Ollama

What is Ollama Server?

Ollama server is a lightweight, open-source AI model runtime platform that allows users to easily deploy various large language models (LLMs) and AI models locally without complex configuration. It acts as an "AI model manager," simplifying the tedious processes of model downloading, configuration, and runtime into just a few commands—making it accessible even for AI deployment beginners.

Ollama Local Deployment Tutorial

Download the Installer

You can download the installer from ollama.ai.

Configure Ollama's Cross-Origin Support

Please set the following environment variables:

• Allow cross-origin access: OLLAMA_ORIGINS=*

  macOS / Linux:

  echo 'export OLLAMA_ORIGINS=*' >> ~/.zshrc
  source ~/.zshrc

  Windows (PowerShell in Administrator mode):

  [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('OLLAMA_ORIGINS', '*', 'User')

  After setting the environment variable, if you previously started the Ollama service, please close it first and then restart the ollama serve command. If you haven't started it yet, you can ignore this step.

• API service listening address: OLLAMA_HOST=127.0.0.1:11434 (This is the default address and can be left unchanged, but you can modify it based on your needs)

Common Ollama Commands

1. Check Ollama Version and Start the Server

ollama version
ollama serve

Use these commands to check the currently installed Ollama version, confirm successful installation, view version details, and start the Ollama server.

2. Find Available Models and Install

You can find available models from ollama.ai and install them.

ollama pull [model-name]

For example, to install the gemma3:4b model:

ollama pull gemma3:4b

3. List Downloaded Models

ollama list

This command displays all locally downloaded models, including names, sizes, and creation times, to help users manage local model resources.

4. Start the Service

ollama serve

5. Configure Ollama Provider in the Extension

In the extension settings, configure the Ollama provider and select a model.

You can click the "Test Connection" button to verify if the connection is successful.

6. Notes

• Do not start Ollama Chat graphical client, it will compete with ollama serve for the port.
• When configuring the Ollama provider in the extension, the baseURL defaults to http://127.0.0.1:11434, if your OLLAMA_HOST is this address, you can leave it unchanged.