ollama-deploy

name	ollama-deploy
description	Deploy and manage Ollama LLM on fleet hosts. Use when user mentions ollama, LLM, AI model, or language model deployment.
compatibility	opencode
metadata	{"tools_needed":"Bash, SSH, WebFetch, Glob, Grep, Read, Write","triggers":"ollama, LLM, AI model, language model"}

Ollama Deployment Skill

Overview

Use this skill for deploying and managing Ollama (local LLM runtime) on fleet hosts.

Tools Required

• Bash - Run ollama commands, systemctl
• SSH - Connect to hosts for direct access
• WebFetch - Download Ollama binaries, check releases
• Glob/Grep - Find existing Ollama installations
• Read - Check configs, model availability
• Write/Edit - Create systemd units, configs

Key Principles

1. Architecture Matters

• Raspberry Pis: use ollama-linux-arm64.tgz
• x86_64 hosts: use ollama-linux-amd64.tgz
• Verify with: file /usr/local/bin/ollama

2. Staged Downloads for Large Files

Ollama binary is ~1.6GB. Download once locally, then distribute:

# Download to controller
curl -fsSL https://github.com/ollama/ollama/releases/download/v0.13.1/ollama-linux-arm64.tgz -o /tmp/ollama.tgz

# Distribute via Ansible copy (parallel, fast LAN)
ansible <hosts> -i inventory -b -m copy -a "src=/tmp/ollama.tgz dest=/tmp/ollama.tgz"

# Extract on hosts
ansible <hosts> -i inventory -b -m shell -a "tar -xzf /tmp/ollama.tgz -C /usr/local"

3. Models Need Separate Pull

After installing Ollama binary, pull models:

ansible <hosts> -i inventory -b -m shell -a "/usr/local/bin/ollama pull kimi-k2.5:cloud"

4. Use Systemd for Service Management

ansible <hosts> -i inventory -b -m systemd -a "name=ollama state=started enabled=yes"

Common Playbooks

Install Ollama

ansible-playbook -i inventory 02-ollama.yml

Check Status

ansible <hosts> -i inventory -m shell -a "/usr/local/bin/ollama list"
ansible <hosts> -i inventory -m systemd -a "name=ollama state=started"

Known Issues

Wrong Architecture

• Problem: juju4.ollama role downloads AMD64 by default
• Fix: Manually specify ARM64 URL in playbook

Model Download Fails

• Problem: Permission errors when running ollama pull as _ollama user
• Fix: Run ollama pull as ubuntu user or directly without become_user

Service Not Starting

• Check: journalctl -u ollama -n 50
• Verify binary: file /usr/local/bin/ollama

Reference Files

$HOME/rust-town/irclaw/ansible/02-ollama.yml

Usage

1. Audit first: Check if Ollama already installed
2. Stage download: Get binary once, distribute
3. Extract & start: Use systemd
4. Pull models: Pull required models (kimi-k2.5:cloud)