LOCAL AI SERVER

> U6 · NPU, A CHATGPT STYLE INTERFACE THAT NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE

utsav@homelab:~/homelab/ai-server$ cat README.md

A Mac mini M4 set up as a dedicated, always on local AI server alongside the Pi based homelab. Ollama runs local language models with GPU acceleration through Apple's Metal backend, Open WebUI gives it a familiar browser based chat interface, and a Google Gemini connection sits in the same dropdown for anything that benefits from a larger cloud model. Everything is reachable from any device on the home network or Tailscale, with a strict rule about what goes to which model.

utsav@homelab:~/homelab/ai-server$ ./features --list

▸ Four local models, general chat, coding, and two multimodal sizes ▸ Google Gemini connected alongside the local models in one dropdown ▸ External NVMe SSD for model storage, kept off the internal drive ▸ Auto starting on boot through launch agents and a launch daemon ▸ Caddy reverse proxy, clean local domains instead of IP and port numbers ▸ A simple privacy rule, local models for anything sensitive, cloud for the rest

utsav@homelab:~/homelab/ai-server$ ollama list --format stack

HARDWAREMac mini M4, 16GB unified memory, external NVMe enclosure INFERENCEOllama, GPU accelerated through Apple Metal INTERFACEOpen WebUI, browser based, run as a network server MODELSqwen2.5, qwen2.5 coder, gemma4 (two sizes, multimodal) CLOUDGoogle Gemini, free tier, connected as an extra provider

utsav@homelab:~/homelab/ai-server$ git log --reverse --milestones

2026-06-23Set up from scratch in one session. External SSD mounted, Ollama installed, four production models pulled after a quick test model was removed 2026-06-23Open WebUI running as a proper network server rather than the desktop only build, reachable from every device on the Tailnet 2026-06-23Caddy reverse proxy and local DNS records added, so the server is reached by name instead of an IP and a port 2026-07-05Bulk document ingestion tested at scale, a resource limit bug found and fixed along the way ONGOINGDaily driver for coding help, quick questions and document search across both local and cloud models

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utsav@homelab:~/homelab/ai-server$