No internet? This 'survival computer' has everything you need offline - including AI

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Project NOMAD is an offline info database and AI tool.
This level could travel successful useful if you can't get online.
It tin beryllium installed connected immoderate Debian-based Linux distro.

Imagine that you've landed successful immoderate benignant of post-apocalyptic, dystopian future. In that future, it's not needfully the beardown that volition survive, but alternatively those with entree to information.

Information could upwind up being the astir sought-after commodity, the quality betwixt endurance and, well, not.

But however bash you summation entree to information? You mightiness not person a web connection, which means nary internet. And that means nary hunt motor oregon AI.

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What bash you do?

If you person already installed Project NOMAD, which stands for Node for Offline Media, Archives, and Data, and is simply a self-contained, offline "survival computer", past nary request to worry. This project's tag enactment is "Knowledge That Never Goes Offline."

Thanks to this tool, you person entree to a cognition basal and offline AI that tin support you informed and empowered.

Sounds beauteous useful, right?

NOMAD isn't conscionable for a imaginable aboriginal dystopia. Imagine you person to question to parts unknown, wherever net connections are iffy, but accusation is necessary. With Project NOMAD up and running, you person everything you request to support you informed.

How does Project NOMAD work?

First, you person to instal Project NOMAD, which tin beryllium done connected immoderate Debian-based Linux organisation with the command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get instal -y curl && curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Crosstalk-Solutions/project-nomad/refs/heads/main/install/install_nomad.sh -o install_nomad.sh && sudo bash install_nomad.sh

Once the packages are installed, you tin start, stop, and update N.O.M.A.D with the commands:

sudo bash /opt/project-nomade/start_nomad.sh
sudo bash /opt/project-nomade/stop_nomad.sh
sudo bash /opt/project-nomade/update_nomad.sh

This backend work works with the assistance of Docker containers. After spinning up Project NOMAD connected Sparky Linux (which is Debian-based), I got funny to spot what's down the curtain, which is however I figured retired it utilized Docker containers. After moving the instal command, I checked to spot if determination were Docker containers moving with:

docker ps -a

I was instantly greeted with a support denied mistake (more connected that successful a bit). I past added sudo into the premix and was rewarded with a database of the presently moving containers, which were:

project-nomad:latest
redis:7-alpine
mysql:8.0
amir20/dozzle:v10.0
project-nomad-disk-collector:latest
project-nomade-sidecar-updater:latest

Thanks to those 6 containers, Project NOMAD is susceptible of delivering each of its accusation from wrong a useful website. Open a browser and constituent it to http://localhost:8080, and you're acceptable to amended yourself connected immoderate you need.

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The archetypal happening that caught my attraction was the Apps feature. After clicking that button, I was taken to the Apps "Store," wherever I could instal a fewer useful apps, specified arsenic the Information Library, Education Platform, AI Assistant, Notes, and Data Tools.

Out of curiosity, I installed the AI platform. When that was completed, I discovered that it didn't work. OK, troubleshooting time. I went backmost to the location leafage and clicked Easy Setup. Here, NOMAD made it wide that definite capabilities were installed, but not enabled.

I attempted to prime AI Assistant, but it refused. I could prime the different options conscionable fine, but not AI. Curiosity sent maine to the bid enactment to spot if Ollama was installed. It was, but that was due to the fact that I'd installed it for a erstwhile review.

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Hmm….

I went backmost to Apps and ran a Force Reinstall. No luck.

I decided to effort different NOMAD installation, this clip connected Kubuntu. I figured that possibly the erstwhile Ollama installation was causing problems. Good news: that did the trick. I could present tally the casual setup for each of the indispensable features.

During that setup, I had to prime a representation portion (you tin prime arsenic galore regions arsenic you like), and contented specified arsenic AI models, Wikipedia, medicine, endurance and preparedness, acquisition and reference, DIY & repair, agriculture & food, and computing & technology. Be cautious with this section, arsenic each accusation bundle you adhd takes up space. You don't privation to tally retired of interior storage.

With everything installed, I started to spot the existent payment of Project NOMAD Imagine having immoderate of the tools you usually use, with a web connection, disposable portion you're offline.

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I ran AI queries, looked up aesculapian information, and more.

This task is genius, and I anticipation I ne'er person to usage it. If I do… I'll surely beryllium gladsome it's there. I volition accidental that immoderate of the accusation was a spot unexpected (such arsenic "Tongue Diagnosis successful Chinese Medicine" and "Wilderness Medicine Course"), but adjacent those handbooks could beryllium utile to some.

All successful all, Project NOMAD impressed me. I surely anticipation the task continues to develop, due to the fact that it could go rather important successful the years to travel (read into that what you will).

Find retired much connected the project's GitHub page.

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