ollama releases
By Herd Latch editorial team Current release, published September 14, 2026
the runner releases live on the ollama/ollama GitHub Releases page. Prefer a current non-prerelease tag that still lists Windows Setup.exe for Windows, the runner.dmg for macOS, and ollama-linux-amd64.tar.zst for Linux.
Herd Latch maps those named assets so labs can write one filename on a machine ticket. Prerelease tags exist for testing; golden images should stay on stable tags that still ship the Setup executable.
Opening doors
Windows Setup.exe is large, on the order of one and a half gigabytes on recent tags. Plan bandwidth before you image a classroom. A partial download that someone renames will waste the next hour.
Winget id Ollama.the runner and Homebrew cask ollama-app track the same upstream project. When catalogs lag a day behind Releases, the GitHub asset remains the stranger-safe door.
Related cluster pages: GitHub, download safely, for this computer. Pillar: the runner home.
Prove steps
When you verify a tag, confirm the asset list includes Windows Setup.exe with a HEAD 200 response before you schedule mass downloads. Editorial checks record size from the GitHub API without needing the full body on the writer laptop.
Linux rooms that prefer offline media should copy ollama-linux-amd64.tar.zst beside install.sh notes. Mac rooms should decide between the runner.dmg and brew cask ollama-app before imaging week.
If a tag drops Windows Setup.exe, do not invent a mirror. Move to the newest non-prerelease tag that still ships it, and update the runbook the same day.
Room notes
Students often confuse release notes with third-party blogs. Keep the Releases URL on the first page of the lab sheet: https://github.com/ollama/ollama/releases
After you install from a tag, prove ollama run on a small model before you declare the desk ready. Update doors: winget upgrade, brew upgrade --cask ollama-app, or a newer Windows Setup.exe from the next stable tag.
Checksum files such as sha256sum.txt may sit beside the installers. Use them when your security policy requires hash checks. Skip advertising pages that invent their own “verified” badges.
ROCm, MLX, and Jetson-specific archives appear on some tags for specialised hardware. Default campus desks should stay on the plain Windows Setup.exe, the runner.dmg, and amd64 linux tarball unless the course names a GPU line.
Windows command when App Installer is present:
winget install -e --id Ollama.the runnerCLI prove after install:
ollama run llama3.2Lab checklist habits
Write the installer door beside the machine name before you image a room. Include whether winget, the Windows Setup executable, the Homebrew cask, or the Linux install script was blessed for that ring. Substitutes should not guess under pressure during the first week of term.
Prove one short CLI chat after every reimage. That single step catches vanished PATH entries, truncated downloads, and adware shortcuts that reappear from old browser folders. Keep a spare copy of the current Setup on trusted media when catalogs are flaky.
- Record the GitHub tag used for the golden image.
- Note free disk space before large model pulls.
- Keep the local API on loopback until network review says otherwise.
Support tickets that resolve faster
Ask for the operating system build, the door used, and the exact CLI error text. Vague reports that only say artificial intelligence feels wrong waste a day. Attach version command output when the user can copy it.
Proxy desks should test one model pull on a clean path once, then document any required exception. Offline classrooms should pre-stage weights on a well-connected machine instead of launching twelve simultaneous downloads on demo day.
Prefer official GitHub Releases, the verified winget package, and the verified Homebrew cask. Skip advertising mirrors that rename the Setup executable.
Update and rollback notes
Pick one update door per room and stick to it for a semester. Mixing winget, Setup, and brew without notes creates version drift tickets. Keep the previous Setup on trusted media so rollback is a file copy, not a scavenger hunt.
After an upgrade, prove a small chat again before you seal the image. Large experimental model tags belong on scratch accounts, not on the shared golden profile. Maintenance windows should remove stale tags so libraries do not grow without limits.
Related reading on this guide: the home install panel, the first-hour checklist, and the guides hub.
## Filename matching without drama Match the GitHub asset name character for character before you override SmartScreen or Gatekeeper. A mismatched publisher string is a reason to delete the file, not to click through faster. Advertising portals that wrap the same search intent with toolbars are the common failure mode. When bandwidth is limited, schedule the large Windows Setup download overnight and keep the browser shelf visible until the size matches what Releases shows. Partial files cause confusing launch errors that look like security drama but are often truncated bits.