Scribd
Upload
7 views

SETUP Linux

This document provides setup instructions for Linux users to create an environment for AI and LLM engineering using either Anaconda or an alternative Python virtual environment. It includes steps for cloning a repository, installing necessary software, setting up API keys, and creating a .env file for secure key management. The guide aims to ensure a smooth setup process and encourages users to reach out for assistance if needed.

Uploaded by

Umair Amin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
7 views

SETUP Linux

This document provides setup instructions for Linux users to create an environment for AI and LLM engineering using either Anaconda or an alternative Python virtual environment. It includes steps for cloning a repository, installing necessary software, setting up API keys, and creating a .env file for secure key management. The guide aims to ensure a smooth setup process and encourages users to reach out for assistance if needed.

Uploaded by

Umair Amin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

LLM Engineering - Master AI and LLMs

Setup instructions for Linux


Welcome, Linux people!
I should reveal that I had ChatGPT make this document based on the Mac
instructions, but then I went through and checked and tweaked some sections.
If any of these instructions don’t work for your distro, please do reach out and
let me know - we’ll figure it out, then I’ll update the instructions for the future.

Setting up a powerful environment to work at the forefront of AI requires some


effort, but these instructions should guide you smoothly. If you encounter any
issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to ensure you get set up
without hassle.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddonner/
For this setup, we’ll use Anaconda to create a reliable environment for your
AI work. Alternatively, I’ve provided a lighter option if you prefer to avoid
Anaconda. Let’s get started!

Part 1: Clone the Repo


This gets you a local copy of the code on your machine.
1. Install Git if not already installed:
• Open your terminal.
• Run git --version. If Git isn’t installed, follow the instructions for your
distribution:
– Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install git
– Fedora: sudo dnf install git
– Arch: sudo pacman -S git
2. Navigate to your projects folder:
If you have a specific folder for projects, navigate to it using the cd command.
For example: cd ~/Projects
If you don’t have a projects folder, you can create one:
mkdir ~/Projects
cd ~/Projects
3. Clone the repository:
Run the following command in your terminal: git clone https://github.com/ed-donner/llm_engineering.

1
This creates a new directory llm_engineering within your Projects folder and
downloads the course code. Use cd llm_engineering to enter the directory.
This is your “project root directory.”

Part 2: Install Anaconda environment


If this Part 2 gives you any trouble, refer to the alternative Part 2B below.
1. Install Anaconda:
• Download the Linux installer from https://www.anaconda.com/download.
• Open a terminal and navigate to the folder containing the downloaded .sh
file.
• Run the installer: bash Anaconda3*.sh and follow the prompts. Note:
This requires about 5+ GB of disk space.
2. Set up the environment:
• Open a terminal and navigate to the “project root directory” using: cd
~/Projects/llm_engineering (adjust the path as necessary).
• Run ls to confirm the presence of subdirectories for each week of the
course.
• Create the environment: conda env create -f environment.yml
This may take several minutes (even up to an hour for new Anaconda users). If
it takes longer or errors occur, proceed to Part 2B.
• Activate the environment: conda activate llms.
You should see (llms) in your prompt, indicating successful activation.
3. Start Jupyter Lab:
From the llm_engineering folder, run: jupyter lab.
Jupyter Lab should open in your browser. Close it after confirming it works,
and proceed to Part 3.

Part 2B - Alternative to Part 2 if Anaconda gives you trouble


1. Install Python 3.11 (if not already installed):
• Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3.11
• Fedora: sudo dnf install python3.11
• Arch: sudo pacman -S python
2. Navigate to the project root directory:
Use cd ~/Projects/llm_engineering and verify the folder contents with ls.
3. Create a virtual environment:
Run: python3.11 -m venv llms

2
4. Activate the virtual environment:
Use: source llms/bin/activate
Your prompt should now display (llms), indicating the environment is active.
5. Install required packages:
Run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip followed by pip install -r
requirements.txt.
If issues occur, try the fallback: pip install --retries 5 --timeout 15
--no-cache-dir --force-reinstall --verbose -r requirements.txt
6. Start Jupyter Lab:
From the llm_engineering folder, run: jupyter lab.

Part 3 - OpenAI key (OPTIONAL but recommended)


Particularly during weeks 1 and 2 of the course, you’ll be writing code to call
the APIs of Frontier models (models at the forefront of AI).
For week 1, you’ll only need OpenAI, and you can add the others if you wish
later on.
1. Create an OpenAI account if you don’t have one by visiting:
https://platform.openai.com/
2. OpenAI asks for a minimum credit to use the API. For me in the US, it’s
$5. The API calls will spend against this $5. On this course, we’ll only
use a small portion of this. I do recommend you make the investment as
you’ll be able to put it to excellent use. But if you’d prefer not to pay for
the API, I give you an alternative in the course using Ollama.
You can add your credit balance to OpenAI at Settings > Billing:
https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/billing/overview
I recommend you disable the automatic recharge!
3. Create your API key
The webpage where you set up your OpenAI key is at https://platform.openai.com/api-
keys - press the green ‘Create new secret key’ button and press ‘Create secret
key’. Keep a record of the API key somewhere private; you won’t be able to
retrieve it from the OpenAI screens in the future. It should start sk-proj-.
In week 2 we will also set up keys for Anthropic and Google, which you can do
here when we get there.
- Claude API at https://console.anthropic.com/ from Anthropic - Gemini API
at https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api from Google

3
Later in the course you’ll be using the fabulous HuggingFace platform; an account
is available for free at https://huggingface.co - you can create an API token from
the Avatar menu » Settings » Access Tokens.
And in Week 6/7 you’ll be using the terrific Weights & Biases at https://wandb.ai
to watch over your training batches. Accounts are also free, and you can set up
a token in a similar way.

PART 4 - .env file


When you have these keys, please create a new file called .env in your project
root directory. The filename needs to be exactly the four characters “.env” rather
than “my-keys.env” or “.env.txt”. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
2. Navigate to the “project root directory” using cd ~/Documents/Projects/llm_engineering
(replace this path with the actual path to the llm_engineering directory,
your locally cloned version of the repo).
3. Create the .env file with
nano .env
4. Then type your API keys into nano, replacing xxxx with your API key
(starting sk-proj-).
OPENAI_API_KEY=xxxx
If you have other keys, you can add them too, or come back to this in future
weeks:
GOOGLE_API_KEY=xxxx
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=xxxx
HF_TOKEN=xxxx
5. Save the file:
Control + O
Enter (to confirm save the file)
Control + X to exit the editor
6. Use this command to list files in your project root directory:
ls -a
And confirm that the .env file is there.
This file won’t appear in Jupyter Lab because jupyter hides files starting with
a dot. This file is listed in the .gitignore file, so it won’t get checked in and
your keys stay safe.

4
Part 5 - Showtime!!
1. Open a terminal.
2. Navigate to the “project root directory” using: cd ~/Projects/llm_engineering.
3. Activate your environment:
• If you used Anaconda: conda activate llms
• If you used the alternative: source llms/bin/activate
You should see (llms) in your prompt. Run: jupyter lab to get started.
Enjoy your journey into mastering AI and LLMs!

You might also like