The Power and Extensibility of Ollama - Using PowerShell and REST API

Hey there tech enthusiasts, Daniel from Tiger Triangle Technologies here! In this video, we're building on our previous exploration of Ollama, a large language model with some serious potential. This time, we're kicking things up a notch by introducing PowerShell and the REST API to the mix. Buckle up, because we're about to unlock even greater capabilities and open the doors for some truly extensible Ollama applications!

Diving Deeper into Ollama with PowerShell

We'll revisit some familiar territory by interacting with Ollama through PowerShell, just like we did in the command prompt. But this time, we'll delve a little deeper into the available functionalities. We'll use the llama run command to interact with the model, specifying the model name and prompt. We'll also explore the verbose flag to gain insights into the model's performance metrics, like load duration.

Unleashing the Power of REST API

But what exactly is a REST API? In layman's terms, it's a mechanism that allows applications to communicate with each other. The good news is that Ollama supports this standard REST API, making it language and operating system agnostic. This means you can leverage Ollama's power from various applications seamlessly.

To get our hands dirty, we'll use PowerShell's Invoke-WebRequest cmdlet to send HTTP requests to the Ollama API. We'll specify the model, prompt, and other parameters to get Ollama to generate text. We'll compare this process with using the curl command in the command prompt for a well-rounded understanding.

Exploring Ollama with Postman

Postman is a fantastic tool for testing web APIs, and it won't disappoint when it comes to Ollama. We'll fire up Postman to interact with the Ollama API through a user-friendly interface. We'll send chat prompts and see how Ollama responds, simulating a real-world conversation. This is particularly useful for multi-shot prompting scenarios where you provide context to Ollama for better responses.

The Beauty of Extensibility

One of the most compelling aspects of Ollama is its extensibility. Whether you're a command-line pro wielding PowerShell, a curl command enthusiast, or prefer the comfort of a visual interface like Postman, Ollama has you covered. This flexibility makes it a powerful tool for various applications, from building AI chatbots to complex workflows requiring Chain of Thought reasoning.

Conclusion

By the end of this video, you'll have a solid grasp of using PowerShell and the REST API to interact with Ollama. You'll see the potential for extensibility and how Ollama can be tailored to your specific needs. Remember, this is just the beginning! We've only scratched the surface of Ollama's capabilities. Stay tuned for future videos where we'll delve deeper into building real-world applications on top of this amazing platform. Until next time, happy llama hacking!