Step-by-Step Guide

Setup RAGS-AI

Get RAGS-AI running on your Mac in under 10 minutes. Follow these steps carefully.

Requires macOS 12+ • Terminal access • ~10GB disk space

0Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
8GB RAM minimum (16GB recommended)
10GB+ free disk space
Terminal / Command line access
Admin access to install software
Microphone (for voice commands)(optional)

1Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS. Skip this step if you already have it installed.

Check if Homebrew is installed:

brew --version

If not installed, run this command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the on-screen instructions after installation. You may need to add Homebrew to your PATH.

2Install Ollama

Ollama runs local LLMs on your machine. This is the brain of RAGS-AI.

Install via Homebrew:

brew install ollama

Or download directly from:

https://ollama.ai

Verify installation:

ollama --version

3Download AI Model

Pull a local LLM model. We recommend starting with llama3.2 for best performance.

Recommended model (4.7GB):

ollama pull llama3.2

Alternative models:

ollama pull phi3

2.3GB • Smaller, faster, good for low RAM

ollama pull llama3.2:1b

1.3GB • Lightweight, basic tasks

ollama pull llava

4.7GB • Vision capable (for camera features)

Download time depends on your internet speed. Models are stored locally and only downloaded once.

4Start Ollama Server

Ollama needs to run as a background server. Keep this running while using RAGS-AI.

Start the server:

ollama serve

Test if it's working:

curl http://localhost:11434

Should return: "Ollama is running"

Tip: Open a new terminal tab/window for the next steps. Keep Ollama running in the background.

5Install Node.js

RAGS-AI backend requires Node.js 18 or later.

Check if Node.js is installed:

node --version

If not installed or version is below 18:

brew install node

6Clone & Setup RAGS-AI

Clone the repository and install dependencies.

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/raghavshahhh/RAGS-AI.git

Navigate to the project:

cd RAGS-AI

Install dependencies:

npm install

Run the setup script (if available):

npm run setup

7Run RAGS-AI

Make sure Ollama is running in another terminal, then start RAGS-AI.

Start RAGS-AI:

npm run start

Or for development mode:

npm run dev

You're all set!

RAGS-AI should now be running. Try saying "Hey RAGS" to activate voice commands.

Quick Reference

All commands in order:

# 1. Install Homebrew (if needed)

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# 2. Install Ollama

brew install ollama

# 3. Pull AI model

ollama pull llama3.2

# 4. Start Ollama server (keep running)

ollama serve

# 5. Install Node.js (if needed)

brew install node

# 6. Clone and setup RAGS-AI

git clone https://github.com/raghavshahhh/RAGS-AI.git

cd RAGS-AI

npm install

# 7. Run RAGS-AI

npm run start

Common Issues

Ollama command not found

Make sure Homebrew is in your PATH. Run: export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH" and try again.

Model download stuck or slow

Large models take time. Check your internet connection. You can also try a smaller model like phi3.

Port 11434 already in use

Another Ollama instance might be running. Kill it with: pkill ollama, then restart.

npm install fails

Try clearing npm cache: npm cache clean --force, then delete node_modules and try again.

Voice commands not working

Check microphone permissions in System Preferences > Privacy & Security > Microphone.

RAGS-AI crashes on startup

Make sure Ollama server is running first. Check the console for specific error messages.

Still Stuck? Get Help

Check the GitHub issues or open a new one. The community is here to help.

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