Bootleg bot

This page is prepared for the prototyping class on 3 March 2026 as part of SI29 and follows a Special Issue day with Doriane and Simon fully on topic of The bootleg library.

the zulip bot

First install the requirements listed on this page:

https://zulip.com/help/writing-bots

You can run the bot with:

zulip-run-bot --config-file bootlegbot.zuliprc bootlegbot.py

(or uv run zulip-run-bot --config-file bootlegbot.zuliprc bootlegbot.py if you are using uv)

bootlegbot.py

class BootlegBot(object):
    '''
    This is a small zulip bot to interact with the 👢🦵 library
    '''

    def usage(self):
        return '''Ask the bot about a book and they will search for it in the 👢🦵 library'''

    def handle_message(self, message, bot_handler):
        # This happens when someone write to the bot

        sender = message['sender_full_name']
        content = message['content']
        print(f'{sender} wrote to the bot: "{content}"')

handler_class = BootlegBot

bootlegbot.zuliprc

[api]
email=bootleg-bot@zulip.xpub.nl
key=XXXXXXXX
site=https://zulip.xpub.nl

We need to share the key with each other somehow.

Zulip bot API

https://zulip.com/help/interactive-bots-api

hello Python!

see: Hello Python

SSH to bootleg library

There are two ways in which we can do this.

laptop > sergio > bootleg library (from outside the school)

ssh sergio
sudo su - xpub
ssh pi@10.0.0.103

laptop > bootleg library (on eduroam)

ssh pi@145.24.153.55

read database

• Simon and Luke made this Python script in 2021, to make the temporary index cards: https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/simoon/temporary-indexing
• documentation of sqlite module in Python: https://docs.python.org/3/library/sqlite3.html

write to database

• a standalone webform for file uploads
• using the bootleg library upload URLs
• hosted on sergio (but can be hosted on another sandbox too in the future)

See also

• The bootleg library main documentation page of the bootleg library project
• https://cc.practices.tools/etherdot/bootleg-library/ graph based story of the bootleg library project