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The project is open-source under the MIT license and is intended to be self-hosted. The README lists Python 3.10+ and says CPU-only processing is supported for born-digital PDFs.

  • The converter-only path needs Python dependencies but no GPU, Ollama or index.
  • Scanned books and semantic search may require optional local OCR and embedding components, with hardware requirements varying by setup.
  • Semantic indexing is not included in this repository; it relies on companion vault-search or another compatible indexer.
  • The project supplies no textbook content, so users provide their own files and should respect their licenses.
  • PyMuPDF is a required dependency under AGPL-3.0 or a commercial license, a consideration for redistribution or hosted services.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Convert a textbook to searchable Markdown

Create a Markdown version of a PDF or EPUB that can be searched by keyword.

Before you start

  • Python 3.10 or later
  • A PDF or EPUB textbook you have the right to use
  • Install the project's Python requirements with pip

Steps

  1. Install dependencies with the command below.

    Documented command
    pip install -r requirements.txt

  2. Run the converter at converter/convert.py on your textbook.

Expected outcome

A Markdown corpus with page markers, tables and figure-reference markers that can be searched with grep.

Guide limitations

  • This converter-only path does not provide semantic indexing.
  • The repository does not include textbook content.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
13 October 2026
Original website title
drpwchen/textbook-to-note · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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