Gemma setup

This page provides setup instructions for using Gemma in Colab. Some of the instructions are applicable to other development environments as well.

Get access to Gemma

Before using Gemma for the first time, you must request access to the model through Kaggle. As part of the process, you'll have to use a Kaggle account to accept the Gemma use policy and license terms.

If you don't already have a Kaggle account, you can register for one at kaggle.com. Then complete the following steps:

Go to the Gemma model card and select Request Access.
Complete the consent form and accept the terms and conditions.

Select a Colab runtime

To complete a Colab tutorial, you must have a Colab runtime with sufficient resources to run the Gemma model. To get started, you can use a T4 GPU:

In the upper-right of the Colab window, select ▾ (Additional connection options).
Select Change runtime type.
Under Hardware accelerator, select T4 GPU.

Configure your API key

To use Gemma, you must provide your Kaggle username and a Kaggle API key. To generate and configure these values, follow these steps:

To generate a Kaggle API key, go to the Account tab of your Kaggle user profile and select Create New Token. This will trigger the download of a kaggle.json file containing your API credentials.
Open kaggle.json in a text editor. The contents should look something like this:
```
{"username":"your_username","key":"012345678abcdef012345678abcdef1a"}
```
In Colab, select Secrets (🔑) and add your Kaggle username and Kaggle API key. Store your username under the name KAGGLE_USERNAME and your API key under the name KAGGLE_KEY.

Note: Kaggle notebooks have a key storage feature under Add-ons > Secrets, along with instructions for accessing stored keys.

Now you're ready to complete the remaining setup steps in Colab. If you're working through a Colab tutorial, go to Colab and set the environment variables.