Part 1: Fundamentals
Workshop Part 1: LLM Fundamentals (2 hours)
Welcome to Part 1 of the Local LLM Workshop! This section covers the foundational knowledge and practical skills you need to run large language models on your own hardware.
Learning Objectives
By the end of Part 1, you will be able to:
✓ Understand core LLM concepts (parameters, quantization, context, temperature) ✓ Install and configure Ollama with its native GUI ✓ Download and run Llama 3.2 models locally ✓ Write effective prompts for various tasks ✓ Troubleshoot common installation and usage issues
Timeline (2 hours)
| Time | Topic | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 - 0:15 | Welcome & Workshop Overview | 15 min |
| 0:15 - 0:45 | LLM Concepts & Architecture | 30 min |
| 0:45 - 1:15 | Setting Up Ollama GUI | 30 min |
| 1:15 - 1:45 | Effective Prompting Techniques | 30 min |
| 1:45 - 2:00 | Q&A and Hands-on Practice | 15 min |
Topics Covered
What You’ll Build
In Part 1, you’ll set up a complete local LLM environment and learn to interact with it effectively. By the end, you’ll have:
- A working Ollama installation with the GUI interface
- Llama 3.2 model downloaded and ready to use
- Hands-on experience with different prompting techniques
- Understanding of how to control model behavior
Prerequisites
Before starting Part 1, ensure you’ve completed the Prerequisites setup, particularly:
- Ollama installed (download from ollama.com)
- At least 8 GB RAM and 20 GB free storage
- Stable internet connection for model downloads
Get Started
Ready to begin? Start with the Welcome section or jump directly to: