Update Ollama, Use It Behind a Proxy, and Stop It Starting at Login

By Web Asset House Studio · October 29, 2026

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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of the official Ollama FAQ, checked October 29, 2026.

Updating Ollama

• Mac and Windows: the app downloads updates automatically. Click the menu bar (Mac) or taskbar (Windows) icon and choose "Restart to update." You can also download the latest installer from ollama.com/download.
• Linux: re-run the install script:

  curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
  

Using Ollama behind a proxy

Ollama downloads models from the internet, so office networks may need a proxy:

• Set HTTPS_PROXY for the Ollama server, and make sure the proxy's certificate is installed as a system certificate.
• Don't set HTTP_PROXY. The FAQ says Ollama uses only HTTPS for model pulls, and setting HTTP_PROXY may interrupt client connections to the server.
• Docker: pass -e HTTPS_PROXY=https://proxy.example.com when starting the container, or configure the Docker daemon's proxy. For a self-signed proxy certificate, the FAQ shows building an image that copies the CA certificate in and runs update-ca-certificates.

How to set server variables:

• Mac: launchctl setenv HTTPS_PROXY https://proxy.example.com, then restart the app.
• Linux: systemctl edit ollama.service, add the Environment= line, then reload and restart.
• Windows: quit Ollama, add it under Edit environment variables for your account, then restart.

Stop Ollama from starting at login

The Mac and Windows apps register as a login item when installed. Ollama keeps your choice across upgrades unless you uninstall it.

• Windows: Task Manager → Startup apps → find ollama → Disable.
• Mac: System Settings → search "Login Items" → under Allow in the Background, switch Ollama off.

You can still start Ollama manually when you need it.

Slow downloads in WSL2 on Windows 10

The FAQ suggests: Control Panel → Network and Internet → View network status and tasks → Change adapter settings → right-click vEthernet (WSL) → Properties → Configure → Advanced, then disable "Large Send Offload Version 2" for both IPv4 and IPv6.

Related: Ollama on Windows, Ollama on Mac, Ollama on Linux, troubleshooting logs.

Sources

• Ollama docs: FAQ