Installing Ollama

This guide walks through installing Ollama on Windows, macOS, and Docker Desktop.

Choosing Your Installation Method

• Native Installation (Recommended for most users)

  • Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Easiest to set up and use
  • Best performance for most use cases
  • Integrates naturally with your operating system
  • Ideal for personal use and learning

• Docker Installation

  • Better for development and testing
  • Easier to manage multiple versions
  • Useful when working across different environments
  • Recommended if you're already using Docker for other projects
  • Good for isolation and clean uninstallation

Hardware Requirements

Basic System Requirements

Component	Minimum Requirement
Operating System	Windows 11/10, macOS 12+, or Linux with kernel 5.12+
Storage Type	SSD Recommended
Internet	Stable Connection Required

Model to Resources Pairing

Specification	Entry Level (1B-3B)	Mid-Range (3B-7B)	High-End (13B+)
CPU	4 cores, 2.5GHz+	6+ cores, 3.0GHz+	8+ cores, 3.5GHz+
RAM	8GB	16GB	32GB+
GPU	Integrated/4GB VRAM	8GB+ VRAM (RTX 3060+)	12GB+ VRAM (RTX 4070+)
LLM Disk Use	1-5GB	10-25GB+	50-300GB+

Recommended Models

Tier	Models
Lightweight	• phi3.5:3.8b • llama3.2:3b • tinyllama:1b • gemma2:2b
Medium	• mistral:7b • neural-chat:7b • llama3.1:8b • gemma2:9b
Large	• phi4:14b • deepseek-r1:70b • solar:70b • codellama:7b

Performance Expectations

Metric	Entry Level	Mid-Range	High-End
Response Time	5-15s	2-8s	1-5s
Memory Usage	4-6GB	8-12GB	16-24GB+

Note: Performance metrics are approximate and may vary based on specific hardware configurations and model optimizations.

Windows Installation

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11

Steps

1. Download Ollama

   • Visit Ollama's website
   • Click the Windows download button

2. Install the Application

   • Run the downloaded installer
   • Follow the installation wizard prompts
   • Ollama will start automatically after installation

3. Verify Installation

   ollama --version

macOS Installation

Prerequisites

• macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer
• Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel processor

Steps

1. Download Ollama

   • Visit Ollama's website
   • Click the macOS download button

2. Install the Application

   • Open the downloaded .dmg file
   • Drag Ollama to your Applications folder
   • Double-click Ollama in Applications to start it

3. First-time Setup

   • Click "Open" if you see a security prompt
   • Ollama will appear in your menu bar

4. Verify Installation

   ollama --version

Linux Installation

Prerequisites

• Linux x86_64 system
• curl installed
• Administrator/sudo access

Steps

1. Install Ollama

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

2. Start Ollama Service

   systemctl start ollama

   If using non-systemd Linux:

   ollama serve

3. Verify Installation

   ollama --version

Common Linux Distributions

Ubuntu/Debian

• Ensure curl is installed:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl

Fedora/RHEL

• Ensure curl is installed:

  sudo dnf install curl

Docker Desktop Installation

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop installed and running
• Basic familiarity with Docker commands

Steps

1. Pull the Ollama Image

   docker pull ollama/ollama

2. Run Ollama Container

   docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollama

3. Verify Container

   docker ps

   You should see the Ollama container running

Testing Your Installation

After installing, test your setup:

1. Pull a Model

   ollama pull deepseek-r1:1.5b

2. Run a Basic Test

   ollama run deepseek-r1:1.5b "Hello, how are you?"

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Windows

• If the installer doesn't run, ensure Windows is fully updated
• If you see a Windows Defender prompt, click 'More Info' and then 'Run Anyway'
• Performance issues: Verify you have at least 8GB RAM and 10GB free disk space
• If Ollama doesn't start: Check Windows Services app to ensure the Ollama service is running

macOS

• "App can't be opened" - Right-click the app and select Open
• Performance issues - Ensure you have enough free disk space
• CPU compatibility - Verify you're using the correct version for your processor

Docker

• Port conflicts - Ensure nothing else is using port 11434
• Container won't start - Check Docker logs: docker logs ollama
• Memory issues - Increase Docker's resource limits in settings

Next Steps

• Explore available models

Additional Resources

• Official Ollama Documentation
• Docker Documentation

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Last updated: January 30, 2025