Ollama Local

Work with local Ollama models for inference, embeddings, and tool use.

Configuration

Set your Ollama host (defaults to

http://localhost:11434

export OLLAMA_HOST="http://localhost:11434"
# Or for remote server:
export OLLAMA_HOST="http://192.168.1.100:11434"

Quick Reference

# List models
python3 scripts/ollama.py list
Pull a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py pull llama3.1:8b
Remove a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py rm modelname
Show model details
python3 scripts/ollama.py show qwen3:4b
Chat with a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py chat qwen3:4b "What is the capital of France?"
Chat with system prompt
python3 scripts/ollama.py chat llama3.1:8b "Review this code" -s "You are a code reviewer"
Generate completion (non-chat)
python3 scripts/ollama.py generate qwen3:4b "Once upon a time"
Get embeddings

python3 scripts/ollama.py embed bge-m3 "Text to embed"

Model Selection

See references/models.md for full model list and selection guide.

Quick picks:

Fast answers:
```
qwen3:4b
```
Coding:
```
qwen2.5-coder:7b
```
General:
```
llama3.1:8b
```
Reasoning:
```
deepseek-r1:8b
```

Tool Use

Some local models support function calling. Use

ollama_tools.py

# Single request with tools
python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py single qwen2.5-coder:7b "What's the weather in Amsterdam?"
Full tool loop (model calls tools, gets results, responds)
python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py loop qwen3:4b "Search for Python tutorials and summarize"
Show available example tools

python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py tools

Tool-capable models: qwen2.5-coder, qwen3, llama3.1, mistral

OpenClaw Sub-Agents

Spawn local model sub-agents with

sessions_spawn

# Example: spawn a coding agent
sessions_spawn(
    task="Review this Python code for bugs",
    model="ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b",
    label="code-review"
)

Model path format:

ollama/<model-name>

Parallel Agents (Think Tank Pattern)

Spawn multiple local agents for collaborative tasks:

agents = [
    {"label": "architect", "model": "ollama/gemma3:12b", "task": "Design the system architecture"},
    {"label": "coder", "model": "ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b", "task": "Implement the core logic"},
    {"label": "reviewer", "model": "ollama/llama3.1:8b", "task": "Review for bugs and improvements"},
]
for a in agents:
sessions_spawn(task=a["task"], model=a["model"], label=a["label"])

Direct API

For custom integrations, use the Ollama API directly:

# Chat
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/chat -d '{
  "model": "qwen3:4b",
  "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
  "stream": false
}'
Generate
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/generate -d '{
"model": "qwen3:4b",
"prompt": "Why is the sky blue?",
"stream": false
}'
List models
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/tags
Pull model
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/pull -d '{"name": "phi3:mini"}'

Troubleshooting

Connection refused?

Check Ollama is running:
```
ollama serve
```
Verify OLLAMA_HOST is correct
For remote servers, ensure firewall allows port 11434

Model not loading?

Check VRAM: larger models may need CPU offload
Try a smaller model first

Slow responses?

Model may be running on CPU
Use smaller quantization (e.g.,
```
:7b
```
instead of
```
:30b
```
)

OpenClaw sub-agent falls back to default model?

Ensure
```
ollama:default
```
auth profile exists in OpenClaw config
Check model path format:
```
ollama/modelname:tag
```

Ollama Local

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Ollama Local

Configuration

Quick Reference

Pull a model

Remove a model

Show model details

Chat with a model

Chat with system prompt

Generate completion (non-chat)

Get embeddings

Model Selection

Tool Use

Full tool loop (model calls tools, gets results, responds)

Show available example tools

OpenClaw Sub-Agents

Parallel Agents (Think Tank Pattern)

Direct API

Generate

List models

Pull model

Troubleshooting

Quick Start

Manual Installation

TEAR & SHARE

Tags

Multi-Agent Patterns

Memory Systems Design

Context Degradation Detection

Context Optimization

Tool Design for Agents

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