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llama-cli

type: entityconfidence: highupdated: 2026-05-30llama_build: master (~2026-05)sources: 1

Overview

llama-cli (in tools/cli) is llama.cpp's primary inference command-line tool. It handles both one-shot prompting and interactive chat against a GGUF model. Its --help text is auto-generated by llama-gen-docs and is grouped into Common, Sampling, and CLI-specific sections.

Characteristics

  • Two modes: one-shot completion and interactive conversation/chat.
  • Conversation flags: -cnv / --conversation (auto-enabled when the model has a chat template, and turns on interactive mode), -no-cnv to disable, -st / --single-turn, -r / --reverse-prompt, -sys / --system-prompt (plus -sysf for a file), -mli / --multiline-input.
  • Generation / offload flags (shared with the server): -n / --predict (-1 = infinite), -c / --ctx-size (0 = from model), -b 2048, -ub 512, -ngl / --n-gpu-layers (auto / number / all), -sm / --split-mode {none,layer,row,tensor} (default layer), -mg / --main-gpu (0), -fa / --flash-attn (auto), -dev / --device, --list-devices, -ts / --tensor-split.
  • Grammar / structured output: --grammar, --grammar-file, -j / --json-schema, -jf.
  • Multimodal: -mm / --mmproj, --image, --audio.
  • LoRA / control vectors: --lora, --lora-scaled FNAME:SCALE.
  • Templating: --jinja (on), --chat-template (large built-in list), --reasoning-format, -rea / --reasoning, --reasoning-budget.
  • Quick presets: --gpt-oss-20b-default, --gpt-oss-120b-default, --vision-gemma-4b/12b-default, --spec-default.

How to Use

One-shot prompt:

llama-cli -m model.gguf -p "prompt"
llama-cli -m model.gguf -p "Once upon a time"

Conversation / chat:

llama-cli -m model.gguf -cnv

Run a model straight from Hugging Face:

llama-cli -hf ggml-org/gemma-3-1b-it-GGUF

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