132 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
132 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
# pi-perplexity
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A [pi](https://github.com/nickarrow/pi-coding-agent) extension that provides web search via a Perplexity Pro/Max subscription. Uses your existing subscription — no API credits consumed.
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## Installation
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```bash
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pi install pi-perplexity
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```
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## Usage
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Once installed, the agent gains a `perplexity_search` tool it can call automatically when it needs to look something up. You can also trigger a search by asking the agent to search for something.
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### Tool Parameters
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| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
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|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
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| `query` | string | yes | Search query |
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| `recency` | string | no | Filter by age: `hour`, `day`, `week`, `month`, `year` |
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| `limit` | number | no | Max sources to return (1–50) |
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### Slash Command
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```
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/perplexity-login # Authenticate and save token
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/perplexity-login --force # Clear cached token and re-authenticate
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```
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## Authentication
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The extension tries two auth methods in order:
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1. **macOS Desktop App** (automatic) — Borrows the JWT from the Perplexity macOS app if installed and signed in. Zero interaction required.
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2. **Email OTP** (interactive fallback) — Prompts for your Perplexity email, sends a one-time code, and prompts for the code.
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The token is cached at `~/.config/pi-perplexity/auth.json` (permissions `0600`). On HTTP 401/403, the cached token is automatically cleared so the next search re-authenticates.
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### Environment Variables
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| Variable | Description |
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|----------|-------------|
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| `PI_AUTH_NO_BORROW=1` | Skip macOS desktop app token extraction |
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| `PI_PERPLEXITY_EMAIL` | Email for OTP auth (skips interactive prompt) |
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| `PI_PERPLEXITY_OTP` | OTP code for non-interactive auth |
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## How It Works
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The extension calls Perplexity's internal SSE endpoint (`perplexity_ask`) with your subscription credentials. Responses stream as incremental events that are merged into a final result containing an answer and sources.
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All queries use `is_incognito: true` — nothing appears in your Perplexity search history.
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### Output Format
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The tool returns structured text the agent can reason over:
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```
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## Answer
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<synthesized answer with inline citations>
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## Sources
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3 sources
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[1] Example Article (2d ago)
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https://example.com/article
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Brief snippet of the source content...
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[2] Another Source (5h ago)
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https://example.com/other
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Another snippet preview...
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## Meta
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Provider: perplexity (oauth)
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Model: pplx_pro_upgraded
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```
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## Development
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### Prerequisites
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- [Bun](https://bun.sh) runtime
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- pi coding agent (`@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent`)
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### Commands
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```bash
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bun install # Install dev dependencies
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bun test # Run tests (29 tests across 5 files)
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bunx tsc --noEmit # Type check
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```
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### Project Structure
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```
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src/
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index.ts # Extension entry — registers tool and commands
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auth/
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login.ts # macOS app extraction + email OTP flow
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storage.ts # Token persistence (~/.config/pi-perplexity/auth.json)
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commands/
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login.ts # /perplexity-login slash command
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search/
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types.ts # Type definitions (StreamEvent, SearchResult, errors)
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client.ts # HTTP POST to SSE endpoint, event merging, result extraction
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stream.ts # SSE line parser + incremental event merging
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format.ts # SearchResult → LLM-readable text output
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render/
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call.ts # TUI component for tool call display
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result.ts # TUI component for tool result display
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util.ts # Shared render utilities
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```
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### Zero Runtime Dependencies
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This extension has **no npm dependencies**. Everything uses platform globals:
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- `fetch` — HTTP requests
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- `crypto.randomUUID()` — request IDs
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- `ReadableStream` — SSE parsing
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- `Intl.DateTimeFormat` — timezone detection
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Only peer dependencies (`@sinclair/typebox`, `@mariozechner/pi-tui`, `@mariozechner/pi-ai`) are used, provided by pi at runtime.
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## Requirements
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- Perplexity **Pro** or **Max** subscription
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- macOS (for desktop app token extraction) or interactive terminal (for email OTP)
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## License
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Private — not published.
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