How to Install GPT4All on Ubuntu

Crafting a GPT4All Sanctuary: A Seamless Virtual Environment

For a smooth sailing experience with your Python packages, you must craft a special no-conflict zone just for GPT4All — a virtual environment. This approach ensures that all necessary building blocks are neatly tucked away in this secluded spot, leaving your main system untouched.

💡 This tutorial uses the root account to dodge any clashes when running commands, which is risky. There’s a real chance of stumbling into unintended system changes and stepping on potential security landmines. Instead, using a non-root user with sudo privileges is strongly recommended.

To create a virtual environment, follow these steps:

1. Open your terminal and execute the below apt command to update all system packages.

apt update -y

Related:Learning Ubuntu Apt Get Through Examples

2. Next, run the command to install the following Python 3 packages:

• python3-venv – This package provides the venv module for creating isolated Python environments.
• python3-pip – This package installs pip, the package manager for Python. This package manager lets you easily install, upgrade, and manage Python packages within your virtual environments.

apt install -y python3-venv python3-pip

3. With the packages installed, run the below commands to create (venv) and activate a Python 3 virtual environment (venv) named gpt4all (arbitrary).

python3 -m venv gpt4all
. gpt4all/bin/activate

Once activated, you’ll see the virtual environment’s name in your terminal prompt, indicating that you are now working within the virtual environment.

4. Finally, run the command below to install the following package and dependency:

• gpt4all – This Python package provides bindings for the GPT4All library and service.
• typer – This library simplifies creating user-friendly command-line applications (CLIs) for your Python scripts or programs.

python3 -m pip install gpt4all typer

Preparing a Python Script (app.py) that Defines a CLI

With the virtual environment ready, you’ll create a Python script called app.py, a self-contained Python script. This script contains all the necessary code and dependencies to run independently without relying on external modules or resources.

An app.py script is handy in cases where you want to share your code with others or deploy it on another machine.

To prepare a Python script that defines a CLI, proceed with the following:

Create a new file named app.py using your preferred text editor, but this example uses nano.

Related:How to Edit Files with a Real PowerShell Text Editor

nano app.py

Now, populate the app.py file with this sample code, and save and close the file.

This sample code provides a CLI where you can interact with a language model using the gpt4all library. Furthermore, this code supports special commands, version checking, and so on.

Testing if GPT4All Works

After creating your Python script, what’s left is to test if GPT4All works as intended. GPT4All is an offline, locally running application that ensures your data remains on your computer.

The application’s creators don’t have access to or inspect the content of your chats or any other data you use within the app. This feature is a crucial aspect of ensuring privacy and security.

But before you can start generating text using GPT4All, you must first prepare and load the models and data into GPT4All.

To test GPT4All on your Ubuntu machine, carry out the following:

1. Execute the following python3 command to initialize the GPT4All CLI.

In this command, Read-Evaluate-Print-Loop (repl) is a command-line tool for evaluating expressions, looping through them, and executing code dynamically.

This repl tool allows you to enter and execute code snippets one at a time, providing real-time experimentation with GPT4All’s capabilities and prompt fine-tuning.

python3 app.py repl

GPT4ALL downloads the required models and data from the official repository the first time you run this command. Depending on your system’s speed, the process may take a few minutes.

These files are essential for GPT4All to generate text, so internet access is required during this step.

Once the required models are downloaded and set up, you’ll see a REPL prompt similar to the one below.

2. Next, type in a question (i.e., What is the capital city of France?) and press Enter to test GPT4All’s text generation capabilities.

Assuming everything works, GPT4All generates a unique response based on the prompt you provided, as shown below — how awesome is that!

3. Lastly, run the following commands to exit the REPL and deactivate the virtual environment.

/exit
deactivate