LOCAL_AI_STACK / guides
v2.2 · 2026-06-12CATEGORY
GUIDES
01
What Is Local AI? A Beginner’s Guide to Private AI on Your Computer
Local AI lets you run AI models on your own computer instead of sending every prompt to the cloud. Learn what it is, what hardware you need, what stays local, and where to start.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
BEGINNER→
02
How to Install Ollama on Mac, Windows, and Linux
Install Ollama on Mac, Windows, or Linux, run your first local AI model, verify that it works, and avoid common storage, PATH, and first-run mistakes.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
SETUP→
03
How to Install LM Studio on Mac, Windows, and Linux
Install LM Studio, download your first local AI model, choose a model that fits your computer, and avoid common Mac, Windows, Linux, AVX2, and local-server problems.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
SETUP→
04
How to Install Open WebUI With Ollama
Set up Open WebUI with Ollama using Docker or Python, connect your local models, and fix common connection and missing-model errors.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
SETUP→
05
Chat With PDFs Locally
Learn how to chat with PDFs locally using Ollama, Open WebUI, LM Studio, and AnythingLLM, including document upload, RAG, embeddings, privacy limits, and hallucination fixes.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
WORKFLOW→
06
Is Local AI Actually Private?
Local AI can keep prompts on your computer, but privacy depends on cloud models, plugins, APIs, logs, and network settings. Here is what to check.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
PRIVACY→
07
Local AI Glossary
Plain-English definitions for local AI terms, including local LLMs, model size, quantization, context length, VRAM, unified memory, embeddings, and RAG.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
BEGINNER→
08
Best Local LLM for 16GB RAM
Best local LLMs that actually run on 16GB RAM, with realistic picks, setup steps, and mistakes to avoid.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
HARDWARE→
09
Local AI Privacy: What Really Stays Local
Running AI locally can improve privacy, but only if prompts, files, embeddings, logs, and providers stay on your machine.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
PRIVACY→
10
How to Run Llama Locally
Learn how to run Llama locally with Ollama or LM Studio, pick the right model size, understand GGUF, and avoid memory errors.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
SETUP→
11
Mac Local LLM Requirements
Can your Mac run local LLMs? Learn how Apple Silicon memory, RAM tiers, Ollama, LM Studio, and model size affect what fits.
BEGINNERverified 2026-05-24· Official documentation reviewed, with caveats
HARDWARE→
Claims are labeled and conservative — tested hardware and app versions are named explicitly.
GUIDE DIRECTORY CONTEXT
How to choose the right local AI guide
Intro
Local AI guides are organized by what the reader is trying to do: understand the basics, choose a tool, install a first app, set up document chat, or understand privacy limits.
Guide categories
| Category | Pages |
|---|---|
| Basics | What Is Local AI? |
| Privacy | Is Local AI Actually Private? |
| Install | Install Ollama; Install LM Studio; Open WebUI with Ollama |
| Workflows | Chat With PDFs Locally |
Where to begin
Start with the beginner guide if you are new. Use the install guides only after checking your hardware, and read the privacy guide before uploading sensitive files.