Purchase a Self-Managed VPS Hosting with Ollama Installation

Ollama is an AI-powered platform designed to provide advanced language model capabilities for businesses and developers. It offers robust natural language processing (NLP) tools that can be integrated into applications for tasks such as text generation, summarization, translation, and conversational AI. Ollama combines ease of use with powerful customization, making cutting-edge AI technology accessible without the need for deep technical expertise.

System Requirements

Before deploying, ensure your server meets the requirements below. For a stable production deployment, we recommend using higher specifications than the Approximate Size requirements.

Ollama AI Model Storage Requirements

Ensure your server has sufficient disk space available to download and store the specific AI models you plan to run locally in Ollama:

How to Purchase a Self-Managed VPS Hosting with Ollama Installation

To get started with Ollama on Bluehost, you first need to purchase a Self-Managed VPS plan. Follow the steps below:

1. In your browser, go to https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting.
2. Click the Choose Plan button under your preferred VPS hosting plan.

   
    

   Important: Pricing is subject to change—please visit https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting for the current introductory/sign-up offer for Bluehost VPS Hosting. For the most up-to-date renewal pricing, visit your Bluehost Portal Renewal Center.

3. Select your preferred Data Center location.

   
    

4. On the Cart page, you can configure your server to fit your needs in the following section:
   1. Hardware:
      1. Pre-selected:

         You can select a different Self-Managed VPS plan in this section.

         
          

      2. Configure:

         Click Configure to customize your package.

         Note that your changes help customize your plan, and the overall cost will adjust accordingly to fit your needs.

         
          

   2. Software:
      If the selected plan does not meet the app's minimum requirements, the app will be grayed out.
      1. Click on the Application tab.
      2. Choose Ollama.

         
          

      3. Click Confirm to continue.

         
          

5. Add-Ons:
   • Support & Security:
     • Premium Support - Recurring:

       This service provides you with priority access to our expert team for faster responses and personalized assistance whenever you need it.

       
        

   • AI Credits:

     Purchase an AI credit package to effortlessly connect your application to leading LLMs through a single API key and bill. This step is optional.

     
      

   • In the Advanced options:
     • Extra IP's: You can add extra IP addresses for an additional fee.
       Pricing changes based on how many IPs you add.
     • Hostname: Assign a custom hostname to easily identify your server. This is optional.
     • SSH Key: Add an SSH public key for secure, password-less access after provisioning.

     
      

6. Select your preferred billing term and view your Order Summary. Click the Continue to Checkout button to proceed.

   
    

7. Do the following on the Checkout page:

   If you're new with Bluehost:

   1. Create your Bluehost account by using your email address or by connecting with your Google, Apple, or GitHub account — whichever you prefer!

      
       

   2. Select your preferred payment method: credit card, Google Pay, or PayPal. Enter your billing information.

      
       

   If you have an account with us, you will see your Bluehost login details when you are logged into your Bluehost Portal. If you are not logged in, please click the Log In link.

   
    

8. In the Shopping Cart section, you can still adjust your billing term if needed.

   
    

9. Review the items in your cart, add a Promo Code if you have one, and then click Submit Payment to complete the purchase.

   
    

After completing the purchase, your VPS hosting will begin provisioning. You can access and manage your new VPS hosting in the Hosting tab of your Bluehost Portal.

How to Use Ollama

After the installation completes, follow the steps below to set up your application.

1. Log in to your Bluehost Portal.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Hosting, then select My Plans.

   
    

3. Locate the server you want to manage, then click View Details in the bottom-left corner to expand the section and access additional server information.

   
    

4. Click the Reset Password.

   
    

5. In the pop-up window, type your new root password, then click Reset Password again to confirm and save the changes.

   
    

6. Connect to your VPS via SSH.
   Open your computer's terminal (or an SSH client like PuTTY) and run the following command to log into your server as the administrator, using your server's public IP address:
   Replace your_server_ip with your actual server IP address.

   ssh root@your_server_ip

   Follow the prompts and enter the new root password you created in the step above.

   Example Output:

   
   Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.8.0-111-generic x86_64)
   ********************************************************************************
   Ollama is running on this server.
   
   The UFW firewall is enabled.
   All ports are BLOCKED except 22 (SSH) and 11434 (Ollama API).
   
   API endpoint:
     http://localhost:11434
   
   Common commands:
     ollama list                  # list downloaded models
     ollama pull llama3.2         # download a model (~2GB)
     ollama pull tinyllama        # download a small starter model (~637MB)
     ollama run tinyllama         # start an interactive chat session
   
   REST API examples:
     curl http://localhost:11434/api/version
     curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
     curl -X POST http://localhost:11434/api/generate \
          -d '{"model":"tinyllama","prompt":"Hello","stream":false}'
   
   On the server:
     Models are stored in /var/lib/ollama/.ollama/models
     Service config: /etc/systemd/system/ollama.service.d/override.conf
   
   For more details please see /root/README.md
   
   To delete this message of the day: rm -rf /etc/update-motd.d/99-ollama
       

7. Check installed and available models via the CLI.
   Copy

   ollama list
   Example Output:

   
   NAME        	ID          	SIZE    MODIFIED
   tinyllama   	sha256:e5562a3b…	637 MB  3 minutes ago
       

8. Pull a model (tinyllama is preinstalled on first boot):
   Copy

   ollama pull llama3.2
   Example Output:

   
   pulling manifest
   pulling 2.0 GB model
   ...
   success
       

9. Start an interactive session with a model:
   Copy

   ollama run tinyllama
   Example Output:

   >>> Hello, how can I help you today?
   (type /exit to quit)
   

10. Remove a model to free up disk space:
    Copy

    ollama rm tinyllama
    Example Output:

    
    Deleted model 'tinyllama'
        

11. Interact with the Ollama REST API
    • Check Ollama version:
      Copy

      curl http://localhost:11434/api/version
      Example Output:

      
      {"version": "0.1.25"}
              

    • List available models (tags):
      Copy

      curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
      Example Output:

      
      {"models":[{"name":"tinyllama","modified_at":"2024-06-18T10:17:22.093Z"}]}
              

    • Generate a non-streaming completion:
      Copy

      curl -X POST http://localhost:11434/api/generate \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"model":"tinyllama","prompt":"Why is the sky blue?","stream":false}'
      Example Output:

      
      {"response":"The sky looks blue because of the way sunlight interacts with Earth's atmosphere...","model":"tinyllama",...}
              

    • Start a chat session via API:
      Copy

      curl -X POST http://localhost:11434/api/chat \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"model":"tinyllama","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]}'
      Example Output:

      
      {"message":{"role":"assistant","content":"Hello! How can I help you?"}, ...}
              

12. Model storage location
    Models are stored in
    Copy

    /var/lib/ollama/.ollama/models

    Before pulling large models, make sure you have sufficient disk space (7B models may need 4-8 GB free space).

13. Service config and logs
    • Service configuration is at
      Copy

      /etc/systemd/system/ollama.service.d/override.conf
    • For logs or troubleshooting, see:
      Copy

      cat /root/README.md

Links

• Ollama Documentation

Additional Information and Example Documentation Output

You can run cat /root/README.md to see more information and useful commands:

Example Output:

root@12-1-1-123:~# cat /root/README.md
# Ollama

## Description

Ollama is a platform that lets you run and manage AI models locally on
your server with full control and privacy. It makes it easy to
download, deploy, and interact with large language models, enabling
you to build AI-powered applications, automate tasks, and process data
without relying on external services.


## Services

Service    | Ports   | Purpose
-----------|---------|---------
ollama API | 11434   |
OpenSSH    | 22      | SSH

Ports are protected using ufw. Port 11434 is open to allow external API access.


## How-to-use

On first boot the image will automatically pull **tinyllama** (~637 MB) as a starter
model so the API is ready to use without any manual steps.

### Interacting via CLI

SSH into the server and use the `ollama` command:

```bash
ollama list                    # list downloaded models
ollama pull llama3.2           # pull a model (~2 GB)
ollama pull tinyllama          # pull a small model (~637 MB)
ollama run tinyllama           # start an interactive session
ollama rm tinyllama            # remove a model
```

### Interacting via REST API

The API is accessible from outside the server on port 11434:

```bash
# Check version
curl http://localhost:11434/api/version

# List available models
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags

# Generate a completion (non-streaming)
curl -X POST http://localhost:11434/api/generate \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"model":"tinyllama","prompt":"Why is the sky blue?","stream":false}'

# Chat endpoint
curl -X POST http://localhost:11434/api/chat \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"model":"tinyllama","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]}'
```

### Model storage

Models are stored in `/var/lib/ollama/.ollama/models`. Ensure your volume has
sufficient space before pulling large models (7B parameter models are typically 4-8 GB).


## Links

Documentation: [https://docs.ollama.com/](https://docs.ollama.com/)

Summary

Ollama is a powerful AI-driven language platform that businesses and developers can leverage for various applications such as customer support, content creation, data analysis, development, and education. By purchasing a Self-Managed VPS Hosting plan from Bluehost, you can gain the flexibility and control necessary to configure your environment and deploy Ollama effectively. This combination enables you to harness the potential of advanced AI technology to drive innovation and improved communication.