patrickz
Before you start
A Windows, Mac or Linux computer with a few gigabytes of free disk space (the default model is a 2 GB download), a terminal, and the free Ollama app from its official download page, linked below. Use the fictional note in this guide, not private text.
Official links: Download Ollama ↗ · Llama 3.2 model page ↗ · Turn off Ollama cloud features ↗
Why this lesson exists
Patrick’s local-model posts explored access and control. Running a model on your own machine changes the data path, but it does not automatically remove every network dependency.
Do the exercise
Install Ollama and download a small model
Install Ollama from ollama.com/download. Open a new terminal and run: ollama run llama3.2. The first run downloads about 2 GB, then shows a >>> prompt. On an older or low-memory computer, run ollama run llama3.2:1b (1.3 GB) instead. Type /bye to exit. Skip sign-in, and skip any model whose name contains “cloud”: those run on Ollama’s servers, not your computer.
Run a known-answer test
At the >>> prompt, paste the prompt below. It already contains a fictional note. A correct answer: invitation draft, Maya, null; venue check, Lee, Thursday; open question: the event date. Time the reply and mark each value right or wrong.
Prove it runs on your machine
Turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable, then paste the prompt again. If it still answers, the text is being generated on your computer. Note what stops working offline, such as downloading models, cloud models or web search. Do not paste private records until this test passes.
Test the limit
Give it a longer paragraph, ambiguous ownership and a missing deadline. Replace the note in the prompt with your longer paragraph. It should report unknown information instead of inventing it. Record hardware and model details with results.
A prompt to adapt
Copy it and paste it as-is into your assistant.
From this fictional note extract task, owner and deadline. Use null for missing facts and list ambiguity separately. Do not infer dates. Note: Maya drafts the invitation. Lee checks the venue details by Thursday. We have not chosen the event date. After answering, show the exact supporting phrase for each value.
What this looks like
“Maya drafts the invitation” names an owner but no deadline, so the correct deadline is null. A plausible Friday date is still fabricated.
Check your result
Use evidence from your output. A confident explanation from the AI is not enough.
If it isn’t working
If the terminal says ollama is not recognized or not found, close it and open a new one after installing. If generation is unusably slow or memory runs out, stop and try a smaller model. Local availability is a hardware constraint, not evidence that a particular model is a good fit.
Optional. Progress stays in this browser.
Where this came from
Adapted from the archived LinkedIn theme “My First Technology Empire Sold Illegal Nintendo Games to Ten-Year-Olds.” See the post coverage and editorial method.
Prepared September 2026. Tools and interfaces change; use current official setup instructions. Session lengths are estimates.