Set the OLLAMA_MODELS environment variable to the full path of the folder where you want Ollama to store models. The setting must reach the Ollama server process—not just an unrelated terminal—and changing it selects a destination; the official instructions cited here do not say it automatically moves models already downloaded.
What changes when you set OLLAMA_MODELS?
Ollama uses OLLAMA_MODELS when it is set. If it is not set, its code falls back to $HOME/.ollama/models for the user running the process. That distinction matters on Linux: a system service may run as the ollama account, whose home directory can differ from the administrator’s.
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| Platform | Documented default model directory |
|---|---|
| macOS | ~/.ollama/models (Ollama FAQ) |
| Linux standard installation | /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models (Ollama FAQ) |
| Windows | C:Users%username%.ollamamodels (Ollama FAQ) |
The fallback in Ollama’s configuration code is expressed more generally as the running process user’s home directory plus .ollama/models. The listed Linux path describes the FAQ’s standard installation, not every possible service configuration. (Ollama environment configuration)
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Choose a destination Ollama can use
Pick a directory on a volume with enough free space, then use its full path as the variable value. Ollama’s Windows guide says model storage can require “tens to hundreds of GB”; it does not prescribe a particular drive type or capacity. A drive you already have can be used if it has sufficient space and the Ollama process can access it. (Ollama Windows guide)
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- Make sure the destination directory exists or that the account running Ollama can create it.
- On Linux with the standard service, ensure the
ollamaaccount has read and write access. - For a manually started server, the environment of the process that runs
ollama servemust contain the variable.
Set the location on Windows
- Open the account’s Environment Variables settings and create or edit a user variable named
OLLAMA_MODELS. - Set its value to the full path of the destination folder, then apply the change and close the dialogs.
- Quit Ollama from the tray and relaunch it from Start. Alternatively, start a new terminal after saving the variable if you run Ollama from that terminal.
Ollama inherits the environment available when it starts, so a running instance will not pick up a changed user variable until it is restarted. (Ollama Windows guide)
Set the location on Linux
Standard systemd service
- Open a service override with
sudo systemctl edit ollama. - Add the following under the
[Service]section, replacing the example path with your destination:Environment="OLLAMA_MODELS=/path/to/your/models" - Save and close the editor, then reload systemd and restart Ollama:
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadsudo systemctl restart ollama
Set the folder’s ownership or permissions so the ollama service account can read and write there; otherwise model pulls may fail. Ollama’s FAQ describes setting the service environment and the account’s required access, and its Linux guide documents systemd customization. (Ollama FAQ; Ollama Linux guide)
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Manually run server
If you start the server yourself rather than using the systemd service, set OLLAMA_MODELS in the environment used to launch ollama serve. Setting it in a different shell will not configure a server already running elsewhere. Ollama reads the value from the server process environment. (Ollama environment configuration)
Set the location on macOS
Set OLLAMA_MODELS in the environment visible to the Ollama application/server, then restart the application. Ollama’s FAQ points macOS users to the platform environment-variable guidance, which uses launchctl setenv followed by an application restart. Ensure the value is the full destination path, and remember that setting a variable in a terminal alone does not necessarily change the environment of an app launched separately. (Ollama FAQ; Ollama macOS guide)
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What about Docker or other containers?
Set the variable in the container environment for the Ollama server, and make sure its destination path is mounted into the container and writable. The official sources cited here do not establish a complete container-volume migration procedure, so use the instructions for your specific deployment to configure the mount and environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does changing the setting move existing models?
No automatic move is established by Ollama’s cited instructions: they explain how to select a different directory, not how to migrate existing files across platforms. Keep the old model files until Ollama can see the models from the new location. Do not delete the old directory merely because the environment variable has been changed. (Ollama FAQ; Ollama environment configuration)
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