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Set Ollama’s OLLAMA_MODELS variable to an absolute directory, then restart the process that runs Ollama. For the standard Linux systemd installation, the reliable method is to create a service override with sudo systemctl edit ollama.service, add the variable under [Service], run sudo systemctl daemon-reload, and restart Ollama. The destination must exist and be readable and writable by the ollama service account.
Changing the variable only changes where Ollama looks for models; it does not move existing files. You must copy or move the blobs and manifests directories while preserving ownership, or download the models again.
What changes when you set OLLAMA_MODELS
OLLAMA_MODELS is Ollama’s supported setting for choosing a model directory. It must contain an absolute Linux path, such as /mnt/large-drive/ollama-models. A relative path, a path that exists only for your login shell, or a path unavailable when the service starts will not give the systemd service a usable model store.
With the standard Linux system installation, Ollama’s documented default model location is /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models. The systemd service normally runs as the dedicated ollama user, so that account—not just your personal login—needs read and write access to the new directory.
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A user who starts ollama serve manually can see a different location because that process inherits the launching user’s environment and home directory. This is why a manual server may use a user-home .ollama directory while the system service uses /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models or the path in its service override.
Check the installation and choose a destination
Confirm that this procedure matches your installation
The steps below target a native Linux installation managed by systemd. They do not automatically configure Docker containers, distro packages with their own unit names, or custom launch scripts. Those installations need OLLAMA_MODELS added to their own container, unit, or launcher environment.
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Pick a filesystem that is available when Ollama starts
The destination can be another internal partition, a mounted external SSD, or another filesystem with enough capacity. Capacity alone is not sufficient: the mount must be present before the service starts, and the complete path must allow the service account to traverse its parent directories.
- Use an absolute path, for example
/mnt/large-drive/ollama-models. - Make sure the drive is mounted at that exact path after boot, not only in an interactive shell.
- Leave enough free space for the models you expect to download.
- Plan whether you will migrate the existing model files or pull them again.
Create the directory and assign ownership
Create the destination before editing the service and assign it to the account used by the standard installer:
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/large-drive/ollama-models
sudo chown -R ollama:ollama /mnt/large-drive/ollama-modelsThe ownership command is important even when the directory was created by root. Without write access, Ollama can fail to create model blobs or manifests and the journal will show a permission error.
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A systemd service does not read the environment from your current terminal. Ollama’s official FAQ directs systemd users to set environment variables with systemctl. A drop-in override is persistent across reboots and package service restarts.
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Open the service override
Run:
sudo systemctl edit ollama.serviceYour editor opens a drop-in configuration for the service. If the command reports that the unit does not exist, your installation is not using this unit name; identify the unit supplied by your package or launcher instead of applying this file blindly.
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Add the environment setting
Enter the following exactly:
[Service] Environment="OLLAMA_MODELS=/mnt/large-drive/ollama-models"Replace the example directory with the absolute destination you prepared. Keep the
[Service]section and theEnvironmentassignment together in the override. Save the file and exit the editor. -
Reload unit definitions
Tell systemd to read the new drop-in:
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadThis reloads unit configuration; it does not itself restart Ollama or move any model data.
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Restart Ollama
Apply the new environment to the service process:
sudo systemctl restart ollamaThe restarted service now looks in the configured directory. Existing files remain in the old directory until you migrate them or download them again.
Migrate models already downloaded
Changing OLLAMA_MODELS does not copy the old model store. Ollama’s model data includes blobs and manifests; both need to be present in the new model directory for previously downloaded models to appear.
Option 1: Copy the existing store
Copying first lets you verify the new location before deleting the original. Stop the service so it cannot change files while the copy is in progress:
sudo systemctl stop ollama
sudo cp -a /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models/. /mnt/large-drive/ollama-models/
sudo chown -R ollama:ollama /mnt/large-drive/ollama-models
sudo systemctl start ollamaThe -a option preserves file attributes during the copy. The source path above is the documented default for a standard system installation; if your original service was already configured with another path, substitute that path. The trailing . copies the contents, including the blobs and manifests directories, into the destination rather than adding an unintended extra parent directory.
After the service starts, verify the list of models. Keep the old copy until you are satisfied that the new service can read all required files and that the drive remains mounted reliably.
Option 2: Move the model directories
If you have sufficient backup protection and want to avoid temporarily storing two copies, move the existing blobs and manifests directories into the destination while preserving their ownership. Stop Ollama first, ensure the destination is empty or prepared for the move, and then start the service after checking the resulting layout. A move changes file locations but does not change the model metadata inside those directories.
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Option 3: Pull models again
You can leave the old files in place and pull each required model again after the path change. This is simplest when the old store is small or disposable, but it uses network bandwidth and local storage while the new copies are created. A model will not appear in ollama list merely because its files remain in the old directory.
Verify the new path
Check the service state
Inspect the unit immediately after the restart:
sudo systemctl status ollamaLook for an active service rather than a failed start. If the service is not running, read the unit journal:
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journalctl -u ollamaPermission failures, an unavailable mount, and path-related errors are usually visible there. Correct the underlying issue, reload the unit if you changed its configuration, and restart the service again.
Check the model inventory
Run:
ollama listModels copied or re-pulled into the configured directory should be listed. If the list is empty after a successful restart, first confirm that the destination contains both blobs and manifests, then check ownership and the service logs.
Pull a small known model if necessary
If you intentionally chose the re-download method, pull a small known model and run ollama list again. A successful pull confirms that the service can create files in the new directory. It also distinguishes a migration problem from a basic permissions or mount problem.
Why Ollama still uses the old directory
The variable was exported only in your shell
Running export OLLAMA_MODELS=/mnt/large-drive/ollama-models changes the environment of that shell and programs launched from it. It does not alter an already-running systemd service. Use the systemd override for the service, then run daemon-reload and restart it.
A second manual server is running
A manually started ollama serve can use a different environment from ollama.service. Requests may reach that unmanaged process instead of the service you edited, making the override look ignored. Stop the extra process and use one server process while testing. Check the systemd status and journal to confirm which process you are relying on.
The override was saved but not applied
Three actions are separate: saving the drop-in, running sudo systemctl daemon-reload, and restarting Ollama. Omitting either of the last two leaves the running process with its previous environment.
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The destination is inaccessible to the service account
Your login user may be able to list the directory while the ollama account cannot. Recheck ownership with:
sudo chown -R ollama:ollama /mnt/large-drive/ollama-modelsAlso check every parent directory in the path. The service account needs permission to traverse those directories as well as read and write the final model directory.
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If the path is on removable or separately mounted storage, systemd can start Ollama before that filesystem is available. The service then sees a missing or empty directory. Mount the filesystem at the configured path before starting Ollama and make the arrangement reliable across reboots. After the mount is available, restart the service and inspect journalctl -u ollama.
The files were not migrated
A successful configuration change can still produce an empty model list because the new directory contains no manifests. Copy or move the old blobs and manifests directories, or pull the models again. Do not assume that changing the variable performs a migration.
Persistent service setting versus a one-shell export
| Approach | How long it lasts | Process identity | Best use | Migration needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
systemd drop-in with systemctl edit ollama.service |
Persists for the service until the override is changed or removed | The system ollama service account |
Native Linux installations managed by systemd | Move or re-pull existing models |
Shell command export OLLAMA_MODELS=... |
Only for that shell and processes launched from it | Your login user or the user launching ollama serve |
Testing a manually started server | Move or re-pull models for that process’s model directory |
The two approaches are not interchangeable. A shell export can be useful for a temporary test, but it will not configure the systemd service. Conversely, a service override does not change a separately launched process running under your login account.
Using an external or secondary drive
An external SSD or another larger mounted device supplies capacity; it does not automatically configure Ollama. You still need to set OLLAMA_MODELS, ensure the filesystem is mounted at boot or before the service starts, and grant the ollama account access.
- Use a stable mount point such as
/mnt/large-drive, not a path that changes when removable media is reconnected. - Prepare the final model directory before restarting the service.
- Test a reboot or an unmount/remount cycle before removing the original model store.
- Keep the old model directory until
ollama listand a test pull confirm that the new location works.
Changing the path again or reverting
To point Ollama somewhere else, run sudo systemctl edit ollama.service, change the OLLAMA_MODELS assignment to the new absolute directory, save it, run sudo systemctl daemon-reload, and restart the service. Migrate the model directories to the new destination before expecting old models to appear there.
To return to the documented default, remove the custom Environment assignment from the service drop-in, reload systemd, and restart Ollama. The default for the standard Linux system installation is /usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models. Any models stored only in the alternate directory remain there until you move them back or download them again.
Quick Recap
Final checklist
- Use an absolute destination in
OLLAMA_MODELS. - For systemd, configure the variable with
sudo systemctl edit ollama.service. - Run
sudo systemctl daemon-reloadafter saving the override. - Restart with
sudo systemctl restart ollama. - Make the destination readable and writable by
ollama:ollama. - Ensure a separate drive is mounted before the service starts.
- Copy or move both
blobsandmanifests, preserving ownership, or re-pull every model. - Use
ollama listandjournalctl -u ollamato verify the result. - Do not test with a second unmanaged
ollama serveprocess.
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