Ollama makes it easy to run large language models locally. No API keys, no rate limits, no data leaving your machine.
What is Ollama?
A tool for running LLMs locally with a simple interface:
- Easy setup: One command to download and run models
- Model library: Access to popular models like Llama, Mistral, and more
- API compatible: Drop-in replacement for OpenAI API
- Resource management: Efficient GPU and CPU usage
Why Run Models Locally?
- Privacy: Your data never leaves your machine
- Cost: No per-token charges
- Speed: No network latency
- Reliability: Works offline
- Customization: Fine-tune models on your data
Getting Started
# Install Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
# Run a model
ollama run llama3.2
That's it. You now have a local LLM running.
Integration with Development
I use Ollama with:
- OpenCode: As the backend AI model
- IDE extensions: Copilot-like features with local models
- CLI tools: Custom scripts for code review, summarization
- Automation: Batch processing of documentation, code analysis
Hardware Requirements
- Minimum: 8GB RAM for smaller models (7B parameters)
- Recommended: 16GB+ RAM, GPU with 6GB+ VRAM
- Ideal: 32GB RAM, modern GPU with 12GB+ VRAM
Even without a GPU, CPU inference works well for smaller models.