Idlerate
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Install on Linux

Idlerate runs in your user account. The default install does not need root.

What you need

  • Linux on amd64 or arm64
  • An NVIDIA or AMD GPU (CPU-only still works with the smallest starter model)
  • An Idlerate account at relay.idlerate.dev
  • curl, tar, and sha256sum (or shasum)

Install

This one command downloads the current release from the relay, checks the checksum, installs the program under ~/.local/bin, and registers a systemd user service:

curl -fsSL https://idlerate.dev/install.sh | sh

There are no prompts. The installer prints a pairing code once. It is not written to disk. Sign in at relay.idlerate.dev and enter that code.

The same files are also at /download/linux-amd64 and /download/linux-arm64, each with checksums.txt and latest beside it.

What it sets up

  • Program: ~/.local/bin/idlerate
  • Config: ~/.config/idlerate/config.json (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idlerate)
  • User service: ~/.config/systemd/user/idlerate.service, enabled with systemctl --user
  • Start at login. When the system allows it, linger is turned on so the user service also starts at boot.

Logs: journalctl --user -u idlerate -f

If systemd is not available, install writes an XDG autostart entry and starts the process.

Headless server

A machine with no login session can run a system service. That command needs root. The service still runs as your user, not as root:

sudo -E idlerate service install

idlerate uninstall removes the user service and the program and keeps config.json. sudo idlerate service uninstall removes the system unit.

When the GPU is in use

Pause is automatic, the same as on Windows. If another process is using the GPU, the machine reports Paused: GPU in use and does not take new jobs. It resumes after the GPU has been free. Idlerate and Ollama do not count as that other process. The machine page can turn this off or change the thresholds. The default is on, and a running job is requeued.

Ollama

If Ollama is already installed, the installer starts it and pulls one starter model. The official Ollama install script needs sudo, so a curl | sh install skips that step when Ollama is missing and tells you to install it yourself. Run idlerate install again after Ollama is up.

Remove

idlerate uninstall