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Using Open-WebUI Interface

Open-WebUI offers a user-friendly web interface for interacting with models, along with other features. In this lab, you will learn how to use it and explore some of its basic features.

Preparation

Open-WebUI is a Python package installed in the Python virtual environment you created earlier. Activate your Python virtual environment if you haven't already:

  1. In a command prompt, run the go-webui.bat file you created in pre-work: 
    go-webui.bat
  1. In a command terminal, run the go-webui.sh file you created in pre-work: 
    go-webui.sh

Start the Open WebUI

In a CMD prompt or terminal window, issue the command: 

open-webui serve

Access the Open WebUI Web Interface

By default, Open WebUI serves on the port 8080. Click the URL below to access the Open WebUI interface: http://localhost:8080

Click on the Get Started button at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions to create the admin account for the first time. Then you can use the account to log in to the Open WebUI afterwards.

Select a Model

By default, Open WebUI connects to the Ollama server in your local system. Therefore, it uses the available models on your Ollama server. Click on the model name on the top left next to the New Chat button to switch to a different model. See the highlight of the image below for more details: select model

Let's select granite3.3:8b for this lab. 

granite3.3:8b

New Chat:

Start a new chat and type the question in the highlighted box: chat

Here are some example questions you can ask: 

Describe the water cycle in detail, mentioning evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

Who was Ada Lovelace, and why is she considered a pioneer in computer science?

Why are cats better companions than dogs?

explain your reasoning for why cats and dogs are not inherently better

Hit the <Enter> key or the up-arrow button to submit the question and wait for the response from the model.

Context

Within the same context, you can ask a follow-up question or provide additional instructions to adjust how the model answers your question. For example, give it clear instructions to change the behavior: 

Only answer questions in rhyme. What was domesticated first, a dog or a cat?

Clear the context

Initiate a new chat by clicking on "New Chat" on the top left corner of the page: new chat