Manage your local AI models
Dome Terminal supports both local AI models (running entirely on your machine) and remote AI providers. This guide explains how to download, configure, activate, and manage local models — and how to decide which model to use for which task.
The choice between local and remote AI isn't just technical — it's a question of what you value and how you work. Here's an honest comparison of what each option gives you.
A practical approach for most traders
Use local AI for quick queries, private research, and anything where your journal or strategy details are part of the context. Use remote AI for complex, deep analysis tasks where the quality difference justifies sending data externally. You can switch between the two in the AI provider selector at any time — it's not a permanent choice.
Dome Terminal supports any GGUF-format model compatible with Ollama. The models listed below are tested and recommended. Larger models produce better results but require more hardware.
| Hardware | Recommended model tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| CPU only, 8GB RAM | 0.5B or 1.5B | Larger models will be slow (>30s per response) and may cause system instability under load. |
| CPU only, 16GB+ RAM | 1.5B comfortably, 7B with patience | 7B on CPU is usable for non-time-sensitive research. Expect 30–90 second response times. |
| GPU with 6–8GB VRAM | 7B models | 7B models fit in 6-8GB VRAM and produce responses in 5–15 seconds. A good balance of quality and speed. |
| GPU with 12GB+ VRAM | 7B–13B models | Larger models produce meaningfully better reasoning. Response times are still fast (under 15 seconds). |
Models are downloaded directly from within Dome Terminal. No external tools or command-line steps are required for supported models.
Open Settings → AI → Local Models
Navigate to Settings (gear icon in the sidebar, or Ctrl+,) → AI tab → Local Models section. You'll see the model browser with all available models and their download status.
Find the model and click Download
Browse the available models, check the size and context length against your hardware specs (table above), and click ↓ Download. Make sure you have enough free disk space before starting — the download size is shown in the model browser.
Monitor progress in the status bar
A download progress indicator appears in the terminal status bar at the bottom of the screen. You can continue using the terminal normally during the download — it runs in the background.
Download complete — model appears in Available Models
When the download finishes, the model status changes from ↓ Download to Set Active. You can now activate it for use. The model file stays on your machine and does not need to be re-downloaded.
Only one local model is active at a time. The active model is loaded into memory and used for all local AI features — ORACLE, AI Committee, and any other module that routes to local AI.
How to set the active model
In Settings → AI → Local Models, click Set Active next to any downloaded model. The terminal loads the model into memory — this takes between 5 and 30 seconds depending on model size and your hardware. A loading indicator appears in the AI status bar.
Once loaded, the AI provider indicator in the toolbar changes to show the active local model name. You can switch models at any time — the current model unloads and the new one loads. Switching mid-session does not lose conversation history.
Switch to a smaller model during active trading
During a live trading session, response speed often matters more than reasoning depth. Switch to the 0.5B or 1.5B model for quick queries while trading, and switch back to a larger model for deeper research when the market is closed. You can create a keyboard shortcut for model switching in Settings → Shortcuts.
Dome Terminal lets you control exactly what context is included when an AI model processes your queries. These settings are separate for local and remote models — you can give local AI access to sensitive data while keeping it off-limits for remote AI.
All data stays on your machine. Nothing is transmitted externally.
Sent fields go to the remote provider's servers. Adjust in Settings → AI → Privacy.
To adjust which fields are included in remote AI context, go to Settings → AI → Privacy and toggle each category. Changes apply immediately to all future queries — they do not affect queries already sent.
If you already use Ollama to manage GGUF models on your machine, Dome Terminal can connect directly to Ollama and use its model library — you don't need to download the same models twice.
Configure Ollama in Settings → AI → Ollama
Navigate to Settings → AI → Ollama and enter the Ollama host address. If Ollama is running on the same machine, the default http://localhost:11434 will work without changes. Click Test Connection to verify.
Once connected, all models available in your Ollama library appear automatically in the Dome Terminal model browser alongside any natively downloaded models. You can activate, switch, and use them exactly the same way.
Ollama connection is optional
If you don't use Ollama, you don't need to configure it. Dome Terminal has its own built-in model downloader and manager. Ollama integration is for users who prefer to manage their model library with Ollama directly, or who want to use models that aren't in the Dome Terminal model browser.
Local AI performance depends heavily on your hardware and what else is running on your machine. These three tips make the biggest practical difference.