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Prerequisites ​

Arkhein is a macOS-native application that leverages local LLM inference and a specialized memory protocol. Before you begin, ensure your system meets the following criteria.

System Requirements ​

  • Operating System: macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon).
  • PHP: version 8.2 or higher.
  • Composer: Used for dependency management.
  • Node.js & NPM: Required for building the user interface.
  • Ollama: Must be installed and running locally.

Invariants ​

  • Local-first: Arkhein avoids external API calls for core features; intelligence is sourced from locally-hosted models via Ollama.
  • macOS Native: The application is built specifically for macOS using NativePHP.
  • Model Agnostic: Arkhein doesn't hardcode specific model names but uses configurable settings with sensible fallbacks.

Common Failures ​

  • Ollama Not Running: If Ollama isn't active, Arkhein will be unable to generate responses or process embeddings.
  • Missing Models: If you haven't pulled the configured models (e.g., qwen3:8b or qwen3-embedding:4b), the application will report inference errors.
  • Incorrect PHP Version: Older PHP versions lack the required features for NativePHP or the Arkhein core. Use php -v to verify you are on 8.2+.