PREREQUISITES

Before we install anything, let's make sure you have what's needed.

Check Your Hardware

For Apple Silicon Macs, open Terminal and run:

sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string

Should show something like "Apple M4" or "Apple M2 Max".

Check your memory:

sysctl -n hw.memsize | awk '{print $1/1024/1024/1024 " GB"}'

You need 16GB minimum. 32GB or more is better.

Why Memory Matters

Local LLMs load entirely into RAM (unified memory on Apple Silicon). A 30B parameter model needs roughly 20GB just for the weights.

Model Size        Minimum RAM      Recommended
--------------------------------------------------------
7B parameters     8GB              16GB
14B parameters    12GB             24GB
30B parameters    24GB             32GB+
70B parameters    48GB             64GB+

The model we recommend (qwen3-coder) is a "mixture of experts" model: 30B total parameters but only 3B active at once. This makes it faster and lighter than a traditional 30B model.

Check Disk Space

df -h ~

You need about 30GB free:

Install Node.js

Claude Code's installer requires Node.js. Check if you have it:

node --version

If not installed, get it from nodejs.org or use Homebrew:

brew install node

Check Network (For Remote Ollama)

If running Ollama on a separate machine, verify connectivity:

ping 10.0.0.79   # Replace with your AI server's IP

If that works, try the Ollama port:

nc -zv 10.0.0.79 11434

Should show "Connection succeeded" or similar.

Terminal Basics

You should be comfortable with:

cd ~/some/directory      # Change directory
ls -la                   # List files
cat file.txt             # View file contents
export VAR="value"       # Set environment variable
nano file.txt            # Edit a file (or vim/emacs)

If these are foreign, spend 30 minutes on a command line tutorial first. We're not covering terminal basics here.

Firewall Considerations

If running Ollama on a separate machine, that machine's firewall needs to allow incoming connections on port 11434.

macOS:

System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall > Firewall Options
Make sure Ollama isn't blocked.

Linux:

# Allow port 11434
sudo ufw allow 11434

Checklist

Before proceeding, confirm:

[ ] Apple Silicon Mac (or Linux with GPU)
[ ] 16GB+ RAM (32GB+ preferred)
[ ] 30GB+ free disk space
[ ] Node.js installed
[ ] Network connectivity to AI server (if remote)
[ ] Basic terminal comfort

If You're Using a Single Machine

Everything on one box? Simpler setup:

The only downside is your main machine gets hot and slow while generating. A dedicated AI server lets you keep working while the model thinks.

Next Up

Next chapter: Installing and configuring Ollama on your AI server (or the same machine if you're doing everything locally).