# Totem LLM

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### Your Mind Leads [![Node.js](https://img.shields.io/badge/Node.js-v18+-green?logo=node.js&logoColor=white)](https://nodejs.org/) [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue)](LICENSE) [![Platform](https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-Linux%20%7C%20macOS%20%7C%20Windows-lightgrey)](https://github.com/fred-terzi/totem-llm) **A sovereign AI solution for consumer hardware. Keep your data private, run locally, stay in control.**
--- ## 🚀 Key Features | Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | **Privacy First** | All data stays on your machine. | | **Consumer Hardware** | Optimized for consumer-grade devices. | | **Local & Cloud** | Choose local models via Ollama or use cloud providers (OpenRouter). | | **Easy Setup** | One-line install with automatic dependency resolution. | --- ## 📋 About Totem LLM is a sovereign AI solution, aimed at optimizing for consumer hardware and ensuring data privacy. It is designed to run efficiently on consumer-grade hardware, such as laptops and desktops, without the need for cloud-based processing. This allows users to have full control over their data and AI interactions, without relying on third-party services. While local AI is the core focus, Totem LLM supports both local and cloud-based LLM providers, giving users the flexibility to choose based on their needs and preferences. The system is built with a modular architecture, allowing for easy integration of new features and providers over time. ## ⚙️ Requirements Before installing Totem LLM, first install the below prerequisites: - **[Node.js](https://nodejs.org/)** v18 or later - **[Ollama](https://ollama.com/)** (recommended for local models) *OR* - **[OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai/)** API key (for cloud models) --- ## 🎯 Quick Start ### 1️⃣ Install the Package Open your terminal and run: ```bash npm install -g totem-llm ``` This automatically downloads Totem LLM and installs all dependencies (server, collector, frontend). ### 2️⃣ Start Totem LLM ```bash totem-llm start ``` **First run:** Creates `~/totem-llm/` directory, migrates database, then launches services. **Access:** Open [http://localhost:8686](http://localhost:8686) in your browser. ### 3️⃣ Optional: Install as Desktop App In the browser UI, click the **install icon** in the address bar (or use your browser menu) to add Totem LLM to your desktop. This is a link to the web GUI, but with its own window and taskbar/dock icon for easy access. ## Model Selection Once first installed, we recommend using qwen3.5:2b as a base model. This is a small model that is excellent to start with. It can help answer questions and provide guidance on if you can use a bigger model. If qwen3.5:2b does not work well on your machine, it is recommened to move to OpenRouter. While a smaller model will work, there is a performance drop off. ### Windows and Linux Model Download: ``` ollama pull qwen3.5:2b ``` ### Mac Model Download: ``` ollama pull qwen3.5:2b-mlx ``` > Note: The `-mlx` suffix indicates the version optimized for Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Macs. If you are on an Intel-based Mac, use the standard `qwen3.5:2b` model. --- ## 📚 Command Reference ```bash totem-llm start # Start server and collector totem-llm --no-collector # Start server only (skip document ingestion) totem-llm --port=8080 # Use custom server port totem-llm setup # Run first-time setup without starting totem-llm --help # Show all available commands ``` ### Environment Variables ```bash # Override default storage location (default: ~/totem-llm) export TOTEM_STORAGE_DIR=/your/custom/path totem-llm start ``` --- ## 🛠️ Troubleshooting | Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | **npm not found** (Windows) | Run `npm.cmd` instead of `npm` | | **totem-llm command not found** | Run `npx.cmd totem-llm start` or add npm global bin to PATH | | **PowerShell script execution error** | Run `Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser` once, then retry | | **Alternative on Windows** | Use **Command Prompt** (`cmd.exe`) instead of PowerShell | ## 🙏 Acknowledgments Totem LLM is built on the foundation of **[AnythingLLM](https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm)** by Mintplex Labs. We are deeply grateful for their excellent work. --- ## 📄 License Totem LLM is released under the **MIT License** — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details. ## 📞 Support - 🐛 **Report Issues** → [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/fred-terzi/totem-llm/issues) - 💬 **Discussions** → [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/fred-terzi/totem-llm/discussions) ---