> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.b3iq.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Runtimes

Which local inference runtimes B3IQ supports, which one a given machine should use, and how one-click install verifies each build.

A runtime is the local engine that actually runs a model on your machine. B3IQ
routes work to your node, but the runtime is what loads the weights and produces
tokens. Picking the right one is mostly about your hardware, and the setup
wizard does the picking for you in most cases.

You do not need to memorize any of this. The wizard detects your hardware,
pre-selects a sensible default, and labels every option in plain language. This
page exists so you understand what it chose and why.

## Supported runtimes

| Runtime | Best for | Requirements | Install |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| llama.cpp | The recommended default. Squeezes the most out of a gaming or workstation GPU, and still runs on any computer. Downloads models on demand, so trying a new one needs no restart. | Works on any computer | One click |
| Ollama | The simplest start. Pick a model from a curated list and it just runs. | Works on any computer | One click |
| FastFlowLM | Experimental serving on an AMD Ryzen AI NPU. | Needs an AMD Ryzen AI XDNA 2 NPU with a current driver | You install it |
| LocalAI | Images, speech, embeddings, and rerank alongside chat, from one install. | Works on any computer | One click |
| Xinference | Video generation and the long tail of models. | Needs an NVIDIA graphics card | You install it |
| vLLM | High-throughput serving for an NVIDIA GPU server answering many requests at once. | Needs an NVIDIA graphics card | You install it |

**Recommended default**

If you are not sure, take the wizard's pre-selected default. llama.cpp is the
  default on every machine; Ollama is the easiest alternative if you would
  rather pick from a curated model list. Both run on any computer, and B3IQ
  installs and supervises both for you.

**Runtimes you run yourself**

B3IQ cannot one-click FastFlowLM, Xinference, or vLLM, so their cards carry a
  copy-paste install command and a link to upstream docs instead of an Install
  button. Any OpenAI-compatible server you run yourself can also be pointed at
  as a runtime endpoint, and B3IQ will serve through it.

## What the wizard shows you

Rather than asking you to reason about drivers and architectures, the wizard
labels each runtime with one plain-language eligibility line based on the
hardware it detected:

| Label | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Works on any computer | Runs on CPU, and uses a GPU if you have one. Safe choice anywhere. |
| Needs an NVIDIA graphics card | Only offered when an NVIDIA GPU is present on this machine. |
| Needs an AMD Ryzen AI XDNA 2 NPU with a current driver | Only offered when the machine has that NPU and its driver passes the version floor. |
| Not supported on this machine | This runtime cannot run on your hardware, so the wizard will not let you start a doomed install. |

## One-click install

The setup wizard can install a supported runtime for you. Each runtime in the
catalog is pinned to a known build, so you get a tested version rather than
whatever happens to be latest.

**Runtime downloads are verified**

Before B3IQ installs a pinned runtime build it verifies the download against a
  known checksum, and stops and reports the failure rather than running an
  unverified binary. This applies to host-agent provisioning and to one-click
  binary runtime installs.

Where a one-click install genuinely isn't available for a runtime on your
machine, the wizard shows a copy-paste command and a docs link instead of an
Install button.

## Picking a runtime

llama.cpp is the recommended default and works on any computer. B3IQ picks the
accelerated build that matches the hardware it found, so a machine with a GPU
gets a GPU build without you choosing one. Ollama is the easiest alternative if
you would rather pick from a curated model list. Advanced operators can point
B3IQ at a self-hosted vLLM or Xinference endpoint instead.

## Hardware detection

B3IQ reads your machine's hardware so it can offer the right runtimes and the
right accelerated builds. It detects:

| Hardware | How B3IQ uses it |
| --- | --- |
| NVIDIA GPU | Detected; unlocks the GPU-accelerated llama.cpp build and the NVIDIA-only runtime cards. |
| AMD GPU | Detected; served by the GPU-accelerated llama.cpp build. |
| Intel GPU | Detected; served by the same GPU-accelerated llama.cpp build. |
| AMD Ryzen AI NPU | Detected, with its driver version checked; recommends FastFlowLM, which you install yourself. |

**B3IQ does not run your NPU for you**

B3IQ detects an AMD Ryzen AI XDNA 2 NPU and, when its driver is current,
  points you at FastFlowLM as the runtime to evaluate. It cannot install or
  supervise that runtime, and NPU serving is experimental. Every runtime B3IQ
  installs and watches serves on CPU or GPU.

## Self-healing vs self-hosted

Not every runtime gets the same crash recovery. A runtime the host agent
launched and is watching restarts automatically if it crashes. A runtime the
agent could restart but is not currently watching carries a **won't self-heal**
badge on the machine's Runtimes tab, so you learn about the gap before an
outage rather than during one; use the Restart action on that card to bring it
back. An endpoint B3IQ only proxies, such as a server you run yourself, gets no
supervision at all: B3IQ shows it and routes to it, but restarting it is on
you.

## Listing models for a runtime

Once a runtime is installed, list the models actually available on your node
rather than guessing at artifact names. The host agent exposes an
OpenAI-compatible list:

```bash curl
curl --fail --silent --show-error http://127.0.0.1:8831/v1/models
```

Use the ids returned here when configuring a model profile. The available set
changes as you install or remove models, so always list rather than hard-code.

The same installed set is visible remotely, without SSHing into the box.
The [b3iq CLI](/developers/cli) can list it:

```bash
b3iq models list --machine <machine>
b3iq runtimes list --machine <machine>
```

The machine's Models and Runtimes tabs in the [account
dashboard](/operators/node-dashboard) show the same statuses, too.

## Related

**[Model readiness](/operators/model-readiness)**

Turn an installed model into a benchmarked, route-eligible profile.
  **[Setup wizard](/operators/setup-wizard)**

Walk the guided flow that detects hardware and installs your runtime.
  **[Host agent](/operators/host-agent)**

The local service that probes runtimes and serves the local API.