8/27/2024

Setting Up Ollama with MQTT

Integrating Ollama with the MQTT protocol can open up a world of possibilities for your home automation and AI applications. Whether you're a tech enthusiast wanting to create smarter homes, or a developer seeking to leverage AI in your applications, this guide will walk you through the necessary steps to set it all up.

What is Ollama?

Ollama is an open-source platform that allows users to run large language models (LLMs) locally on their machines. It supports a variety of models, making it an excellent solution for those interested in developing conversational AI applications without the need for constant internet connectivity. It’s like having a personal AI buddy right on your desktop!

For more details, check out the official documentation on the Ollama website.

What is MQTT?

MQTT, or Message Queuing Telemetry Transport, is a lightweight messaging protocol optimized for low-bandwidth, high-latency networks. This makes it perfect for connecting up IoT devices and facilitating real-time communication, such as receiving notifications or updates from your AI.

The combination of Ollama and MQTT lets you create a responsive and intelligent system where the AI can process messages from various devices and act accordingly, making your automation setup much smarter.

Why Use Ollama with MQTT?

Benefits of Integration

Real-time Communication: Dynamic interaction with devices in real-time makes your applications more responsive.
Local Control: Running Ollama locally gives you enhanced control of your models without relying on external servers.
Scalability: MQTT’s lightweight nature allows for easy scaling whether you’re controlling a single device, or hundreds.

What You’ll Need

Before diving into the setup, make sure you have the following:

Ollama Installation: To run your models. Install from the Ollama download page.
MQTT Broker: This can be set up using a variety of software such as Mosquitto. For details on installation, see this guide.
Python: Your main programming language for connecting Ollama and MQTT.
A Computer: To run everything.
Networking Setup: Ensure your home network is configured properly to support device communication.

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up Ollama with MQTT

Step 1: Install Ollama

Follow the installation instructions on the Ollama page. Once installed, verify the installation by running:

ollama run mistral

This should return confirmation that your Ollama server is up and running!

Step 2: Install MQTT Broker

Install Mosquitto as your MQTT broker using Docker Compose. Here's how:

Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:
1 2mkdir mqtt-ollama cd mqtt-ollama
Create a
1docker-compose.yml
file. Use a text editor to create this file and paste the following:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13yaml version: "3.7" services: mosquitto: image: eclipse-mosquitto container_name: mosquitto restart: unless-stopped ports: - "1883:1883" - "9001:9001" volumes: - ./mosquitto:/etc/mosquitto - ./mosquitto/mosquitto.conf:/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf
Start your Mosquitto broker:
1docker-compose up -d
Now, your MQTT broker is ready to listen on port 1883!

Step 3: Configure Mosquitto for Security

To prevent unauthorized access to your MQTT broker, you’ll need to set it up with some basic security. Edit your

mosquitto.conf

to disable anonymous access:

1
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conf
allow_anonymous false
password_file /etc/mosquitto/passwd

Then, create the password file with the following command:

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sh
docker exec mosquitto mosquitto_passwd -c /etc/mosquitto/passwd YOUR_USERNAME

Step 4: Connect Ollama to MQTT

Now it's time to connect Ollama and MQTT! You'll be using a Python script to manage the interactions. First, ensure you have the needed libraries:

1
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sh
pip install paho-mqtt

Here’s a basic template for a Python script that subscribes to an MQTT topic and invokes the Ollama model: ```python import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt import requests

MQTT Configuration

MQTT_BROKER = 'localhost' MQTT_PORT = 1883 MQTT_TOPIC = 'ollama/requests'

Ollama Configuration

OLLAMA_URL = 'http://localhost:11434/api/generate'

Define the function on message receive

def on_message(client, userdata, message): command = message.payload.decode('utf-8') print(f'Received command: {command}')

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# Call Ollama API here with the command
response = requests.post(OLLAMA_URL, json={'model': 'mistral', 'messages':[{'role': 'user', 'content': command}]})
print(f'Ollama Response: {response.json()}

Set up the MQTT client

client = mqtt.Client() client.on_message = on_message client.connect(MQTT_BROKER, MQTT_PORT, 60) client.subscribe(MQTT_TOPIC)

client.loop_forever() ```

Step 5: Test Your Integration

With everything set up, it’s time for a test. Make sure your Ollama is running and run your Python script. Next, you can publish messages to your MQTT topic using a separate MQTT client:

mqtt pub -t ollama/requests -m "What's the weather like today?"

Your Ollama model should now respond to commands sent through MQTT!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Connection Refused: Ensure your Ollama server and MQTT broker are running and accessible.
Authentication Failures: Check your Mosquitto configuration; make sure you have the right username/password.
Timeouts: Verify network connections, and ensure that your firewall allows traffic on the necessary ports.

Making the Most of Your Ollama and MQTT Setup

Once successfully set up, you can expand your system further by:

Adding more MQTT topics: for different types of commands (e.g.,
1ollama/responses
).
Integrating other devices: like sensors or smart appliances that publish/subscribe to MQTT messages.
Creating additional Ollama models: to respond to different command types or manage different functions.

Conclusion

Setting up Ollama with MQTT brings the power of LOCAL AI into your hands, allowing smarter automation with an interactive edge. Imagine controlling your lights, thermostat, and notifications, all while chatting with your own custom conversational AI.

For those who enjoy automating their lives and enhancing their workflow with the aid of AI, integrating solutions like Ollama and MQTT is simply a no-brainer.

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