Weekend Project: Run a Local LLM for Coding (Zero Cloud, Zero API Keys)

I spent last weekend ditching cloud AI for coding. No more API rate limits, no more sending proprietary code to external servers, no more surprise bills. Just a local LLM running on my machine, integrated with my editor. Here's exactly how to set it up in an afternoon. Why Local LLMs for Coding? Three reasons I made the switch: Privacy — My client code never leaves my machine Cost — $0/month after initial setup Speed — No network latency, works offline The trade-off? You need decent hardware and the models aren't quite GPT-4 level. But for code completion, refactoring, and explaining code? They're surprisingly good. What You'll Need RAM : 16GB minimum, 32GB recommended GPU : Optional but helps (NVIDIA with 8GB+ VRAM ideal) Storage : 10-50GB depending on models OS : Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2 No GPU? CPU inference works fine — just slower. I ran this on a 2-year-old laptop with no dedicated GPU and it was usable. Step 1: Install Ollama Ollama is the easiest way to run local LLMs