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# Installation

This guide will walk you through installing Llamactl on your system.

## Prerequisites

### Backend Dependencies

llamactl supports multiple backends. Install at least one:

For llama.cpp backend (all platforms):

You need `llama-server` from llama.cpp installed:

    # Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
    brew install llama.cpp
    # Winget (Windows)
    winget install llama.cpp

Or build from source - see llama.cpp docs

For MLX backend (macOS only):

MLX provides optimized inference on Apple Silicon. Install MLX-LM:

    # Install via pip (requires Python 3.8+)
    pip install mlx-lm

    # Or in a virtual environment (recommended)
    python -m venv mlx-env
    source mlx-env/bin/activate
    pip install mlx-lm

Note: MLX backend is only available on macOS with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, etc.)

For vLLM backend:

vLLM provides high-throughput distributed serving for LLMs. Install vLLM:

    # Install via pip (requires Python 3.8+, GPU required)
    pip install vllm

    # Or in a virtual environment (recommended)
    python -m venv vllm-env
    source vllm-env/bin/activate
    pip install vllm

    # For production deployments, consider container-based installation

## Installation Methods

### Option 1: Download Binary (Recommended)

Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page:

    # Linux/macOS - Get latest version and download
    LATEST_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/lordmathis/llamactl/releases/latest | grep '"tag_name":' | sed -E 's/.*"([^"]+)".*/\1/')
    curl -L https://github.com/lordmathis/llamactl/releases/download/${LATEST_VERSION}/llamactl-${LATEST_VERSION}-$(uname -s | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')-$(uname -m).tar.gz | tar -xz
    sudo mv llamactl /usr/local/bin/

    # Or download manually from:
    # https://github.com/lordmathis/llamactl/releases/latest

    # Windows - Download from releases page

### Option 2: Build from Source

Requirements: - Go 1.24 or later - Node.js 22 or later - Git

If you prefer to build from source:

    # Clone the repository
    git clone https://github.com/lordmathis/llamactl.git
    cd llamactl

    # Build the web UI
    cd webui && npm ci && npm run build && cd ..

    # Build the application
    go build -o llamactl ./cmd/server

## Verification

Verify your installation by checking the version:

    llamactl --version

## Next Steps

Now that Llamactl is installed, continue to the Quick Start guide to get your first instance running!

September 21, 2025