llamafile README

The project's README from github.com/mozilla-ai/llamafile. As one markdown file: README.md.

llamafile

[line drawing of llama animal head in front of slightly open manilla folder filled with files]

License ci status Based on llama.cpp Based on whisper.cpp Discord Mozilla Builders

llamafile lets you distribute and run LLMs with a single file.

llamafile is a Mozilla Builders project (see its announcement blog post), now revamped by Mozilla.ai.

Our goal is to make open LLMs much more accessible to both developers and end users. We're doing that by combining llama.cpp with Cosmopolitan Libc into one framework that collapses all the complexity of LLMs down to a single-file executable (called a "llamafile") that runs locally on most operating systems and CPU architectures, with no installation.

llamafile also includes whisperfile, a single-file speech-to-text tool built on whisper.cpp and the same Cosmopolitan packaging. It supports transcription and translation of audio files across all the same platforms, with no installation required.

v0.10.*

llamafile versions starting from 0.10.0 use a new build system, aimed at keeping our code more easily aligned with the latest versions of llama.cpp. This means they support more recent models and functionalities, but at the same time they might be missing some of the features you were accustomed to (check out this doc for a high-level description of what has been done). If you liked the "classic experience" more, you will always be able to access the previous versions from our releases page. Our pre-built llamafiles always show which version of the server they have been bundled with (0.9.* example, 0.10.* example), so you will always know which version of the software you are downloading.

We want to hear from you! Whether you are a new user or a long-time fan, please share what you find most valuable about llamafile and what would make it more useful for you. Read more via the blog and add your voice to the discussion here.

Quick Start

Download and run your first llamafile in minutes:

# Download an example model (Qwen3.5 0.8B)
curl -LO https://huggingface.co/mozilla-ai/llamafile_0.10/resolve/main/Qwen3.5-0.8B-Q8_0.llamafile

# Make it executable (macOS/Linux/BSD)
chmod +x Qwen3.5-0.8B-Q8_0.llamafile

# Run it
./Qwen3.5-0.8B-Q8_0.llamafile

We chose this model because that's the smallest one we have built a llamafile for, so most likely to work out-of-the-box for you. If you have powerful hardware and/or GPUs, feel free to choose larger and more expressive models which should provide more accurate responses.

Windows users: Rename the file to add .exe extension before running.

Note - Only executables under 4GB can run on Windows, so any llamafile above 4GB won't work. Download the llamafile binary and run it with any external weights/models(GGUF).

Documentation

Check the full documentation at docs.mozilla.ai/llamafile, or directly jump into one of the following subsections:

Licensing

While the llamafile project is Apache 2.0-licensed, our changes to llama.cpp and whisper.cpp are licensed under MIT (just like the projects themselves) so as to remain compatible and upstreamable in the future, should that be desired.

The llamafile logo on this page was generated with the assistance of DALL·E 3.

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llamafile (mozilla-ai/llamafile)

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26.4K ·GitHub
Llamafile
What is this?llamafile turns open LLMs into single-file executables: one file that runs a chat model locally on most operating systems and CPU architectures, with no installation. It is a Mozilla Builders project, now revamped by Mozilla.ai.
Is it a framework I build with, or a ready-made program I download?Both: under the hood it is llama.cpp combined with Cosmopolitan Libc, but as a user you just download a pre-built llamafile and run it. The same binary can also run external GGUF weights you already have.
How do I get one running?Download a pre-built llamafile and just execute it — there is no install step. On Windows, first rename the file to add the .exe extension. Start with their smallest model, which is the most likely to work out-of-the-box.
Any gotchas I should know about?Yes: on Windows only executables under 4GB can run, so bigger llamafiles won't work there. Also, since v0.10 the build system was rebuilt to track recent llama.cpp, so some features of the classic versions may be missing.
Does it call a cloud API, or is everything on my machine?Everything runs locally on your own hardware — the README describes no cloud service or account anywhere in the workflow.
What does Cosmopolitan Libc actually do here?It is the piece that makes one file run everywhere: llama.cpp is linked against it so the resulting executable runs natively on most operating systems and CPU architectures — that is why there is nothing to install.
Are older versions still available if v0.10 dropped a feature I need?Yes — previous versions remain accessible on the releases page. Pre-built llamafiles also show which server version they bundle (0.9.x or 0.10.x), so you know what you are downloading.
Why a single file instead of just running llama.cpp?The stated goal is accessibility: collapsing all the complexity of LLMs into a single executable so open models become much easier for both developers and end users to run and share.
What are similar projects?project-maya, Strata, jev, Janus, ODS, rizzo-flow, gpt4all, mlx-serve
Which topics is it in?llamacpp, llama-cpp, gguf, local-ai, whisper, speech-to-text, llm-inference, local-llm, inference, cpp, c++, gpu
Creator
mozilla-ai
Size
27.5 MB
Stars
26.4K
Updated
CommitOct 08Release0.10.6Sep 15
Age
3y
Commits · 90 Days