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SmolLM2How to run SmolLM2 locally as private, self-hosted AI
Run SmolLM2 as your own private, self-hosted AI. A free local AI tool runs the model on your computer, and TypingMind gives you a full chat app on top of it. Your prompts stay on your machine, and there is no per-message cost.
About SmolLM2: SmolLM2 is a family of compact language models available in three size: 135M, 360M, and 1.7B parameters.
SmolLM2 Overview
| Model | SmolLM2 |
| Runs on | Ollama |
| Sizes | 135m, 360m, 1.7b |
| Download size | 271 MB to 1.8 GB |
| Context window | 8K tokens |
| Input | Text |
| Capabilities | Tool calling |
| Ollama command | ollama pull smollm2:1.7b |
| Downloads on Ollama | 4.2M |
| Last updated | Nov 1, 2024 |
| Model icon | Get the icon for TypingMind |
Which size of SmolLM2 should you pick?
Each size is a different version of SmolLM2. Bigger sizes give better answers but need more memory. Pick the biggest one that fits your computer's RAM. On a Mac, memory is shared with the graphics chip, so leave some room for other apps.
| Model ID | Download | Suggested RAM | Context | Input |
|---|---|---|---|---|
smollm2:135m | 271MB | 8 GB | 8K | Text |
smollm2:360m | 726MB | 8 GB | 8K | Text |
smollm2:1.7bdefault | 1.8GB | 8 GB | 8K | Text |
Suggested RAM is a rough guide: the download size plus about 2 GB, with room for your system. Longer context windows use more.
Run SmolLM2 with Ollama
Ollama is a free local AI tool and the easiest way to run SmolLM2 on your computer. The steps below use smollm2:1.7b, the size Ollama downloads by default. Swap in another model ID from the table if you want a smaller or bigger size.
Install Ollama
Ollama is a free, open-source app that runs AI models on your own computer. It is the engine of your self-hosted AI: it downloads SmolLM2, loads it into memory, and answers requests on your machine.
- Download Ollama for macOS, Windows, or Linux from ollama.com/download and open it.
- On Linux, you can install it from the terminal instead:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Ollama asks you to create an account. You don't need one to run models on your own computer. Click No thanks, I'll use Ollama locally. Ollama keeps running in the background after that, so you can close its window.
Download SmolLM2 with Ollama
Open the Terminal app (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows) and run:
ollama pull smollm2:1.7bThis downloads smollm2:1.7b (1.8GB) to your computer. When you see success, the model is ready.
To see what you have downloaded, run ollama list. To see a model's context length and features, run ollama show smollm2:1.7b.
Let TypingMind connect to Ollama
By default, Ollama only answers apps running on your computer. To let the TypingMind web app talk to your local AI, add https://www.typingmind.com to Ollama's allowed origins with the OLLAMA_ORIGINS setting. Your messages still go straight from your browser to Ollama on your computer.
macOS
launchctl setenv OLLAMA_ORIGINS "https://www.typingmind.com"Then quit Ollama from the menu bar and open it again. This setting is reset when you restart your Mac, so run the command again after a restart.
Windows
- Quit Ollama from the taskbar.
- Search Windows for environment variables and open Edit environment variables for your account.
- Add a new variable named
OLLAMA_ORIGINSwith the valuehttps://www.typingmind.com, then click OK. - Start Ollama again from the Start menu.
Linux
Open the Ollama service settings:
sudo systemctl edit ollama.serviceAdd these lines, save, then run sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl restart ollama:
[Service]
Environment="OLLAMA_ORIGINS=https://www.typingmind.com"💡 Give the model more memory for long chats (optional)
Ollama often runs models with a short context window (4,096 tokens on our 24 GB Mac), so long chats forget earlier messages. Raise it to 8,192 tokens in the Ollama app's Settings → Context length, or on macOS with launchctl setenv OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH 8192, then restart Ollama. Bigger context windows use more memory.
Add SmolLM2 to TypingMind
Open www.typingmind.com in your browser. Use the web version: the TypingMind Mac app and the Setapp version block plain http:// addresses like Ollama's.
Click Models in the left sidebar, then Add custom model.
Fill in the form:
| Name | SmolLM2 1.7B (local)or any name you like |
| Model ID | smollm2:1.7b |
| Context Length | 8192match Ollama's context length |
| API Type | OpenAI Chat Completions API |
| Endpoint URL | http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completions |
| Authentication Type | No authentication |
SmolLM2 1.7B (local)smollm2:1.7b8192http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completionsOpen the Capabilities tab and turn off Auto check capabilities on save. The check sends several test requests, and a local model answers them one at a time, so it can take minutes.
Then set the features for SmolLM2:
- Support System Role: on
- Support Streaming Output: on
- Support Plugins: on
- Support Image Input: off
- Support PDF Input: off
- Support External Image URLs: off
- Support Thinking: off
- Support Prompt Caching: off
Click Test & Save. If your browser asks to let www.typingmind.com access other apps and services on this device, click Allow. This lets the page reach Ollama at localhost.
Chat with SmolLM2 in TypingMind
Pick SmolLM2 1.7B (local) in the model menu under the chat box and say hi. The first reply can take longer while Ollama loads the model into memory. After that, replies come straight from your own computer.
SmolLM2 1.7B (local)Use plugins with SmolLM2
SmolLM2 supports tool calling, so it can use TypingMind plugins. Open the plugin menu next to the model picker and turn on the ones you want, like web search, image generation, or Mermaid diagrams. The model calls them when it needs them.
SmolLM2 1.7B (local)You can now use your private AI with TypingMind's chat features: prompts, AI agents, projects, and switching between your local model and cloud models in the same chat.
Tips and troubleshooting
1. The first message of a new chat seems stuck
TypingMind writes a title for each new chat. If the title is made by the same local model, Ollama gets two requests at once and answers them one at a time, so your reply waits behind the title. Go to Settings → Internal prompts, open Advanced Settings under Auto generate title for new chats, and pick another model for title generation, or turn auto titles off.
2. "Could not connect to the API (code: 1)"
TypingMind can't reach Ollama. Check these in order:
- Ollama is running (you see its icon in the menu bar or taskbar).
- You set
OLLAMA_ORIGINSand restarted Ollama afterwards. - You clicked Allow when the browser asked about accessing apps on this device. If you clicked Block, allow it again from the site settings icon next to the address bar.
- You're using TypingMind in the browser, not the Mac or Setapp app.
To check that Ollama is answering, run:
curl http://localhost:11434/api/version3. See what Ollama is doing
Ollama logs every request with its status code (200 means it worked).
- macOS:
tail -f ~/.ollama/logs/server.log - Linux:
journalctl -u ollama -f - Windows: open
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ollamaand readserver.log
4. Replies are very slow or Ollama runs out of memory
The model is probably too big for your computer. Pick a smaller size from the size table, or close other heavy apps. As a rough rule, you need about the download size plus 2 GB free memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SmolLM2 free to run locally?
Yes. SmolLM2 is an open model you download once to your computer. Every message runs on your own machine, so there is no per-message cost and no API key to manage.
Is SmolLM2 private when I run it locally?
Yes. Your messages go from your browser to the local AI tool on your own computer, not to an AI company. TypingMind keeps your chat history in your browser. If you turn on Cloud Sync, your chats are also backed up to TypingMind's cloud.
How much RAM do I need for SmolLM2?
The smallest size, smollm2:135m, is a 271 MB download and runs comfortably with about 8 GB of RAM. The default size, smollm2:1.7b, needs about 8 GB. Bigger sizes are smarter but need more memory.
Does SmolLM2 work offline?
The model runs fully offline once it's downloaded. The TypingMind web app still needs to load in your browser.
Can SmolLM2 use TypingMind plugins?
Yes. SmolLM2 supports tool calling, so turn on Support Plugins and it can use plugins like web search. Small sizes may call tools less reliably than large ones.
Can SmolLM2 read images?
No. SmolLM2 takes text only, so keep Support Image Input off.
Why is the first reply slow?
The local AI tool loads the model into memory on the first message and keeps it there for a few minutes. Later replies start faster.
Does TypingMind run locally?
TypingMind runs in your browser at www.typingmind.com, and your chats are stored locally in your browser by default. When you chat with a self-hosted model, your messages go straight from your browser to the model on your own computer, not through TypingMind’s servers. If you turn on Cloud Sync, your chats are also backed up to TypingMind’s cloud.
Can I self-host TypingMind?
Yes. To self-host TypingMind for your team or company, use the self-hosted version of TypingMind Teams. You run it on your own servers next to your self-hosted models, so chats, users, and settings stay inside your own infrastructure. Contact our sales team to get started.
