User Guide

Complete user manual for GGUF Loader - learn all features and capabilities

Beginner 15 minutes

Welcome to the complete GGUF Loader user guide! This manual covers all features and capabilities of GGUF Loader 2.0.0.

๐ŸŽฏ Overview

GGUF Loader is a desktop application for running GGUF-based Large Language Models (LLMs) locally on your computer. It provides:

  • Easy Model Loading: Load any GGUF model with a single click
  • Chat Interface: Intuitive chat UI for interacting with AI models
  • Smart Floating Assistant: AI-powered text processing across all applications
  • Addon System: Extend functionality with custom addons
  • Privacy-First: All processing happens locally on your machine

๐Ÿš€ Getting Started

Launching GGUF Loader

After installation, launch GGUF Loader:

ggufloader

The main window will open with:

  • Model selection area
  • Chat interface
  • Addon sidebar
  • Settings menu

Loading Your First Model

  1. Click โ€œSelect GGUF Modelโ€ in the main window
  2. Navigate to your GGUF model file
  3. Select the model and click โ€œOpenโ€
  4. Wait for the model to load (progress shown in status bar)
  5. Start chatting once the model is ready

๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Start with smaller models (4GB or less) for faster loading and better performance on systems with limited RAM.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Chat Interface

Basic Chat

The chat interface allows you to have conversations with your loaded AI model:

  1. Type your message in the input field at the bottom
  2. Press Enter or click โ€œSendโ€ to submit
  3. View the response in the chat area
  4. Continue the conversation as needed

Chat Features

  • Message History: Scroll up to view previous messages
  • Copy Responses: Click to copy AI responses to clipboard
  • Clear Chat: Reset the conversation history
  • Export Chat: Save conversations for later reference

Conversation Tips

  • Be Specific: Clear, detailed prompts get better responses
  • Provide Context: Give background information when needed
  • Use Examples: Show the AI what format you want
  • Iterate: Refine your prompts based on responses

โœจ Smart Floating Assistant

The Smart Floating Assistant is GGUF Loaderโ€™s flagship feature, providing AI-powered text processing across all applications.

How It Works

  1. Select text in any application (browser, editor, etc.)
  2. A floating button (โœจ) appears near your selection
  3. Click the button to open the processing menu
  4. Choose an action: Summarize or Comment
  5. View and copy the AI-generated result

Available Actions

Summarize

Creates a concise summary of the selected text:

  • Extracts key points
  • Reduces lengthy content
  • Maintains essential meaning

Comment

Generates thoughtful commentary on the selected text:

  • Provides analysis and insights
  • Offers different perspectives
  • Adds context and explanation

Smart Floater Settings

Access settings through the addon panel:

  • Enable/Disable: Turn the floating assistant on or off
  • Button Timeout: How long the button stays visible
  • Processing Options: Customize AI parameters

๐Ÿ”ง Model Management

Supported Models

GGUF Loader supports all GGUF format models, including:

  • LLaMA and LLaMA 2 models
  • Mistral and Mixtral models
  • DeepSeek models
  • Phi models
  • Qwen models
  • Any other GGUF-compatible model

Model Selection Tips

RAM Available Recommended Model Size
4GB Up to 3B parameters (Q4)
8GB Up to 7B parameters (Q4)
16GB Up to 13B parameters (Q4)
32GB+ Up to 70B parameters (Q4)

Quantization Levels

  • Q2_K: Smallest, fastest, lowest quality
  • Q4_K_M: Good balance of size and quality (recommended)
  • Q5_K_M: Better quality, larger size
  • Q8_0: Highest quality, largest size

Loading Options

When loading a model, you can configure:

  • Context Length: Maximum conversation length
  • GPU Layers: Number of layers to offload to GPU
  • Threads: CPU threads for processing

๐Ÿงฉ Addon System

Understanding Addons

Addons extend GGUF Loaderโ€™s functionality:

  • Pre-installed: Smart Floating Assistant comes built-in
  • Custom Addons: Create your own or install community addons
  • Sidebar Access: All addons accessible from the sidebar

Managing Addons

Viewing Installed Addons

  1. Look at the addon sidebar on the right
  2. Each addon shows as a clickable button
  3. Click to open the addon panel

Addon Controls

  • Start/Stop: Control addon execution
  • Settings: Configure addon behavior
  • Status: View addon status and logs

Creating Custom Addons

Want to create your own addons? See:

โš™๏ธ Settings and Configuration

Application Settings

Access settings through the menu:

  • Theme: Light or dark mode
  • Font Size: Adjust text size
  • Language: Interface language
  • Startup: Auto-load last model

Model Settings

Configure model behavior:

  • Temperature: Controls randomness (0.0-2.0)
  • Top P: Nucleus sampling parameter
  • Top K: Limits token selection
  • Repeat Penalty: Reduces repetition
  • Max Tokens: Maximum response length

Performance Settings

Optimize for your system:

  • GPU Acceleration: Enable CUDA or Metal
  • Thread Count: CPU threads to use
  • Batch Size: Processing batch size
  • Context Size: Maximum context length

๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Interface Overview

Main Window Components

โ”Œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”
โ”‚  Menu Bar                                           โ”‚
โ”œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ค
โ”‚                                          โ”‚ Addons   โ”‚
โ”‚  Chat Area                               โ”‚ Sidebar  โ”‚
โ”‚  - Messages displayed here               โ”‚          โ”‚
โ”‚  - Scroll for history                    โ”‚ [Smart]  โ”‚
โ”‚                                          โ”‚ [Floater]โ”‚
โ”‚                                          โ”‚          โ”‚
โ”œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ค
โ”‚  Input Field                    [Send]   โ”‚          โ”‚
โ”œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ค
โ”‚  Status Bar: Model info, processing status          โ”‚
โ””โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”˜

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Enter Send message
Ctrl+N New chat
Ctrl+O Open model
Ctrl+S Save chat
Ctrl+, Settings
Esc Cancel/Close

๐Ÿ“Š Performance Tips

Optimizing Speed

  1. Use GPU acceleration if available
  2. Choose appropriate model size for your RAM
  3. Close unnecessary applications to free memory
  4. Use Q4 quantization for best speed/quality balance

Reducing Memory Usage

  1. Use smaller models (7B or less)
  2. Lower context length if not needed
  3. Use higher quantization (Q2, Q3)
  4. Close other memory-intensive apps

Improving Quality

  1. Use larger models if RAM allows
  2. Use lower quantization (Q5, Q8)
  3. Increase context length for longer conversations
  4. Fine-tune temperature for your use case

๐Ÿ”’ Privacy and Security

Local Processing

GGUF Loader processes everything locally:

  • No internet required after installation
  • No data sent to external servers
  • Complete privacy for sensitive content
  • Offline capable once models are downloaded

Data Storage

  • Chat history: Stored locally (optional)
  • Settings: Saved in user config directory
  • Models: Stored where you choose
  • Logs: Local log files only

๐Ÿ› Common Issues

Model Wonโ€™t Load

  • Check file format (must be .gguf)
  • Verify sufficient RAM
  • Try a smaller model
  • Check file isnโ€™t corrupted

Slow Performance

  • Use GPU acceleration
  • Try smaller model
  • Reduce context length
  • Close other applications

Smart Floater Not Working

  • Ensure model is loaded first
  • Check addon is enabled
  • Try selecting more text (5+ characters)
  • Restart the application

For more help, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

๐Ÿ“š Next Steps

๐Ÿ’ก Tips and Tricks

Power User Tips

  1. Batch Processing: Use Smart Floater for quick text processing
  2. Custom Prompts: Create templates for common tasks
  3. Model Switching: Keep multiple models for different tasks
  4. Keyboard Navigation: Learn shortcuts for faster workflow

Best Practices

  1. Regular Updates: Keep GGUF Loader updated
  2. Model Organization: Organize models in dedicated folders
  3. Backup Settings: Export your configuration
  4. Community Engagement: Share tips and get help

Need more help? Check our FAQ, join community discussions, or contact support@ggufloader.com.

๐ŸŽฏ What's Next?

You've completed this guide! Here are some suggested next steps to continue your GGUF Loader journey:

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