Local Coding Assistant
Set up a private AI coding assistant using Ollama and a code-optimised model — your Copilot alternative with zero cloud dependency.
Setup time
20–40 minutes
Min hardware
8 GB VRAM (RTX 3060 / RX 6600 XT)
Software
Ollama + Continue (VS Code extension)
Recommended model
Qwen2.5-Coder 7B
Install Ollama
Download Ollama from ollama.com and install it on your system.
Pull a code model
Run: ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b. Qwen2.5-Coder outperforms Codellama on most benchmarks.
For lower VRAM (6 GB): ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:3b
Install Continue in VS Code
Open VS Code, go to Extensions and search for Continue. Install the Continue extension (continueDev.continue). It connects to your local Ollama instance automatically.
Configure Continue
Open the Continue sidebar, click the settings icon, and add your model: select Ollama as provider and choose qwen2.5-coder:7b.
Test code completion
Open any code file, highlight a function, and press Ctrl+I (or Cmd+I on Mac) to invoke the AI. Ask it to refactor, explain, or complete code.
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Compatible GPUs for this workflow
For smooth local AI inference with this workflow, these NVIDIA RTX GPUs deliver the best experience.
Prices and availability may change.