Category: macOS

How to Change Ollama’s Model Directory with a Symlink

Ollama stores AI models in ~/.ollama by default, but if you want to use an external drive or a different location, you can change this with a symbolic link. This guide shows you how.

Step 1: Install Ollama

First, install Ollama by following the official instructions:

Alternatively you can install via homebrew: brew install ollama

Step 2: Remove the Existing .ollama Directory

Ollama stores its models in ~/.ollama. If you've already downloaded models, back them up before creating the symlink.

mv ~/.ollama ~/.ollama_backup

Step 3: Create a Symlink to Your New Location

Choose the location where you want Ollama to store models. If you have an external SSD or another directory, point the symlink there.

ln -s /Volumes/SSD/Ollama ~/.ollama

Step 4: Verify the Symlink

Check that ~/.ollama now points to your chosen directory:

ls -l ~/.ollama

If the output shows ~/.ollama -> /Volumes/SSD/Ollama, it's working.

Step 5: Test Ollama

Run a model to confirm it's downloading to the new location:

ollama run deepseek-r1:32b

Then check the model directory:

ls -l /Volumes/SSD/Ollama/models

If you see the downloaded model there, the setup is complete! Now, Ollama will store all models in your preferred location.

How to Install Sunshine on macOS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up Sunshine on macOS requires some preliminary steps to ensure all dependencies and configurations are in place. In this blog post, we will walk through the entire installation process, step by step, so you can easily get Sunshine running on your Mac system.

Install MacPorts

The first thing we need to do is install MacPorts, a package management system for macOS. Follow the instructions on the official MacPorts installation page.

https://www.macports.org/install.php

Add Sunshine to MacPorts

Before we can install Sunshine, we need to add it to our MacPorts source list.

Update MacPorts Sources:

echo "file:///Users/$USER/ports" | sudo tee -a /opt/local/etc/macports/sources.conf

Download Portfile for Sunshine

First, navigate to the folder where you'll place the Portfile. Create it if it doesn't exist

mkdir -p ~/ports/multimedia/sunshine

Download the Portfile using curl

curl -L -o ~/ports/multimedia/sunshine/Portfile https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Portfile

Update Port Index and Install Sunshine

Navigate to the ports directory and update the port index:

cd ~/ports
sudo portindex

Finally, install Sunshine:

sudo port install sunshine

Run Sunshine

Launch Sunshine by running the following command in the Terminal:

sunshine

The first time you start Sunshine, you will be asked to grant access to screen recording and your microphone.

Sunshine will start a web server, which you can access at https://localhost:47990. Remember to accept the self-signed certificate warning.

Configure macOS Audio

Install BlackHole Audio Sink

BlackHole is an audio sink that will help us in redirecting audio. Open your Terminal and run:

sudo port install BlackHole

For audio, make sure you set "BlackHole 2ch" as your input device in the Sunshine configuration. Even though "BlackHole 2ch" appears as the placeholder text, you'll have to manually type it into the field to set it.

And that's it! You have successfully installed and configured Sunshine on your macOS system. Enjoy streaming your macOS desktop and audio to other devices!