Project Overview: LLM - Large Language Models for Everyone
The "llm" project is a suite of Rust libraries designed to simplify working with large language models (LLMs). It's built on top of the GGML library, which is known for its speed and efficiency in machine learning tasks. While this particular project is no longer actively maintained, it served as a robust and user-friendly way to engage with LLMs using Rust.
Current Status
The "llm" project has been archived due to time and resource constraints. Although currently inactive, it has been a cornerstone for Rust developers interested in LLMs, offering tools and frameworks for model inference. Four versions of the project are available, each with varying capabilities and levels of currency. The project was initially designed to support CPU-based inference, with plans for GPU support in the future.
Supported Models
"llm" is capable of working with a variety of popular LLM architectures, including:
- BLOOM
- GPT-2
- GPT-J
- GPT-NeoX (including variants like StableLM and RedPajama)
- LLaMA (including variations like Alpaca and Vicuna)
- MPT
The project allows users to download models conveniently, making it a practical choice for many LLM applications.
Getting Started
Developers looking to incorporate "llm" into Rust projects need a modern C toolchain and Rust version 1.65.0 or higher. The llm crate serves as the primary entry point, supported by auxiliary crates like llm-base. Developers can install the library via GitHub for pre-release versions or through crates.io for stable releases.
Adding LLM to Your Rust Project
To get started with "llm," you can add it to your Rust project's Cargo.toml:
For the version seen on the main branch:
[dependencies]
llm = { git = "https://github.com/rustformers/llm" , branch = "main" }
For a released version available on crates.io:
[dependencies]
llm = "0.1.1"
CLI Application
For non-developers, or those who prefer a ready-to-use solution, the project offers a command-line interface (CLI) application known as llm-cli. This tool provides an interactive way to work with models, including generating text and quantizing GGML files. The CLI application can be downloaded from the project's latest GitHub release or installed directly from crates.io.
Alternatives and Future Direction
With "llm" now archived, developers are encouraged to explore other high-quality libraries for LLM inference in Rust. Some notable alternatives include Ratchet and Candle-based libraries, which offer more up-to-date tools and active maintenance. These alternatives cater to a range of use cases, from web-based models to those requiring simplicity or specific platform support.
In summary, while the "llm" project has been archived, it remains a foundation for engaging with language models in Rust, offering a glimpse into the possibilities of robust, efficient model inference. As the landscape evolves, developers have a plethora of modern tools to explore for their machine learning needs.