Supported Operating Systems: AI Everywhere

One of Ollama's greatest strengths is its cross-platform nature. Whether you are a Windows gamer, a creative using a Mac, or a developer on Linux, Ollama provides a native experience tailored to your OS.

1. macOS (The "Gold Standard")

Ollama launched first on macOS, and for a long time, it was the best way to experience it.

• Installer: A simple .zip that moves to your Applications folder.
• Performance: Automatically leverages the Metal API and Unified Memory.
• Tray App: On Mac, Ollama runs a small icon in the menu bar, making it easy to see when it's running.

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2. Windows (The Powerhouse)

For a long time, Windows users had to use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run Ollama. Now, there is a Native Windows Installer.

• Installer: An .exe file that sets up the system tray application.
• GPU Support: It detected NVIDIA (CUDA) cards automatically. It also supports AMD GPUs via ROCm (often a bit more complex, but getting easier).
• The WSL Alternative: Many developers still prefer running Ollama inside WSL2 (Ubuntu) to keep their AI development environment separate from their main OS files.

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3. Linux (The Server Choice)

If you are running Ollama on a home server or in the cloud, Linux is the way to go.

• Quick Install: A single-line script: curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh.
• Systemd: Ollama on Linux runs as a system service. This means it starts automatically when the computer boots, which is perfect for headless servers.
• NVIDIA Drivers: You must have the NVIDIA container toolkit or standard drivers installed for Ollama to "see" your GPU.

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4. Docker (The Portable Choice)

If you don't want to install Ollama directly on your OS, you can run it inside a Docker container.

• Image: ollama/ollama.
• Advantage: You can spin it up and tear it down in seconds.
• GPU Passthrough: On Windows and Linux, you can "pass through" your GPU to the container so that it doesn't just use the CPU.

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Summary of OS Differences

OS	Installation	GPU Acceleration	Best Use Case
macOS	Simple App	Metal (Unified)	Laptops & Creative Work
Windows	Native .exe	CUDA (NVIDIA)	Gaming PCs & General Use
Linux	Shell Script	CUDA / ROCm	Home Servers & Cloud
Docker	docker pull	Hardware Passthrough	Development & Prototyping

Visualizing Ollama's Cross-Platform Architecture

graph TD
    User[User Application] --> Ollama[Ollama Server]
    
    subgraph macOS
        Ollama --> Metal[Metal API]
        Metal --> M[Unified Memory]
    end
    
    subgraph Windows
        Ollama --> CUDA[CUDA/ROCm]
        CUDA --> GPU_W[NVIDIA/AMD GPU]
    end
    
    subgraph Linux
        Ollama --> Systemd[Systemd Service]
        Systemd --> GPU_L[GPU Drivers]
    end

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Which Should You Choose?

• Use Native Windows/Mac if this is your primary computer.
• Use Linux if you have an old PC you've turned into an "AI Box."
• Use Docker if you are a developer building an app suite (e.g., Ollama + Web UI + Database).

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Key Takeaways

• Ollama is native to Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• macOS leverage Metal; Windows/Linux leverage CUDA.
• Linux installation is optimized for servers, while Windows/Mac are optimized for desktop users.