Ollama

Ollama is an open-source tool that allows users to run large language models (LLMs) locally on their machines. It provides a simple interface to download, run, and interact with state-of-the-art language models like LLaMA, Mistral, and others.

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Table of Contents

1. [What is Ollama?](#what-is-ollama) 2. [Key Features](#key-features) 3. [How Ollama Works](#how-ollama-works) 4. [Installation](#installation) 5. [Usage](#usage) 6. [Supported Models](#supported-models) 7. [Examples](#examples) 8. [Community and Resources](#community-and-resources) 9. [Contributing](#contributing) 10. [License](#license)

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What is Ollama?

Ollama is a tool designed to bring large language models to everyone. It enables users to:

• Run powerful AI models locally on their devices.
• Interact with models through a simple command-line interface (CLI) or API.
• Avoid dependency on cloud services for processing.

Ollama supports models such as LLaMA, Mistral, Phi, GPT-J, GPT-NeoX, and more. It is particularly useful for users who prioritize privacy, control, or offline use.

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Key Features

• Local Execution: Models run entirely on your machine.
• Simple CLI: Easy-to-use commands for model interaction.
• Model Management: Download, update, and manage models seamlessly.
• API Integration: Expose model capabilities via a REST API.
• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Privacy-Focused: No data sent to external servers.

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How Ollama Works

1. Model Downloading: Users can pull models from repositories like Hugging Face or the Ollama Hub. 2. Containerization: Models are run in containers for isolation and ease of use. 3. Inference: Users can query models via the CLI or API. 4. Quantization: Ollama supports quantized models for faster performance on lower-end hardware.

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Installation

For Linux/macOS

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

For Windows

Download the installer from the Ollama website and run it.

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Usage

List Available Models

ollama list

Start a Model

ollama serve  # Starts the API server
ollama pull llama2  # Downloads the LLaMA 2 model

Interact with a Model

ollama run llama2

Use the API

Send HTTP requests to `http://localhost:11434/api/generate`.

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Supported Models

Ollama supports a wide range of models, including:

• LLaMA (Meta)
• Mistral (Sideline)
• Phi (Microsoft)
• GPT-J
• GPT-NeoX
• Falcon (Tiihs)
• and many more.

Check the Ollama Hub for the latest list.

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Examples

Generate Text

ollama run llama2 "Write a poem about artificial intelligence."

Stream Output

ollama generate llama2 -p "Explain quantum computing in simple terms."

Use with Python

```python import requests

response = requests.post(

   "http://localhost:11434/api/generate",
   json={
       "model": "llama2",
       "prompt": "What is the meaning of life?",
       "stream": False
   }

)

print(response.json()["response"]) ```

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Community and Resources

• GitHub:

[1](https://github.com/jmorganca/ollama)

• Documentation: [2](https://ollama.com/docs)
• Community: Join discussions on the Ollama Forum (https://forum.ollama.com)

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Check the GitHub repository for guidelines.

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License

Ollama is released under the MIT License. See the [LICENSE](https://github.com/jmorganca/ollama/blob/main/LICENSE) file for details.

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This page was last updated on 2025-04-08.