Work with local Ollama models for inference, embeddings, and tool use.

Configuration

Set your Ollama host (defaults to http://localhost:11434):

export OLLAMA_HOST="http://localhost:11434"
# Or for remote server:
export OLLAMA_HOST="http://192.168.1.100:11434"

Quick Reference

# List models
python3 scripts/ollama.py list
# Pull a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py pull llama3.1:8b
# Remove a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py rm modelname
# Show model details
python3 scripts/ollama.py show qwen3:4b
# Chat with a model
python3 scripts/ollama.py chat qwen3:4b "What is the capital of France?"
# Chat with system prompt
python3 scripts/ollama.py chat llama3.1:8b "Review this code" -s "You are a code reviewer"
# Generate completion (non-chat)
python3 scripts/ollama.py generate qwen3:4b "Once upon a time"
# Get embeddings
python3 scripts/ollama.py embed bge-m3 "Text to embed"

Model Selection

See references/models.md for full model list and selection guide.

Quick picks:

• Fast answers: qwen3:4b
• Coding: qwen2.5-coder:7b
• General: llama3.1:8b
• Reasoning: deepseek-r1:8b

Tool Use

Some local models support function calling. Use ollama_tools.py:

# Single request with tools
python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py single qwen2.5-coder:7b "What's the weather in Amsterdam?"
# Full tool loop (model calls tools, gets results, responds)
python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py loop qwen3:4b "Search for Python tutorials and summarize"
# Show available example tools
python3 scripts/ollama_tools.py tools

Tool-capable models: qwen2.5-coder, qwen3, llama3.1, mistral

OpenClaw Sub-Agents

Spawn local model sub-agents with sessions_spawn:

# Example: spawn a coding agent
sessions_spawn(
    task="Review this Python code for bugs",
    model="ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b",
    label="code-review"
)

Model path format: ollama/

Parallel Agents (Think Tank Pattern)

Spawn multiple local agents for collaborative tasks:

agents = [
    {"label": "architect", "model": "ollama/gemma3:12b", "task": "Design the system architecture"},
    {"label": "coder", "model": "ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b", "task": "Implement the core logic"},
    {"label": "reviewer", "model": "ollama/llama3.1:8b", "task": "Review for bugs and improvements"},
]
for a in agents:
    sessions_spawn(task=a["task"], model=a["model"], label=a["label"])

Direct API

For custom integrations, use the Ollama API directly:

# Chat
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/chat -d '{
  "model": "qwen3:4b",
  "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
  "stream": false
}'
# Generate
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/generate -d '{
  "model": "qwen3:4b",
  "prompt": "Why is the sky blue?",
  "stream": false
}'
# List models
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/tags
# Pull model
curl $OLLAMA_HOST/api/pull -d '{"name": "phi3:mini"}'

Troubleshooting

Connection refused?

• Check Ollama is running: ollama serve
• Verify OLLAMA_HOST is correct
• For remote servers, ensure firewall allows port 11434

Model not loading?

• Check VRAM: larger models may need CPU offload
• Try a smaller model first

Slow responses?

• Model may be running on CPU
• Use smaller quantization (e.g., :7b instead of :30b)

OpenClaw sub-agent falls back to default model?

• Ensure ollama:default auth profile exists in OpenClaw config
• Check model path format: ollama/modelname:tag