Setup Ollama - Local AI Installation

I'll help you install and configure Ollama for free, local AI model deployment.

Step 1: Detect Operating System

Let me check your system:

uname -s

Step 2: Install Ollama

For macOS:

# Using Homebrew (recommended)
brew install ollama

# Start Ollama service
brew services start ollama

For Linux:

# Official installation script
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

# Start service
sudo systemctl start ollama
sudo systemctl enable ollama

For Windows:

Download installer from: https://ollama.com/download/windows

Step 3: Verify Installation

ollama --version

Step 4: Pull Recommended Models

# General purpose (4GB)
ollama pull llama3.2

# Code generation (20GB)
ollama pull codellama

# Fast and efficient (4GB)
ollama pull mistral

Step 5: Test Model

# Interactive chat
ollama run llama3.2

# Or quick test
echo "Write a hello world in Python" | ollama run llama3.2

Step 6: Configure API Access

Ollama runs on http://localhost:11434 by default.

Test the API:

curl http://localhost:11434/api/generate -d '{
  "model": "llama3.2",
  "prompt": "Why is the sky blue?"
}'

Optional: GPU Acceleration

NVIDIA GPU:

# Check GPU availability
nvidia-smi

# Ollama automatically uses CUDA if available

Apple Silicon:

# Metal acceleration is automatic on M1/M2/M3

Next Steps

1. ✅ Ollama installed and running
2. ✅ Models downloaded
3. ✅ API tested

You can now use Ollama in your projects:

• Python: pip install ollama
• Node.js: npm install ollama
• Direct API calls to http://localhost:11434

Cost savings: You just eliminated $30-200/month in API fees! 🎉

Need help integrating Ollama into your project? Ask me!