Open WebUI

Overview

Open WebUI is an extensible, feature-rich, and user-friendly self-hosted web interface designed to interact with various large language model runners. It primarily serves as a powerful frontend for Ollama, but also supports OpenAI-compatible APIs. With built-in RAG capabilities and numerous advanced features, it’s an excellent solution for creating a fully offline, private AI deployment.

System Requirements

• CPU: 2+ cores
• RAM: 4GB+ (8GB+ recommended)
• GPU: Optional but recommended for model inference
• Storage: 1GB+ for Open WebUI (additional space needed for models)
• Dependencies: Ollama or other compatible LLM backends

Installation Guide

Option 1: Docker Installation (Recommended)

1. Make sure you have Docker installed on your system.

2. Run the following command to pull and start Open WebUI:

   docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
   

3. Access the application:

   Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000

Option 2: Python Installation

1. Install Open WebUI using pip:

   pip install open-webui
   

2. Start the server:

   open-webui serve
   

3. Access Open WebUI at http://localhost:3000

Option 3: One-line Installation (for Linux)

curl -fsSL https://openwebui.com/install.sh | sh

Practical Exercise: Getting Started with Open WebUI

Now that you have Open WebUI installed, let’s walk through a simple exercise to help you get familiar with the basics.

Step 1: Connect to an LLM Backend

1. First, ensure you have Ollama running locally (ollama serve).
2. In Open WebUI, navigate to the Settings page.
3. Under “LLM Providers,” configure the Ollama API endpoint (default: http://localhost:11434).
4. Save your settings.

Step 2: Pull and Use a Model

1. Navigate to the Models section in Open WebUI.
2. Browse available models and click “Pull” on a model you want to use (e.g., “llama3”).
3. Wait for the model to download. This may take some time depending on your internet connection and the model size.
4. Once downloaded, navigate to the Chat interface.
5. Create a new chat and select your downloaded model.
6. Type a prompt and see the model respond in real-time.

Step 3: Exploring Advanced Features

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, try exploring some of Open WebUI’s more advanced features:

• RAG Capabilities: Upload documents and query their contents using the built-in inference engine
• Web Browsing: Use the # command followed by a URL to incorporate web content into your conversations
• Prompt Presets: Access preset prompts with the / command
• Model Comparison: Use multiple models simultaneously to compare responses
• Voice and Video Calls: Try the hands-free interaction features
• Image Generation: Connect to image generation services like AUTOMATIC1111 or DALL-E

Resources

Official Documentation

The official documentation is the best place to find detailed information about Open WebUI.

Read the Documentation

Community Support

Join the community to get help, share your experiences, and contribute to the project.

Discord Server

GitHub Repository

Access the source code, report issues, or contribute to development.

GitHub Repository