How to use Ollama with Claude Code (local models, 2026)
One command, or three environment variables. Plus the 64k context setting Ollama's defaults don't give you, the VRAM that costs, and what Ollama's…
Aliteq
Priya Nair · Software & Systems Editor
The short answer
Install Ollama (v0.15.0 or later) and run ollama launch claude. It picks a model, configures Claude Code and starts a session. To set it up by hand, set ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=ollama,…
Fastest: ollama launch claude
Manual: 3 environment variables, then claude --model <model
Must-do: set the context to 64k, then check ollama ps
Not supported by Ollama's Anthropic API: tool_choice, token counting, hosted web search
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How to use Ollama with Claude Code (local models, 2026)