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The normal way to update Ollama on Linux is to run the official installer again:

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

The installer detects whether the machine is x86_64/amd64 or aarch64/arm64, downloads the matching bundle, and, when systemd is available, can refresh the Ollama service and restart it. Confirm the client version with ollama -v. If Ollama runs as a systemd service, confirm the service and inspect its journal with sudo systemctl status ollama and journalctl -e -u ollama.

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What updating Ollama changes

Ollama is updated by replacing its installed program files with the release selected by the installer. You do not use a separate Linux package-manager command for the supported update path, and you normally do not need to remove the existing installation first. Rerunning the installer is the documented update procedure.

The update process has two independent parts: the Ollama client and, on machines configured to use it, the background service. A successful client update is shown by ollama -v. A service can still be stopped, failed, or running an older process until it is restarted, so check both pieces when Ollama is managed by systemd.

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GPU components are a separate concern. CUDA for NVIDIA hardware and ROCm for AMD hardware are optional driver or runtime installations; they are not prerequisites for every Ollama installation and are not part of the core update command.

Before you update

Identify the architecture

The installer performs architecture detection, but knowing the result helps when you use the manual archive method or diagnose an architecture error. Run:

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uname -m

The installer maps x86_64 to the amd64 bundle. It maps aarch64 and arm64 to the arm64 bundle. A manually downloaded archive must match that mapping; an archive for the other architecture cannot run correctly on the host.

Check how Ollama is running

There are two common operating modes:

  • systemd service: a unit named ollama starts Ollama in the background and is managed with systemctl.
  • foreground process: you start Ollama yourself with ollama serve; systemd commands do not apply unless you later create a service.

If you are unsure, try the status command shown below. A response that says the unit does not exist usually means Ollama was not installed as a systemd service, or that your distribution is not currently running systemd.

Record the current version

Run:

ollama -v

Writing down this value gives you a simple before-and-after check. If the command is not found, first locate the installation or correct your shell’s command path rather than starting a second installation blindly.

Method 1: update with the official installer

For most Linux installations, this is the preferred method. It is the official one-line update path and handles the architecture-specific download for you.

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  1. Open a shell account that can use the required privileges. The installer may need permission to write the installed files and to update a system service. If your account is not an administrator, be ready to authenticate when prompted.
  2. Run the installer again.
    curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

    The command downloads the current installer from Ollama’s official install script and executes it with the shell.

  3. Read the installer output. It reports the detected platform and whether service management is available. On a systemd host, it can create or refresh /etc/systemd/system/ollama.service, reload systemd, enable the unit, and restart Ollama. If systemd is not running, the installer warns instead of managing a service.
  4. Check the client version.
    ollama -v

    Compare the output with the version you recorded before the update.

  5. Check the service when applicable.
    sudo systemctl status ollama
    journalctl -e -u ollama

    Look for an active service and startup messages from the newly installed process.

Rerunning the installer is an update, not a requirement to manually uninstall Ollama first. Removing the old installation can create unnecessary downtime and can leave service configuration needing to be recreated.

Pin a particular release

The installer normally requests the current release. To request a specific release or a pre-release, set the OLLAMA_VERSION environment variable for that invocation:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | OLLAMA_VERSION=0.5.7 sh

Replace 0.5.7 with the release identifier you intend to install. The variable is scoped to this command, so a later run without it returns to the installer’s normal current-release behavior.

Pinning is useful when you are coordinating several machines, validating an application against a known version, or preparing a controlled change. Keep the selected version in your deployment notes. Ollama maintains the available release list, but the installation documentation does not promise a particular downgrade-safety policy, migration behavior, update duration, or downtime window. Treat a move to an older release as a change that needs its own validation rather than assuming that every downgrade is reversible.

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Verify the update completely

Client verification

The client check is:

ollama -v

This tells you which Ollama executable your shell is invoking. If the number did not change, possible explanations include a pinned version, an older executable earlier in your PATH, or an installer that could not replace the files. Read the installer output before attempting another update.

systemd service verification

For a service installation, run:

sudo systemctl status ollama

The status view shows whether the unit is active and includes recent startup information. Follow it with:

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journalctl -e -u ollama

The journal is the authoritative place to inspect messages from the service process. It can reveal a failed start, a permission problem, a port conflict, or a GPU runtime issue that a version check alone cannot show.

Foreground verification

If you run Ollama manually, start it in the foreground with:

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ollama serve

Leave that process running while clients connect to it. In this mode, systemctl status ollama is not a valid health check because no systemd unit is supervising the process. Use ollama -v for the binary version and the terminal output from ollama serve for runtime errors.

Method 2: update from a Linux archive

The official Linux documentation also describes a manual path. Download the archive for the host architecture, then extract it into /usr with elevated privileges:

sudo tar x -C /usr

Use the archive as the tar input when you run that command, following the filename supplied with the download. The important requirements are that the archive is the Linux bundle and that its architecture matches the host: amd64 for x86_64, or arm64 for aarch64/arm64.

The manual method is useful when a controlled build process downloads artifacts itself, when outbound access for the installer is restricted, or when you need to review the archive before extraction. It gives you more control over the artifact, but it also leaves architecture selection, file permissions, and service handling to you.

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After extraction, perform the same checks as with the installer:

  1. Run ollama -v from the shell that will use Ollama.
  2. If a systemd unit already exists, run sudo systemctl status ollama and inspect journalctl -e -u ollama.
  3. If you launch Ollama yourself, run ollama serve and watch its terminal output.

Extracting an archive does not by itself guarantee that an existing service process has been restarted. Verify the running process rather than assuming that the files on disk and the process in memory are identical.

Installer versus manual archive

Comparison Official installer Manual archive
Support status Documented normal update path; rerun the install script. Documented manual path for downloading and extracting a Linux archive.
Architecture selection Detects x86_64 as amd64 and aarch64/arm64 as arm64. You must download the matching amd64 or arm64 archive.
Service management On systems running systemd, can create or refresh the unit, reload systemd, enable it, and restart Ollama. Extracts files; service restart and unit management require separate administration.
Version control Latest release by default, or a requested release with OLLAMA_VERSION. Determined by the archive you selected.
Operational verification Use ollama -v, then service status and journal checks when applicable. Use the same checks; extraction alone is not proof that a running service changed.

What to do on systems without systemd

Some Linux environments do not run systemd, including certain containers, minimal images, and manually managed servers. The installer detects this condition and warns rather than trying to create or restart a service.

In that situation, update the files with the installer or manual archive, then start Ollama using the process supervisor your environment already uses. If you run it directly, the documented command is:

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ollama serve

Do not treat a missing ollama.service unit as an installation failure when systemd is not present. Confirm the binary with ollama -v and inspect the foreground process output or your environment’s own supervisor logs.

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GPU drivers and runtime dependencies

Updating Ollama and updating a GPU stack are separate operations. CUDA for NVIDIA GPUs and ROCm for AMD GPUs are optional components documented for GPU use; a CPU-only installation does not require either one.

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If model execution changes after an Ollama update, first separate the symptoms:

  • If ollama -v shows the intended release but GPU use fails, inspect the installed driver/runtime and the Ollama service journal.
  • If the service will not start, check sudo systemctl status ollama and journalctl -e -u ollama before changing model files.
  • If you run in the foreground, read the messages emitted by ollama serve.

Do not assume that a GPU symptom proves the model files were changed. The driver stack, runtime availability, service environment, and binary version are separate variables.

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Troubleshooting common update problems

The version is unchanged

  • Run ollama -v again in a new shell so you are not relying on a stale command path.
  • Check whether the command used OLLAMA_VERSION; a pin intentionally installs the requested release rather than the newest one.
  • Read the installer output for download, permission, or architecture errors.
  • If a service is running, inspect its status and journal. The shell may be invoking a new binary while an older service process is still running, or vice versa.

The installer reports an architecture problem

Run uname -m and compare the result with the archive or bundle selected. Use amd64 for x86_64, and arm64 for aarch64 or arm64. Replace the mismatched archive or rerun the installer so it can perform the detection.

The service is inactive or failed

Run:

sudo systemctl status ollama
journalctl -e -u ollama

Read the first concrete error in the journal. A failed service is an operational problem, not evidence that the client update command was wrong. Correct the reported permission, environment, port, or runtime issue, then restart through the service mechanism used by your host.

The service unit does not exist

This usually means Ollama is being run in the foreground or the machine is not using systemd. Use ollama serve for a manually managed process, or arrange service management through the supervisor used by your distribution or container environment. The installer cannot manage a systemd unit that is not available.

The manual archive will not run

Confirm that you extracted a Linux archive for the host’s architecture and that the extraction completed with the permissions needed for files under /usr. Then run ollama -v from the intended shell. If that works but a background service fails, investigate the service journal separately.

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GPU behavior changed

Check the driver or runtime installation and the service environment before changing the Ollama installation again. CUDA and ROCm are optional dependencies outside the core update command. The journal or foreground output should identify whether the failure is in service startup, runtime detection, or model execution.

A repeatable update checklist

  1. Run ollama -v and record the current version.
  2. Run uname -m if you will select a manual archive.
  3. Choose the normal installer, or select a matching archive when you need artifact-level control.
  4. If a specific release is required, set OLLAMA_VERSION on the installer command.
  5. Run the update and read every warning, especially messages about systemd.
  6. Run ollama -v again.
  7. For systemd installations, run sudo systemctl status ollama and journalctl -e -u ollama.
  8. For foreground installations, start or observe ollama serve.
  9. If GPU behavior differs, check CUDA or ROCm and the relevant logs independently of the Ollama version check.

Choosing the right approach

Use the official installer when you want the supported, lowest-maintenance update and are comfortable allowing it to detect the architecture and manage systemd when available. Use the manual archive when your deployment process requires you to select and stage an artifact yourself. In either case, the update is not complete until you verify both the installed client version and the process that is actually serving requests.

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