The /set Command

/set configures session variables inside the Ollama interactive REPL. Changes apply only to the current session and disappear when you /bye.

The main subcommands:

/set parameter     # runtime params (temperature, num_ctx, etc.)
/set system      # system prompt
/set history             # enable history
/set nohistory           # disable history
/set wordwrap            # enable wordwrap
/set nowordwrap          # disable wordwrap
/set format json         # force JSON output
/set noformat            # clear format
/set verbose             # show timings/token counts
/set quiet               # hide them
/set think               # enable thinking (reasoning models)
/set nothink             # disable thinking

Here are some examples (first run ollama run $MODEL to get the REPL prompt):

You want the model to be a Linux sysadmin:

# Set command
/set system You are a terse Linux sysadmin. Answer in commands only.

# Question
Copy all files including hidden ones from folder A to folder B

# Answer
`cp -r /path/to/folder/A/* /path/to/folder/B/`

# Erase the system prompt
/set system ""

You want the model to be more creative:

# Set command
/set parameter temperature 1.5

# Question
Write a poem

# Answer
In Unix kernel deep,
Secrets safely it keeps.
Commands echo with silent might,
Guiding Linux through the night.

# Reset the temperature
/set parameter temperature 1.0

/set parameter only accepts parameters the model/runner supports (like temperature, top_p, top_k, num_ctx, num_predict, repeat_penalty, seed, stop

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