Getting Started with Ollama and Web UI

Dan Vega
30 Jul 202413:35

TLDRIn this video, Dan VY introduces Ollama, a tool enabling users to run large language models locally, addressing concerns like cost and security. He guides viewers through the installation process and model selection, highlighting the recently released Llama 3.1 model by Meta. Dan demonstrates the model's capabilities through interactive examples, including dad jokes and coding queries. He also introduces Open Web UI, a user-friendly interface for local model interaction, showcasing its ability to incorporate private documents for more tailored responses. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content.

Takeaways

  • 💻 Ollama allows users to run large language models (LLMs) like LLaMA 3.1 locally on their machines.
  • 🔒 Two major reasons for running LLMs locally are cost savings and enhanced security, especially for enterprise environments dealing with private data.
  • ⚙️ Ollama supports running multiple models, including Meta’s LLaMA 3.1, which is available in various sizes (8B, 70B, 405B).
  • 🖥️ The process of installing Ollama involves downloading the CLI for MacOS, Linux, or Windows and choosing a model to run based on your application needs.
  • 💾 Be mindful of storage space and processing power; the 8B model requires 4.7GB of space, while larger models need significantly more.
  • 🤖 Ollama keeps conversational context, which is useful for refining prompts and interacting with the model more effectively.
  • 🔧 Open Web UI is a self-hosted web interface that improves the developer experience, making it similar to tools like ChatGPT but running locally.
  • 📂 The Open Web UI integrates seamlessly with Ollama and allows users to interact with multiple models through a user-friendly interface, including support for formatted code examples.
  • 📄 Users can upload their own documents (like the Spring Boot reference guide) to provide the model with relevant, up-to-date information.
  • 👍 This setup is particularly beneficial for developers who need fast, offline access to large language models without relying on external cloud services.

Q & A

  • What is Ollama and what does it offer for developers?

    -Ollama is a tool that allows developers to run large language models on their local machines. It supports models like Meta's newly open-sourced llama 3.1, enabling developers to leverage these models without incurring cloud service costs and ensuring data security by keeping processing local.

  • Why would someone want to run a large language model locally?

    -Running a large language model locally can save on costs associated with cloud-based models and enhance security by keeping sensitive data private. It's particularly useful for prototyping, MVP development, and when working with private documentation that shouldn't be exposed to the public cloud.

  • How do you get started with Ollama?

    -To get started with Ollama, you need to visit ama.com, download the software which is compatible with Mac OS, Linux, or Windows, and then select a model to download and run from the available options.

  • What models are available through Ollama?

    -Ollama offers various models like Mistral, Command R, and Llama, with different sizes such as 8B, 70B, and 405B. Each model is suited for different tasks, and the size indicates the download and storage space required.

  • What is the significance of the model size in Ollama?

    -The model size in Ollama refers to the amount of storage space required for the model and the processing power needed to run it. Larger models offer more capabilities but require more resources.

  • How does the command line interface work with Ollama?

    -After installing Ollama and a model, you can interact with it through the command line interface (CLI). You can send prompts to the model and receive responses, all managed through the terminal.

  • What is Open Web UI and how does it enhance the Ollama experience?

    -Open Web UI is a user-friendly, self-hosted web interface designed to operate with various LLM runners, including Ollama. It provides a more intuitive and visually appealing way to interact with language models, supports multiple models, and allows for the upload of private documents to enhance the model's responses.

  • Can you provide an example of how to use Ollama with a Dad joke?

    -Yes, in the script, Dan tests Ollama by asking for a Dad joke about computers, to which the model responds with a joke about a computer going to the doctor because it had a virus.

  • How does Ollama maintain conversational history?

    -Ollama demonstrates the ability to maintain conversational history by recognizing previous interactions. For example, after introducing himself as Dan, when asked for his name again, the model correctly identifies him as Dan.

  • What are the benefits of using Open Web UI with Ollama?

    -Open Web UI provides a more user-friendly interface for interacting with Ollama, allowing for formatted code examples, the ability to upload private documents, and the convenience of not having to use the command line for simple text interactions.

  • How can you customize the experience with Open Web UI?

    -With Open Web UI, you can set default models, upload private documents to enhance the model's understanding, and interact with the model through a familiar chat interface, making it easier to get the information you need.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to LLMa and Developer Experience

Dan VY introduces the video topic, discussing the benefits of running large language models (LLMs) like LLMa on local machines. He mentions cost and security as the primary reasons for using LLMs locally. Cost savings are highlighted as cloud-based LLMs can be expensive, and security is emphasized due to the ability to work with private documentation without exposing it to the public internet. Dan then guides viewers on how to get started with LLMa by visiting the LLMa website, downloading it for Mac OS, Linux, or Windows, and installing it via a command-line interface (CLI). He also discusses selecting a model based on the application's needs, with a focus on Meta's recently open-sourced LLMa 3.1, and provides insights into the model sizes and their respective download sizes.

05:00

💻 Testing LLMa with Dad Jokes and Improving Developer Experience

Dan demonstrates how to interact with LLMa using the CLI by asking for dad jokes about computers, showcasing the model's speed and ability to maintain conversational context. He then introduces 'open web UI', a user-friendly, self-hosted web UI designed to operate LLMs offline, which supports various LLM runners including LLMa and OpenAI compatible API. He explains how to use Docker to run the open web UI, navigate to the local host, and authorize access to the UI. The UI is highlighted for its ease of use, allowing for code examples to be formatted and copied, and the ability to switch between different models like LLMa 3.1 and Mistral. Dan also shows how to set a default model to streamline the process of starting new chats.

10:03

📝 Enhancing LLMa with Custom Documents

Dan, a Java and Spring developer, explores using LLMa for coding-related queries. He first asks for ways to iterate over a list in Java, receiving several options like forEach Loop, traditional for Loop, iterator, and Java 8 streams API. He then inquires about using the rest client in Spring Boot 3.2 but realizes that since the information wasn't available at the time of the training, LLMa couldn't provide an accurate response. To address this, Dan uploads the Spring Boot reference document PDF to provide LLMa with the necessary information. After uploading, he repeats the query and successfully receives a detailed example of using the rest client in Spring Boot. He concludes by emphasizing the benefits of using LLMa with the open web UI, the ability to add custom documents for private company information, and the overall enhancement of the developer experience.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Ollama

Ollama is a tool designed to run large language models (LLMs) on local machines. It allows developers to use models like Meta's Llama 3.1 without relying on external cloud services. In the video, it's introduced as a cost-effective and secure way to run LLMs locally, offering control over data and expenses.

💡Large Language Models (LLMs)

Large Language Models (LLMs) are advanced artificial intelligence models trained on vast datasets to perform tasks like natural language understanding and generation. In the video, LLMs like Llama 3.1 and OpenAI’s GPT-4 are mentioned as examples of models that can be run using Ollama. LLMs are essential for building AI applications with conversational capabilities and other complex tasks.

💡Llama 3.1

Llama 3.1 is an open-sourced large language model developed by Meta, with versions ranging in size from 8B to 405B parameters. The video highlights the ability to run Llama 3.1 locally using Ollama, emphasizing the flexibility of choosing models based on the required computational power and storage capacity.

💡Cost and Security

These are two primary reasons for running LLMs locally, as discussed in the video. Running models like Llama 3.1 on local machines avoids the ongoing costs associated with cloud-based services like OpenAI’s GPT or Google Gemini. Additionally, it enhances security by keeping sensitive data on-premises, especially for enterprise use cases involving private documentation.

💡Command Line Interface (CLI)

A Command Line Interface (CLI) is a text-based user interface used to interact with software. The video explains how Ollama provides a CLI for interacting with LLMs, allowing users to input commands and receive responses from the model. While useful, the speaker introduces a more user-friendly alternative with the Open Web UI.

💡Open Web UI

Open Web UI is a self-hosted, extensible web interface designed to improve the developer experience when working with LLMs like Llama. In the video, it is presented as an alternative to the CLI, offering a graphical interface that supports multiple models and enhances tasks like code formatting and managing conversational histories.

💡Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop is a tool used to run and manage containerized applications on local machines. The video shows how Docker Desktop is required to set up Open Web UI, simplifying the process of running LLMs in a local environment by managing dependencies and resources through containers.

💡Conversational History

Conversational History refers to a feature of LLMs that allows them to remember previous interactions within a session. In the video, this is demonstrated when the model remembers the user's name (Dan) during multiple interactions, showcasing the model's ability to retain and reference prior context in a conversation.

💡Spring Boot

Spring Boot is a Java-based framework used for building web applications and microservices. In the video, the speaker, who identifies as a Java and Spring developer, asks the LLM for examples related to Spring Boot, highlighting how developers can use LLMs for generating code snippets and solving programming challenges.

💡Document Upload

Document Upload refers to the feature of Open Web UI that allows users to upload documents, such as private company files or technical references. In the video, the speaker uploads the Spring Boot reference documentation to provide the LLM with additional knowledge, demonstrating the platform's ability to incorporate custom data sources into its responses.

Highlights

Introduction to Ollama, a tool for running large language models locally.

Ollama allows running models like Meta's newly open-sourced Llama 3.1.

Benefits of running large language models locally include cost savings and enhanced security.

Ollama can be downloaded and installed on Mac OS, Linux, or Windows.

After installation, a CLI is provided for interacting with Ollama.

Models can be selected based on the application's requirements.

Different model sizes are available, with the 8B model being the smallest at 4.7 GB.

Running the 8B model does not require extensive processing power or a GPU.

Demonstration of asking a dad joke to the Llama 3.1 model via the CLI.

The model retains conversational context, as shown by follow-up interactions.

Introduction to Open Web UI, a tool that enhances the developer experience with Ollama.

Open Web UI is a self-hosted web UI that supports various LLM runners including Ollama.

Using Docker, Open Web UI can be easily set up to work with Ollama.

Open Web UI provides a user-friendly interface for interacting with language models.

Ability to run multiple models simultaneously through the UI.

Option to set a default model to streamline the interaction process.

Demonstration of asking for a dad joke about dogs using the UI.

UI allows for code examples to be formatted and copied easily.

Ability to upload private documents for model training within the UI.

Example of providing a Spring Boot reference document to enhance model responses.

Final thoughts on the benefits of using Ollama and Open Web UI for local model deployment.